Lake State vs CMU-Mount Pleasant

Envision yourself pursuing higher education in the picturesque landscapes of Michigan. Lake Superior State University (LSSU) and Central Michigan University (CMU) stand out as two distinct academic havens, each offering a unique educational experience. While LSSU boasts a close-knit community with a focus on personalized attention, CMU captivates with its vibrant campus life and diverse academic offerings. Delve into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover the nuances that set these institutions apart, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes. Discover which university aligns seamlessly with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, embarking on a transformative journey towards your future success.

	Central Michigan University	Lake Superior State University
Overview
Location	Mount Pleasant, Michigan	Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	77.0%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	77.1%	73.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1010 - 1220	950 - 1160
ACT range	20 - 26	18 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	57.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	10.0%	9.0%
Total number of applicants	18,517	2,411
Total number of admissions given out	14,273	1,767
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,910	373
Yield rate	13.4%	21.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$24,600	$24,150
Average net price	$16,880	$13,583
Tuition	$12,750	$12,912
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $5,520	$11,516
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $10,288	97.0% Average amount $10,820
Students receiving federal student loan	78.0% Average amount $5,874	59.0% Average amount $4,800
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $8,007	10.0% Average amount $14,945

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,417 Men 39.3% Women 60.7%	1,812 Men 44.2% Women 55.8%
Graduate students	4,007 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	9.3%	13.8%
International students	3.4%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	5,514	850
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Illinois Ohio Indiana Wisconsin	Michigan Indiana Minnesota Illinois Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Law Enforcement and Firefighting Business Health Professions Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	61.7%	52.4%
Dropout rate	33.7%	16.6%
Transferred out	N/A	27.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,045 Year 2: $113,135 Year 3: $114,375 International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,008 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $81,586 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,477 Year 2: $74,367 Year 3: $81,249 Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,333 Year 2: $74,200 Year 3: $79,688 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,978 Year 2: $74,200 Year 3: $78,210 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $66,347 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $77,569 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,306 Year 2: $66,105 Year 3: $76,690 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,535 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $74,567 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $70,154 Year 2: $70,875 Year 3: $73,884 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,490 Year 2: $63,799 Year 3: $73,873	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,165 Year 2: $58,601 Year 3: $60,574 Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $54,778 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,343 Year 2: $39,639 Year 3: $48,561 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,312 Year 3: $47,637 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,532 Year 2: $35,988 Year 3: $41,129 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,840 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,637 Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,289 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $34,996 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,914 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A

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