Michigan State University (MSU) vs University of Georgia (UGA)

Envision yourself as a student, standing at the crossroads of two esteemed universities: Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Georgia (UGA). Both institutions offer a wealth of opportunities, yet they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your academic journey. MSU, rooted in the heart of East Lansing, Michigan, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from various backgrounds. UGA, nestled in the vibrant city of Athens, Georgia, stands out with its lower acceptance rate, indicating a highly selective admissions process. Delve into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover further distinctions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and student demographics. Discover which university aligns with your aspirations and empowers you to thrive in your chosen field.
Michigan State University logo

Michigan State University

University of Georgia logo

University of Georgia

Overview

Location East Lansing, Michigan Athens, Georgia
Campus setting City: Small City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 92.0% 95.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 83.3% 40.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1100 - 1320 1270 - 1450
ACT range 23 - 29 29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score 48.0% 45.0%
Students submitting ACT score 16.0% 40.0%
Total number of applicants 50,630 39,229
Total number of admissions given out 42,150 15,685
Admitted students who chose to enroll 9,225 5,819
Yield rate 21.9% 37.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $29,734

Out of state: $55,546
In state: $26,622

Out of state: $45,662
Average net price $8,738 $16,902
Tuition
In state: $14,750

Out of state: $40,562
In state: $9,790

Out of state: $28,830
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,408

Meal plan: $6,268
Room/dormitory: $6,292

Meal plan: $4,036
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

58.0%
Average amount $12,822
92.0%
Average amount $11,045
Students receiving federal student loan 34.0%
Average amount $4,999
25.0%
Average amount $5,227
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $18,093
3.0%
Average amount $13,477

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 38,574
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
30,166
Men 42.0% Women 58.0%
Graduate students 11,085
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
9,952
Men 38.2% Women 61.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 18.7% 17.5%
International students 8.3% 4.8%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 17,463 10,050
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York Georgia Texas North Carolina Florida New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 82.1% 87.8%
Dropout rate 7.8% 3.6%
Transferred out 9.8% 7.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $107,603
  • Year 2: $120,325
  • Year 3: $122,859
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,544
  • Year 2: $111,283
  • Year 3: $122,491
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $117,307
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,726
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $92,754
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,513
  • Year 2: $81,333
  • Year 3: $91,218
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,059
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $85,532
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,138
  • Year 2: $68,778
  • Year 3: $79,772
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,908
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $79,190
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,622
  • Year 2: $64,068
  • Year 3: $78,529
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,002
  • Year 2: $77,144
  • Year 3: $77,709

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Michigan State University MSU vs Arizona State University Campus Immersion Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Arizona University of Arizona
Michigan State University MSU vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
Michigan State University MSU vs University of California-Davis University of California-Davis
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Boulder
Michigan State University MSU vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Delaware University of Delaware
Michigan State University MSU vs Florida State University Florida State University
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Idaho University of Idaho
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Michigan State University MSU vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Michigan State University MSU vs Iowa State University Iowa State University
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Kansas University of Kansas
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Kentucky University of Kentucky
Michigan State University MSU vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Maryland-College Park University of Maryland-College Park
Michigan State University MSU vs Harvard University Harvard University
Michigan State University MSU vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Michigan State University MSU vs Dartmouth College Dartmouth College
Michigan State University MSU vs Cornell University Cornell University
Michigan State University MSU vs CUNY City College CUNY City College
Michigan State University MSU vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Michigan State University MSU vs North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Michigan State University MSU vs Brown University Brown University
Michigan State University MSU vs Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University
Michigan State University MSU vs The University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin
Michigan State University MSU vs Texas Tech University Texas Tech University
Michigan State University MSU vs Brigham Young University Brigham Young University
Michigan State University MSU vs George Mason University George Mason University
Michigan State University MSU vs Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Virginia-Main Campus University of Virginia-Main Campus
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Washington-Seattle Campus University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Michigan State University MSU vs Stanford University Stanford University
Michigan State University MSU vs The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University
University of Georgia UGA vs The University of Alabama The University of Alabama
University of Georgia UGA vs Auburn University Auburn University
University of Georgia UGA vs University of Arkansas University of Arkansas
University of Georgia UGA vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
University of Georgia UGA vs University of Connecticut University of Connecticut
University of Georgia UGA vs Florida State University Florida State University
University of Georgia UGA vs University of South Florida University of South Florida
University of Georgia UGA vs South University-Savannah South University-Savannah
University of Georgia UGA vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Georgia UGA vs Harvard University Harvard University
University of Georgia UGA vs Mississippi State University Mississippi State University
University of Georgia UGA vs University of South Carolina-Columbia University of South Carolina-Columbia
University of Georgia UGA vs Texas Tech University Texas Tech University
University of Georgia UGA vs Brigham Young University Brigham Young University
University of Georgia UGA vs Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Georgia UGA vs University of Virginia-Main Campus University of Virginia-Main Campus
University of Georgia UGA vs Washington State University Washington State University
University of Georgia UGA vs West Virginia University West Virginia University
University of Georgia UGA vs Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
University of Georgia UGA vs DeVry University-Georgia DeVry University-Georgia