Michigan State vs. UM-Dearborn vs. UM-Flint vs. Michigan

Should I go to Michigan State University or University of Michigan Dearborn? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Michigan State or UM-Dearborn is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
You are comparing the maximum of four schools. Remove a college to compare additional schools.
Michigan State University vs. University of Michigan Dearborn vs. University of Michigan Flint vs. University of Michigan comparison
Michigan State University University of Michigan Dearborn University of Michigan Flint University of Michigan
Michigan State University University of Michigan Dearborn University of Michigan Flint University of Michigan
Remove Remove Remove Remove

Overview

 Michigan State UM-Dearborn UM-Flint Michigan
Location East Lansing, MI Dearborn, MI Flint, MI Ann Arbor, MI
Setting Rural Fringe Small City Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 51,316 8,035 6,130 52,065
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #227 #405 #614 #47
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website msu.edu umich.edu umflint.edu umich.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Michigan State UM-Dearborn UM-Flint Michigan
Tuition (In State) $15,648 $14,544 $13,390 $16,896
Tuition (Out of State) $43,032 $30,960 $30,650 $57,740
Room & Board $11,754 $10,803 $13,456 $13,856
Avg Net Price $24,630 $12,798 $12,344 $19,005
Avg Grant Aid $8,147 $9,552 $11,448 $22,005
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 96% 95% 55%

Admission

 Michigan State UM-Dearborn UM-Flint Michigan
Applied 58,879 12,373 8,870 87,632
Admitted 49,414 7,254 6,105 15,722
Acceptance Rate 83.9% 58.6% 68.8% 177.2%
Enrolled % 19.3% 15.9% 8.7% 122.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.72 3.66 3.54 3.88
Typical High School Grades A- B+ B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging Average Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low Very High
ACT Range 26/31 23/30 17/29 31/34
SAT Range 1150/1350 990/1260 950/1210 1350/1530
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2026 Aug 22, 2026 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 Michigan State UM-Dearborn UM-Flint Michigan
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 16:1 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Health Professions (25%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (133%)
  • Engineering (118%)
  • Psychology (81%)
  • Biology (62%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (42%)

Outcomes

 Michigan State UM-Dearborn UM-Flint Michigan
Graduation Rate 77% 49% 37% 90%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $60,000 $52,800 $42,500 $74,400
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 46% 40% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,484 $25,750 $27,000 $20,103
Median Loan Payment $263 $266 $279 $207

Diversity

 Michigan State UM-Dearborn UM-Flint Michigan
% Men 9% 15% 7% 18%
% Women 12% 9% 15% 18%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium Medium Medium
HBCU No No No No
% White 67% 69% 67% 62%
% Black 7% 9% 14% 4%
% Hispanic 4% 6% 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0% 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3% 3% 3%
% International 13% 2% 6% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 3% 4% 6%

Students

 Michigan State UM-Dearborn UM-Flint Michigan
% In-State 76% 93% 98% 51%
% Out-of-State 18% 3% 2% 44%

Campus

 Michigan State UM-Dearborn UM-Flint Michigan
Campus Housing Yes No Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes No Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Michigan State University is larger than than UM-Dearborn based on total student enrollment (51,316 students vs. 8,035 students)

Michigan State vs. UM-Dearborn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Michigan State or UM-Dearborn?

  • Michigan State University is 7.6% more expensive to attend than UM-Dearborn for in-state tuition ($15,648.00 vs. $14,544.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 39% higher at Michigan State than University of Michigan Dearborn ($43,032.00 vs. $30,960.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Michigan Dearborn than Michigan State ($12,798 vs. $24,630)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Michigan Dearborn are 8.8% lower than costs at Michigan State University ($10,803 vs. $11,754)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Michigan State University as University of Michigan Dearborn (96% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Michigan Dearborn students is 17.2% larger than aid received Michigan State University ($9,552 vs. $8,147)

Michigan State vs. UM-Dearborn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Michigan State or UM-Dearborn? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UM-Dearborn or Michigan State .

  • The average SAT score at Michigan State University (1159) is 54 points higher than at UM-Dearborn (1105)
  • Incoming Michigan State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UM-Dearborn (24)
  • Accepted freshman Michigan State students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at UM-Dearborn (3.66)
  • Michigan State has a higher acceptance rate (83.9%) than UM-Dearborn (58.6%)

Michigan State vs. UM-Dearborn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Michigan State or UM-Dearborn? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UM-Dearborn and Michigan State.

  • The graduation rate at Michigan State is higher than University of Michigan Dearborn (77% vs. 49%)
  • Graduates from Michigan State University earn on average $7,200 more per year than UM-Dearborn graduates after ten years. ($60,000 vs. $52,800)
  • Michigan State University students graduate with a $266 lower median federal student loan debt than UM-Dearborn graduates. ($25,484 vs. $25,750)
  • Michigan State graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than UM-Dearborn graduates. ($263 vs. $266)
  • More Michigan State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UM-Dearborn students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 46%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/