Capella vs Michigan State University (MSU)

Capella University and Michigan State University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to students with diverse aspirations. Capella University, a private, online university, stands out for its flexible learning format, catering to working professionals and those seeking a non-traditional educational path. In contrast, Michigan State University, a public, land-grant research university, offers a vibrant on-campus experience, immersing students in a traditional college atmosphere. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals, learning preferences, and lifestyle.

	Capella University	Michigan State University
Overview
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota	East Lansing, Michigan
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Quarter	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	60.0%	92.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

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

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$21,572	In state: $29,734 Out of state: $55,546
Average net price	$17,840	$8,738
Tuition	$14,148	In state: $14,750 Out of state: $40,562
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $4,408 Meal plan: $6,268
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $3,202	58.0% Average amount $12,822
Students receiving federal student loan	100.0% Average amount $7,943	34.0% Average amount $4,999
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	6.0% Average amount $18,093

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	12,383 Men 19.2% Women 80.8%	38,574 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students	26,333 Men 17.0% Women 83.0%	11,085 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	18.7%
International students	0.6%	8.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	N/A	17,463
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Psychology Business Education Computer and Information Science	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Health Professions Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	32:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.0%	82.1%
Dropout rate	50.0%	7.8%
Transferred out	N/A	9.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Management Information Systems and Services (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $128,733 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $106,301 Year 2: $111,435 Year 3: $119,533 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $114,251 Year 2: $102,409 Year 3: $109,147 Homeland Security (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $101,964 Year 3: $107,926 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $85,861 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $106,574 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $104,654 Year 2: $99,886 Year 3: $100,616 Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,456 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $96,294 Business/Commerce, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $90,971 Year 2: $89,170 Year 3: $95,852 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $85,010 Year 2: $93,816 Year 3: $92,845 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,425 Year 2: $88,678 Year 3: $92,470	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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