Michigan State University (MSU) vs Iowa State

Envision yourself as a student, standing at the crossroads of two esteemed universities: Michigan State University (MSU) and Iowa State University (ISU). Both institutions offer a wealth of opportunities, yet they possess distinct characteristics that may sway your decision. MSU boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body, while ISU maintains a slightly smaller student population. When it comes to academics, MSU excels in fields like engineering, business, and social sciences, whereas ISU shines in agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine. As you ponder your future, explore the detailed comparison table below to uncover further distinctions between these two exceptional universities, ensuring you make an informed choice that aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	Iowa State University	Michigan State University
Overview
Location	Ames, Iowa	East Lansing, Michigan
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	88.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.1%	83.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1083 - 1330	1100 - 1320
ACT range	21 - 28	23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	13.0%	48.0%
Students submitting ACT score	63.0%	16.0%
Total number of applicants	20,357	50,630
Total number of admissions given out	18,550	42,150
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,387	9,225
Yield rate	29.0%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,152 Out of state: $37,964	In state: $29,734 Out of state: $55,546
Average net price	$15,422	$8,738
Tuition	In state: $8,324 Out of state: $24,136	In state: $14,750 Out of state: $40,562
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,590 Meal plan: $4,498	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)	87.0% Average amount $8,833	58.0% Average amount $12,822
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $5,202	34.0% Average amount $4,999
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,630	6.0% Average amount $18,093

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	25,808 Men 56.1% Women 43.9%	38,574 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students	4,900 Men 50.6% Women 49.4%	11,085 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	18.7%
International students	8.2%	8.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	9,400	17,463
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Agriculture Education Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Health Professions Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.0%	82.1%
Dropout rate	6.1%	7.8%
Transferred out	16.7%	9.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,739 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $101,292 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,956 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $95,081 Industrial Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,120 Year 2: $89,059 Year 3: $92,521 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $77,573 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $85,108 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,299 Year 2: $73,321 Year 3: $83,452 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,598 Year 2: $73,839 Year 3: $83,292 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,184 Year 2: $71,734 Year 3: $81,196 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,223 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $79,916 Construction Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,580 Year 2: $70,083 Year 3: $77,479 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,534 Year 2: $67,156 Year 3: $76,113	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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