Skip navigation links

Student Success Progress

Provide an exceptional educational experience for all students that prepares them for postgraduate success, achieving high graduation rates with no opportunity gaps.

Primary Metrics


MSU is committed to providing more students with access to excellence. By 2030, we will increase our six year graduation rate to 86% and become an even more accessible institution by creating new pathways to educational opportunities.

graph for six-year graduation rate

By 2030, the university aims to increase the number of graduate programs and concentrations consistently appearing in the top 10 and 25 of U.S. News & World Report’s graduate-level disciplinary rankings to 25 in the top 10 and 35 in the top 25.

graph for number of graduate programs ranked in the top 10

graph for number of graduate programs ranked in the top 25

The Student Experience Survey is conducted annually in October among graduate and undergraduate students. Student sense of belonging is measured using three factors (see chart below).

graph for student sense of belonging

Key Initiatives


Focus on first-gen

Students standing next to the rock painted for first-gen week. Expanding on the success of the inaugural First-Generation Appreciation Week, MSU now offers First-Gen Fridays, a monthly discussion series designed to increase sense of belonging for first-generation students, faculty and staff. A new First-Gen Coordinating Council will make recommendations to enhance university polices and processes related to these students. In addition, the First-Generation Leadership and Innovation Vanderploeg Scholars program expanded its offerings to include a summer transition experience, peer mentor program and first-year seminar course.

Spartan One-Stop

The goal of Spartan One-Stop is to support student success by reducing the administrative barriers students face while navigating their enrollment, financial aid, and tuition and billing needs. When it opens on the first floor of the Hannah Administration Building, Spartan One-Stop will bring together staff with expertise in these areas from the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Financial Aid and Student Accounts. These centrally located resources will be able to resolve most enrollment or billing account inquiries that arise for students and families.

Care and Intervention Team

Student Services BuildingConsisting of university personnel from a variety of units with expertise in student affairs, mental and physical health, student conduct, human resources and law enforcement and campus safety, the Care and Intervention Team helps ensure a safe, supportive physical and emotional environment at the university. The recently established team uses a collaborative and proactive approach to identify, assess, intervene in and prevent threats to the safety and well-being of the MSU community. The process of coordinating responses and, most important, intervention aims to produce timely and effective ways to support the community.

Financial aid for in-state students

The Spartan Tuition Advantage program is expanding college access and affordability for Michigan residents. Beginning with the fall 2024 incoming class, it promises to aid qualifying in-state students, covering full tuition through a combination of federal, state and institutional gift aid for up to eight semesters. Qualifying students are Pell-eligible with household incomes of $65,000 or less.
Group of students displaying Spartan flag.

Exceptional undergraduate experiences

MSU prioritizes and invests in enhancing the full student experience, including significant experiential and cocurricular learning opportunities that elevate students’ success during their studies and after graduation. Peer institutions have taken note: In an annual reputation-based U.S. News & World Report ranking, MSU consistently ranks as one of the top public institutions in the nation for service learning, education abroad and learning communities.

More Key Initiatives


Spotlight Stories

Student success initiatives help more Spartans learn, thrive, and graduate

Beekman and Largent discuss progress on the implementation of the student success theme of the plan.

Read more

Comprehensive student success approach helps Spartans flourish as students and citizens

The MSU approach sees the student in a comprehensive way that goes well beyond the four corners of the classroom to think about the person.

Read more

MSU graduate programs ranked No. 1 for decades by U.S. News & World Report

With the release of the report, the College of Education broke two of its own records.

Read more

More Stories