Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · “Michigan State, MSU”
- National University
- Public
- Urban campus
- Cold climate
Known for: Business/Management/Marketing, Biological Sciences, Communication/Journalism
A public research university in East Lansing, MI. About 85 of every 100 applicants get in. It gives merit scholarships to international students, not need-based aid.
If you apply from Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar → East Lansing
- English: TOEFL 79 · IELTS 6.5 · Duolingo 110
- Early Action deadline: Nov 1
- US News National
- #64
- QS World
- #182
- THE World
- #105
- Forbes
- #79
- After the average intl award
- Full price before aid: ≈$65k/yr
- Admit rate
- 85%
- of applicants get in
- Undergrads
- 40,922
- 5% international
- Next deadline
- Nov 1
- Early Action
Plus shows 6 more facts about this school ↓
Getting in
About 85% of applicants are admitted. It is test-optional, so you do not have to send SAT or ACT scores, though strong ones still help.
- Test policy
- Test-optional, for international students too
- Admit rate for internationals
- Not published by the school
- SAT, middle 50%
- 1180–1360
- ACT, middle 50%
- 25–31
- Early Action
- Nov 1
- Priority
- Feb 1
- Regular Decision
- Apr 1
- TOEFL iBT minimum
- 79
- iBT 79 no subscore below 17 (legacy scale, before Jan 21 2026); new scale: 4 with no section below 4 (3.5 speaking). Provisional admission 65-79
- IELTS minimum
- 6.5
- Duolingo (DET) minimum
- 110
- SAT or ACT can replace the English test
- Yes
Cost & aid
Full price is about $65k a year before aid. Internationals who get aid here pay less. Plus shows how much less.
- Tuition & fees $44k
- Room & board $13k
- Other fees $5k
- Health insurance $3k
- Cost after the average intl award
- Aid for internationals
- Merit
Asking for aid
They decide whether to admit you without looking at your ability to pay, so asking for financial aid does not lower your chances.- Part of the admission decision (need-aware)
Covers all proven need
If they admit you, they cover the full gap between what your family can pay and the total cost, usually with grants you do not repay.- Not published by the school
- Internationals who get aid
- Biggest merit scholarship for internationals
- Average award for internationals
- Yearly aid budget for internationals
- Application fee
- No waiver offered
- Plan for the $75 fee.
- Local living costs
- 82.5 (New York = 100)
- Day-to-day costs are moderate for the US.
6more facts about this school in Plus
Cost after the average intl award
What an international student who gets aid pays here in a year, on average.
Biggest merit scholarship for internationals. Its name, top amount, what it covers and whether it renews.
Average award for internationals. How much aid an international student gets, and what share of the full price it covers.
Internationals who get aid · Yearly aid budget for internationals · Majors with the STEM work extension
And 4 more: Average award for internationals · Internationals who get aid · Yearly aid budget for internationals · Majors with the STEM work extension
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Work & visa
OPT lets graduates work in the US for a year after graduation, and STEM majors can add two more years.
- Study
- OPT 1 year
- STEM OPT +2 years
- Majors with the STEM work extension
- CPT internships
- Yes
- Work off campus in your field while you study
- On-campus jobs
- Yes
- Earn while enrolled, no extra visa needed
- Adviser for international students
- Yes
- Immigration and visa support on campus
- Undergraduate research
- Yes
- Co-op built into the curriculum
- No
- IB or A-level credit recognised
- Yes
- Your diploma can earn course credit
- Visa compliance record
- No known SEVIS issues on record
Life & outcomes
90% of first-year students return for a second year. 81% graduate within six years. Graduates start around $55k a year. About 5% of undergraduates are international.
- Median starting salary
- $55,084
- All graduates, all majors. Your field will vary.
- Undergraduates
- 40,922
- International undergraduates
- 2,026
- Share that is international
- 5%
- Countries represented
- 139
Similar universities
- University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · #40 US News · Merit aid
- Arizona State University-TempeTempe, AZ · #117 US News · Merit aid
- Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, TX · #51 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Ohio State University-Main CampusColumbus, OH · #40 US News · Merit aid
- University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · #26 US News · Merit aid
- Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA · #32 US News · No aid for internationals
Where this comes from
33% of this school's fields are individually verified. Last checked Jul 2, 2026. Figures are for guidance, so always confirm on the school's official pages before you rely on them.
Data sources
- Main source
- College Scorecard (06/2026 release); THE World University Rankings 2026; Intl-aid/CoL batch (2026-06): Numbeo CoL Index; need-blind list per Wikipedia+aggregators; B5/D3 batch (2026-07): co-op per institutional programs; I-20 industry-norm default; SEVIS none-known default; CDS 2025-2026: AppFee/Deadlines/OtherFees (https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/michiganstab57e-msustrategi129); English-req/test-policy: official intl-admissions pages (2026-07); IntlMisc (countries/SHIP/funnel/outcomes): official intl/ISSS/career pages (2026-07); Programs: IPEDS/Scorecard PCIP (Most-Recent-Cohorts, 2024) [Jul 1, 2026]; STEM-OPT %: DHS STEM List 2024 (6-digit) × Scorecard programs (4-digit CIP, split families adj.) [Jul 1, 2026]; Fee-waiver verified vs official admissions page [Jul 1, 2026]; AppFee verified Jul 1, 2026 (official)
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