Michigan State University
Academics
How strong are the academics at Michigan State University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
17:1
Student to faculty ratio
63%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
Michigan State has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Honors Programs
Michigan State University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.
Learn more about honors options on Michigan State's website.
Outcomes
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Michigan State University:
90%
First-year retention rate
63%
4-year grad rate
81%
6-year grad rate
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Michigan State University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Psychology, General
Advertising
Finance, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
326.8
377.44
428.08
478.72
529.36
580
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
- Animal Sciences, General 133
- Agricultural Business and Management, General 57
- Horticultural Science 27
- Soil Science and Agronomy, General 25
- Food Science 20
- Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant 17
- Pre-Veterinary Studies 2
- Agricultural Business and Management, General 2
Area
- Women's Studies 5
- Women's Studies 1
- African-American/Black Studies 1
- African-American/Black Studies 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 580
- Neuroscience 199
- Zoology/Animal Biology 98
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 82
- Molecular Genetics 75
- Physiology, General 62
- Environmental Biology 48
- Microbiology, General 44
- Biochemistry 39
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 12
- Neuroscience 9
- Molecular Genetics 7
- Botany/Plant Biology 7
- Entomology 6
- Microbiology, General 3
- Zoology/Animal Biology 2
- Entomology 1
Business
- Finance, General 398
- Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 342
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 257
- Accounting 153
- Hospitality Administration/Management, General 98
- Business Administration and Management, General 96
- Human Resources Management and Services, Other 75
- Actuarial Science 26
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 24
- Human Resources Management and Services, Other 2
Communication
- Advertising 449
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 207
- Journalism 86
- Mass Communication/Media Studies 54
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 40
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 40
- Communication, General 16
- Communication and Media Studies 16
- Advertising 7
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 4
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 4
- Journalism 4
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 4
- Mass Communication/Media Studies 2
- Communication, General 1
- Communication and Media Studies 1
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 0
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
- Communications Technology/Technician 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 369
- Information Technology Project Management 33
Education
- Education, General 78
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 47
- Art Teacher Education 13
- History Teacher Education 12
- Agricultural Teacher Education 6
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching 6
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching 1
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 262
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 105
- Engineering, General 88
- Civil Engineering, General 87
- Chemical Engineering 63
- Engineering, Other 48
- Computer Engineering, General 46
- Agricultural Engineering 40
- Materials Engineering 15
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 3
- Computer Engineering, General 2
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Packaging Science 154
- Construction Engineering Technology/Technician 31
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 70
- Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing 11
- Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing 3
- English Language and Literature, General 1
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Family and Community Services 66
- Child Development 5
- Child Development 1
- Child Care Provider/Assistant 1
Foreign Languages
- Linguistics 16
- Spanish Language and Literature 15
- Spanish Language and Literature 10
- German Language and Literature 8
- Arabic Language and Literature 8
- Chinese Language and Literature 6
- Japanese Language and Literature 6
- French Language and Literature 6
- German Language and Literature 4
- Linguistics 4
- Japanese Language and Literature 3
- French Language and Literature 3
- Chinese Language and Literature 2
- Russian Language and Literature 2
- Russian Language and Literature 1
- Arabic Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 182
- Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 71
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 51
- Dietetics/Dietitian 36
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 8
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 2
- Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 1
- Dietetics/Dietitian 1
- Athletic Training/Trainer 0
History
- History, General 42
- History, General 7
Homeland Security
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration 195
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration 28
Legal Professions And Studies
- Pre-Law Studies 111
- Pre-Law Studies 5
Liberal Arts And Sciences
- Humanities/Humanistic Studies 29
- Humanities/Humanistic Studies 1
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 63
- Statistics, General 24
- Mathematics, General 6
- Computational Mathematics 6
- Statistics, General 5
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Computational Science 57
- International/Globalization Studies 50
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 44
- Sustainability Studies 40
- Nutrition Sciences 33
- International/Globalization Studies 11
- Biological and Physical Sciences 10
- Science, Technology and Society 4
- Nutrition Sciences 2
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 2
- Computational Science 1
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Studies 80
- Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management 59
- Environmental/Natural Resource Economics 20
- Forestry, General 19
- Environmental Science 6
- Environmental Studies 2
Parks
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 297
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 14
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 1
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Religion/Religious Studies 1
- Philosophy 1
- Philosophy 1
Physical Sciences
- Physics, General 43
- Chemistry, General 32
- Astrophysics 28
- Geology/Earth Science, General 10
- Astrophysics 2
- Chemistry, General 2
- Chemical Physics 1
- Geology/Earth Science, General 1
- Physical Sciences, General 0
Psychology
- Psychology, General 486
- Psychology, General 79
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Social Work 51
- Public Policy Analysis, General 15
- Public Policy Analysis, General 1
Social Sciences
- Economics, General 188
- Political Science and Government, General 126
- Sociology, General 112
- International Relations and Affairs 98
- Social Sciences, General 76
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 39
- Anthropology, General 22
- Economics, General 15
- Political Science and Government, General 11
- Geography 10
- Sociology, General 7
- Economics, Other 7
- International Relations and Affairs 6
- Geographic Information Science and Cartography 5
- Anthropology, General 3
- Social Sciences, General 2
- Geographic Information Science and Cartography 1
Visual And Performing Arts
- Game and Interactive Media Design 59
- Digital Arts 53
- Graphic Design 38
- Music Performance, General 28
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 25
- Fine/Studio Arts, General 19
- Interior Design 19
- Fashion/Apparel Design 16
- Music Pedagogy 14
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies 10
- Jazz/Jazz Studies 9
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 5
- Music, General 3
- Game and Interactive Media Design 3
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
- Music Theory and Composition 2
- Digital Arts 2
- Jazz/Jazz Studies 1
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies 1
- Music, General 1
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 1
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