Michigan State University is a leading global public research university with undeniable impact and an unstoppable determination to advance the common good. We are renowned in multiple disciplines and well positioned to lead in others. The university is a global leader in disciplines ranging from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to social science to the humanities, with nuclear physics, plant and soil sciences, K-20 education, supply chain and logistics, jazz studies, and communication and media receiving sustained recognition. This list only begins to illustrate the breadth of contributions of MSU researchers, scholars and practitioners at the highest level.
The value of a college degree is clear and growing, and a degree from MSU is an appreciating asset. Washington Monthly ranks MSU No. 20 among national universities based on contributions to social mobility, research and promoting public service. And in its “best bang for the buck” category, MSU ranks No. 14 among Midwest universities — public and private — for helping nonwealthy students earn a marketable degree at an affordable price.
We are proudly public, accessible and inclusive, and our high-quality education offers a powerful pathway to success, preparing future leaders from varied backgrounds. We’re among just a handful of schools in the country with an acceptance rate higher than 65% for first-time undergraduate applicants that also delivers a six-year graduation rate over 80%.
MSU is the state’s foremost talent activator, educating more Michigan students than any other university, with more than 60% of MSU graduates staying in the state to propel innovation, drive business growth, improve communities and change lives. We’re Michigan’s state university, advancing our home state, its people and communities even as our impact spans the globe. Michigan succeeds when we thrive.
Michigan State was unique in its founding, combining excellence in research addressing the problems of the day and the needs of an evolving world with high-quality education accessible to people of modest means. With the addition of outreach through Extension in the early 1900s, the ideal of the engaged university for the common good emerged.
Our vision for a better world builds on our founding as America’s prototype for a new kind of university, one built to democratize higher education and extend knowledge and its benefits to people and communities far beyond our campus footprint.
Today, we recognize excellence magnifies our opportunity for impact, as does our commitment to partnership, teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration. We are more determined than ever to be among the most societally impactful universities — one that lifts people up, addresses issues that matter to people’s lives and livelihoods, activates talent and fuels the pipeline of innovation with discovery and invention.
Our strategy focuses investment in areas of excellence — established and emerging — that make progress toward solutions for the most difficult challenges facing the nation and world. We will address the pressing needs of Michigan communities, help Michigan’s economy grow and work to accelerate our region’s innovation and vitality. We will pursue investments in cross-cutting, collaborative and multidisciplinary solutions, because we believe in the power of synergy unleashed. We will engage with stakeholders in a manner that is meaningful and demonstrates respect, responsiveness, inclusiveness and partnership.
By 2030, Michigan State University will be the nation’s leading contemporary land-grant university, expanding opportunity for all, activating talent and creating extraordinary impact for Michigan and the world.