Michigan State University (MSU) vs Brown University

Michigan State University and Brown University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Michigan State, a public research university, boasts a sprawling campus, a diverse student body, and a wide range of academic programs, including highly ranked engineering and business schools. Brown, an Ivy League private research university, is known for its liberal arts focus, small class sizes, and strong emphasis on undergraduate teaching. With acceptance rates of 70% and 8% respectively, these universities cater to different applicant pools. While Michigan State's larger student body provides a vibrant campus life, Brown's intimate setting fosters close-knit communities. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more about these universities' acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors, helping you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Brown University logo

Brown University

Michigan State University logo

Michigan State University

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island East Lansing, Michigan
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 92.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 83.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
SAT range 1460 - 1570 1100 - 1320
ACT range 33 - 35 23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 48.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0% 16.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 50,630
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 42,150
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 9,225
Yield rate 66.4% 21.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570
In state: $29,734

Out of state: $55,546
Average net price $25,028 $8,738
Tuition $60,944
In state: $14,750

Out of state: $40,562
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Room/dormitory: $4,408

Meal plan: $6,268
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $55,420
58.0%
Average amount $12,822
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
34.0%
Average amount $4,999
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
6.0%
Average amount $18,093

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
38,574
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
11,085
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 96.5% 18.7%
International students 18.6% 8.3%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Small
Dormitory capacity 5,013 17,463
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 82.1%
Dropout rate 3.7% 7.8%
Transferred out N/A 9.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $130,101
  • Year 2: $153,718
  • Year 3: $184,762
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,532
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $97,037
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,171
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $91,029
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,583
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $80,783
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,028
  • Year 2: $63,302
  • Year 3: $78,949
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,505
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $74,894
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,843
  • Year 2: $61,294
  • Year 3: $73,224
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,882
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $65,953
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,247
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $63,507
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,186
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $62,581
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,500
  • Year 2: $123,886
  • Year 3: $132,790
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,863
  • Year 2: $98,481
  • Year 3: $108,546
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,313
  • Year 2: $89,435
  • Year 3: $101,511
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,361
  • Year 2: $96,183
  • Year 3: $100,492
Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $97,714
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,294
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $93,263
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,609
  • Year 2: $83,915
  • Year 3: $92,316
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,457
  • Year 2: $86,129
  • Year 3: $91,721
Food Science and Technology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,178
  • Year 2: $83,915
  • Year 3: $89,761
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,462
  • Year 2: $80,133
  • Year 3: $84,869

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