Texas A & M University-College Station (TAMU) vs Michigan State University (MSU)

Envision yourself as a student, standing at the crossroads of two exceptional universities: Texas A&M University-College Station and Michigan State University. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences that cater to diverse aspirations. Texas A&M, renowned for its strong engineering and agriculture programs, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a larger student body, while Michigan State, known for its comprehensive offerings in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, offers a more diverse student population and a higher graduation rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into the specifics of each university, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Michigan State University	Texas A & M University-College Station
Overview
Location	East Lansing, Michigan	College Station, Texas
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%	93.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	83.3%	64.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1100 - 1320	1140 - 1380
ACT range	23 - 29	25 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	48.0%	72.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	28.0%
Total number of applicants	50,630	43,763
Total number of admissions given out	42,150	28,132
Admitted students who chose to enroll	9,225	12,323
Yield rate	21.9%	43.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $29,734 Out of state: $55,546	In state: $31,703 Out of state: $58,598
Average net price	$8,738	$22,253
Tuition	In state: $14,750 Out of state: $40,562	In state: $9,339 Out of state: $36,234
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,408 Meal plan: $6,268	$11,400
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	58.0% Average amount $12,822	64.0% Average amount $10,877
Students receiving federal student loan	34.0% Average amount $4,999	27.0% Average amount $5,082
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $18,093	6.0% Average amount $17,615

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	38,574 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%	56,723 Men 52.9% Women 47.1%
Graduate students	11,085 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%	15,807 Men 52.3% Women 47.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	18.7%	4.9%
International students	8.3%	6.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	17,463	11,342
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	Texas California Louisiana Virginia Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Health Professions Engineering	Engineering Business Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.1%	83.4%
Dropout rate	7.8%	3.0%
Transferred out	9.8%	12.8%
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: $123,529 Year 2: $134,726 Year 3: $134,672 Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $199,818 Year 2: $144,240 Year 3: $132,724 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $115,892 Year 2: $105,083 Year 3: $132,550 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,294 Year 2: $115,761 Year 3: $126,377 Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,377 Year 2: $92,124 Year 3: $105,826 Real Estate (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,282 Year 2: $82,685 Year 3: $97,319 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $87,907 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $96,092 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,110 Year 2: $80,669 Year 3: $95,309 Marine Transportation (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,754 Year 2: $86,129 Year 3: $94,608 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,783 Year 2: $83,177 Year 3: $92,911

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