Lake State vs Michigan State University (MSU)

Envision yourself pursuing higher education in the captivating state of Michigan, where two esteemed universities, Lake Superior State University (LSSU) and Michigan State University (MSU), await your exploration. LSSU, nestled in the serene city of Sault Ste. Marie, offers an acceptance rate of 99%, welcoming a diverse student body of over 2,000 undergraduates. MSU, on the other hand, boasts a sprawling campus in East Lansing, attracting a larger student population of over 50,000 undergraduates and maintaining a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 70%. While both universities excel in various academic disciplines, LSSU is renowned for its exceptional programs in engineering, nursing, and business, whereas MSU shines in fields such as agriculture, engineering, and social sciences. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences by delving into the comprehensive comparison table provided, meticulously crafted to guide your decision-making journey.

	Lake Superior State University	Michigan State University
Overview
Location	Sault Ste Marie, Michigan	East Lansing, Michigan
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	92.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	73.3%	83.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	950 - 1160	1100 - 1320
ACT range	18 - 27	23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	43.0%	48.0%
Students submitting ACT score	9.0%	16.0%
Total number of applicants	2,411	50,630
Total number of admissions given out	1,767	42,150
Admitted students who chose to enroll	373	9,225
Yield rate	21.1%	21.9%
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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$24,150	In state: $29,734 Out of state: $55,546
Average net price	$13,583	$8,738
Tuition	$12,912	In state: $14,750 Out of state: $40,562
Room & board	$11,516	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)	97.0% Average amount $10,820	58.0% Average amount $12,822
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $4,800	34.0% Average amount $4,999
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $14,945	6.0% Average amount $18,093

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,812 Men 44.2% Women 55.8%	38,574 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students	N/A	11,085 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	13.8%	18.7%
International students	1.2%	8.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	850	17,463
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Indiana Minnesota Illinois Ohio	Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Law Enforcement and Firefighting Business Health Professions Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Health Professions Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	52.4%	82.1%
Dropout rate	16.6%	7.8%
Transferred out	27.7%	9.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	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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