St. Mary's College vs. Michigan State

Should I go to Saint Mary's College or Michigan State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St. Mary's College or Michigan State 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.

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Saint Mary's College vs. Michigan State University comparison
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Saint Mary's College Michigan State University
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Overview

St. Mary's College Michigan State
Location Notre Dame, IN East Lansing, MI
Setting Rural Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,519 50,023
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #162 #240
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website saintmarys.edu msu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St. Mary's College Michigan State
Tuition (In State) $48,880 $15,192
Tuition (Out of State) $48,880 $41,778
Room & Board $13,580 $10,990
Avg Net Price $27,960 $22,803
Avg Grant Aid $36,112 $8,684
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 92%

Admission

St. Mary's College Michigan State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,260 53,341
Admitted 1,896 46,914
Acceptance Rate 83.9% 88%
Enrolled % 20.9% 21%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.72
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/32 25/31
SAT Range 1100/1328 1160/1360
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

St. Mary's College Michigan State
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Business (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (11%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)

Outcomes

St. Mary's College Michigan State
Graduation Rate 79% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,100 $60,000
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,484
Median Loan Payment $279 $263

Diversity

St. Mary's College Michigan State
% Men 1% 47%
% Women 99% 53%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 78% 67%
% Black 2% 7%
% Hispanic 11% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 13%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

St. Mary's College Michigan State
% In-State 35% 71%
% Out-of-State 64% 21%

Campus

St. Mary's College Michigan State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Michigan State University is larger than than St. Mary's College based on total student enrollment (50,023 students vs. 1,519 students)

St. Mary's College vs. Michigan State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St. Mary's College or Michigan State?

  • Saint Mary's College is 221.7% more expensive to attend than Michigan State for in-state tuition ($48,880.00 vs. $15,192.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17% higher at St. Mary's College than Michigan State University ($48,880.00 vs. $41,778.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Michigan State University than St. Mary's College ($22,803 vs. $27,960)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Michigan State University are 23.6% lower than costs at Saint Mary's College ($10,990 vs. $13,580)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Mary's College than Michigan State University (100% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College students is 315.8% larger than aid received Michigan State University ($36,112 vs. $8,684)

St. Mary's College vs. Michigan State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St. Mary's College or Michigan State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Michigan State or St. Mary's College .

  • The average SAT score at Michigan State University (1159) is 34 points higher than at St. Mary's College (1125)
  • Incoming Michigan State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at St. Mary's College (25)
  • Accepted freshman St. Mary's College students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.83) than students at Michigan State (3.72)
  • Michigan State has a higher acceptance rate (88%) than St. Mary's College (83.9%)

St. Mary's College vs. Michigan State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St. Mary's College or Michigan State? 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 Michigan State and St. Mary's College.

  • The graduation rate at St. Mary's College is higher than Michigan State University (79% vs. 77%)
  • Graduates from Michigan State University earn on average $8,900 more per year than St. Mary's College graduates after ten years. ($60,000 vs. $51,100)
  • Michigan State University students graduate with a $1,516 lower median federal student loan debt than St. Mary's College graduates. ($25,484 vs. $27,000)
  • Michigan State graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than St. Mary's College graduates. ($263 vs. $279)
  • More St. Mary's College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Michigan State students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 68%)

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