Michigan State University (MSU) vs Harvard

Michigan State University and Harvard University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand apart in their unique offerings and student experiences. MSU, a public research university, boasts a sprawling campus in East Lansing, Michigan, while Harvard, a private Ivy League institution, resides in the historic city of Cambridge, Massachusetts. With acceptance rates of 70.6% and 4.5%, respectively, these universities cater to different applicant pools. MSU's diverse student body comprises a mix of in-state and out-of-state students, while Harvard's student population is predominantly international. Popular majors at MSU include engineering, business, and social sciences, whereas Harvard students often pursue degrees in social sciences, humanities, and biological sciences. While both universities boast impressive graduation rates, Harvard's 97% rate slightly edges out MSU's 82%. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Harvard University	Michigan State University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	East Lansing, Michigan
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	96.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.0%	83.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $105	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1480 - 1580	1100 - 1320
ACT range	33 - 36	23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	54.0%	48.0%
Students submitting ACT score	31.0%	16.0%
Total number of applicants	57,786	50,630
Total number of admissions given out	2,318	42,150
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,951	9,225
Yield rate	84.2%	21.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$78,028	In state: $29,734 Out of state: $55,546
Average net price	$13,910	$8,738
Tuition	$51,143	In state: $14,750 Out of state: $40,562
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,705 Meal plan: $7,236	Room/dormitory: $4,408 Meal plan: $6,268
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	56.0% Average amount $59,840	58.0% Average amount $12,822
Students receiving federal student loan	3.0% Average amount $5,180	34.0% Average amount $4,999
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,080	6.0% Average amount $18,093

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,579 Men 49.0% Women 51.0%	38,574 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students	21,766 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%	11,085 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	18.7%
International students	23.9%	8.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	12,874	17,463
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey	Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Social Sciences Education Legal Profession	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Health Professions Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.7%	82.1%
Dropout rate	2.0%	7.8%
Transferred out	N/A	9.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,193 Year 2: $128,716 Year 3: $240,408 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $184,307 Year 2: $165,340 Year 3: $199,043 Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $171,333 Year 2: $171,907 Year 3: $187,553 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $140,072 Year 2: $128,737 Year 3: $163,896 Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $151,371 Year 2: $174,023 Year 3: $163,512 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $123,508 Year 2: $117,916 Year 3: $129,281 Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $121,832 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $102,707 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $121,771 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,905 Year 2: $98,670 Year 3: $107,389 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,745 Year 2: $71,486 Year 3: $106,375	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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