Michigan State University

Acceptance rate

What Michigan State's 83% is made of

The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits Michigan State reports itself.

Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.

Testing

Test-Optional for 2026-27

Policy

MSU is test-optional for first-year applicants entering fall 2027, per its own page: 'MSU is test optional, which means that prospective first-year students have the opportunity to apply for admission without submitting an ACT or SAT score.' Self-reported scores accepted for review; official scores due before orientation if used. No future change announced.

Source (high confidence)All 100 schools

SAT middle 50%

1180–1360sum of section 25th–75th percentiles

ACT middle 50%

25–31

Average HS GPA

3.74Fall 2025 entering class (CDS 2025-2026, item C12) · Source

Applying

Deadlines, essays and AI policy

Early deadlines

Nov 1, 2026 (EA)

Regular decision

Apr 1, 2027Source

Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.

At a glance

Size and cost

Undergraduate enrollment

40,922

Tuition (out-of-state)

$43,842

Category

Public

Admissions site

www.msu.edu

Sources

• Michigan State test policy (2026-27)
• Michigan State deadlines
• Michigan State GPA (Fall 2025 entering class (CDS 2025-2026, item C12))
• Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.

Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.