Michigan State University (MSU) vs Vanderbilt

Michigan State University and Vanderbilt University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Michigan State, a public research university, boasts a sprawling campus in East Lansing, Michigan, while Vanderbilt, a private research university, resides in the vibrant city of Nashville, Tennessee. With acceptance rates of 70% and 11%, respectively, these universities cater to different levels of academic competitiveness. Michigan State's diverse student body comprises over 50,000 undergraduates, while Vanderbilt's more intimate community consists of approximately 13,000 undergraduates. Both universities excel in various academic disciplines, with Michigan State renowned for its programs in engineering, business, and agriculture, and Vanderbilt excelling in fields such as medicine, law, and music. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Michigan State University logo

Michigan State University

Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Overview

Location East Lansing, Michigan Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting City: Small City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 92.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 83.3% 7.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $65
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1100 - 1320 1480 - 1570
ACT range 23 - 29 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 48.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 16.0% 32.0%
Total number of applicants 50,630 47,152
Total number of admissions given out 42,150 3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll 9,225 1,626
Yield rate 21.9% 48.3%
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: $29,734

Out of state: $55,546
$79,538
Average net price $8,738 $27,553
Tuition
In state: $14,750

Out of state: $40,562
$54,840
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,408

Meal plan: $6,268
Room/dormitory: $12,000

Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

58.0%
Average amount $12,822
64.0%
Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan 34.0%
Average amount $4,999
10.0%
Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $18,093
2.0%
Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 38,574
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students 11,085
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 18.7% 89.5%
International students 8.3% 11.7%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity 17,463 5,598
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Michigan Illinois California Ohio New York Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 82.1% 93.4%
Dropout rate 7.8% 6.4%
Transferred out 9.8% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,041
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $169,145
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,825
  • Year 2: $130,517
  • Year 3: $144,008
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,102
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $133,025
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,494
  • Year 2: $127,087
  • Year 3: $132,454
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $132,293
  • Year 2: $114,324
  • Year 3: $130,516
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,764
  • Year 2: $111,620
  • Year 3: $121,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,876
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $112,193
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,224
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $108,525
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,979
  • Year 2: $93,249
  • Year 3: $101,010
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,609
  • Year 2: $80,309
  • Year 3: $95,754

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Michigan State University MSU vs Arizona State University Campus Immersion Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Arizona University of Arizona
Michigan State University MSU vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
Michigan State University MSU vs University of California-Davis University of California-Davis
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Boulder
Michigan State University MSU vs Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Delaware University of Delaware
Michigan State University MSU vs Florida State University Florida State University
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Idaho University of Idaho
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Michigan State University MSU vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Michigan State University MSU vs Iowa State University Iowa State University
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Kansas University of Kansas
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Kentucky University of Kentucky
Michigan State University MSU vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Maryland-College Park University of Maryland-College Park
Michigan State University MSU vs Harvard University Harvard University
Michigan State University MSU vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Michigan State University MSU vs Dartmouth College Dartmouth College
Michigan State University MSU vs Cornell University Cornell University
Michigan State University MSU vs CUNY City College CUNY City College
Michigan State University MSU vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Michigan State University MSU vs North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Michigan State University MSU vs Brown University Brown University
Michigan State University MSU vs Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University
Michigan State University MSU vs The University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin
Michigan State University MSU vs Texas Tech University Texas Tech University
Michigan State University MSU vs Brigham Young University Brigham Young University
Michigan State University MSU vs George Mason University George Mason University
Michigan State University MSU vs Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Virginia-Main Campus University of Virginia-Main Campus
Michigan State University MSU vs University of Washington-Seattle Campus University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Michigan State University MSU vs Stanford University Stanford University
Michigan State University MSU vs The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of California-Davis University of California-Davis
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Samuel Merritt University Samuel Merritt University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of Southern California University of Southern California
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of Miami University of Miami
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Emory University Emory University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Tricoci University of Beauty Culture Tricoci University of Beauty Culture
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Tulane University of Louisiana Tulane University of Louisiana
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs United States Naval Academy United States Naval Academy
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Boston College Boston College
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Brandeis University Brandeis University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Harvard University Harvard University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Tufts University Tufts University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Washington University in St Louis Washington University in St Louis
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Dartmouth College Dartmouth College
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs New York University New York University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of Rochester University of Rochester
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Duke University Duke University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Wake Forest University Wake Forest University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of Tulsa University of Tulsa
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Lehigh University Lehigh University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs Baptist Health Sciences University Baptist Health Sciences University
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt vs University of California-Merced University of California-Merced