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Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI Β· Public Β· 10,035 undergrads (medium, town) Β· website β
- Test-optional
- $40 application fee
What you'll actually pay
Average net price per year β tuition, fees, room & board minus grant and scholarship aid β for in-state students by household income.
| Household income | Avg net price / year |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $12,185 |
| $30,000 β $48,000 | $12,139 |
| $48,000 β $75,000 | $13,601 |
| $75,000 β $110,000 | $16,269 |
| Over $110,000 | $21,403 |
| All incomes (average) | $17,597 |
Sticker tuition and fees: $14,760 in-state β before aid, from the same earlier College Scorecard release as the net prices above.
These are averages. For an estimate for your family, use Central Michigan University's own net price calculator β every college that takes federal student aid must publish one.
Net price calculator βOther costs of attendance, 2025β26
The college's own estimate for a full-time undergraduate for the year, before aid, from the October 2026 College Scorecard. It is a newer year than the tuition and net prices above, so don't add the two together.
| Housing and meals, on campus | $12,902 |
| Housing and meals, off campus (not with family) | $8,874 |
| Books and supplies | $1,290 |
| Other expenses, on campus | $2,977 |
| Other expenses, off campus | $3,647 |
Grants and loans for first-year students, 2022β23
What the college reported for its full-time, first-time students (1,984 of them) in 2022β23; 97% got some kind of aid, loans included. Each average is over the students who received that kind of aid, not over everyone. It is an older year than the 2025β26 costs above.
| Type of aid | Students awarded | Average amount |
|---|---|---|
| Any grant or scholarshipFederal, state, local and the college's own | 95% | $10,638 |
| Federal Pell GrantNeed-based, from the federal government | 32% | $5,136 |
| The college's own grants and scholarshipsNeed- or merit-based, funded by the college | 95% | $8,813 |
| Federal student loansBorrowed by the student; repaid with interest. No Parent PLUS or private loans | 74% | $5,338 |
IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Student Financial Aid 2022β23 (SFA2223, provisional release); full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates; public domain.
Admissions & outcomes
- Acceptance rate
- 90%
- Average SAT
- 1091
- Median ACT
- 23
- Students with Pell grants
- 31%
- Graduation rate (6yr)
- 59%
- Freshman retention
- 75%
- Median earnings @ 10yr
- $55,874
- Median debt at graduation
- $27,000
- International undergrads
- 306 (3%)
For comparison, the median across all 1,596 four-year colleges on this site: graduation rate 56%, earnings ten years after entering $54,869, debt at graduation $23,250.
Admission policy, test scores and teaching
- SAT/ACT policy
- Test-optional
- Application fee
- $40
- Students per faculty member
- 16 to 1
- Faculty who are full-time
- 75%
- Open admission
- No
Not required, but considered if submitted (fall 2024)
undergraduate, 2023β24
undergraduates, fall 2024
fall 2024
fall 2024
Middle 50% of test scores, fall 2024
25th to 75th percentile of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores. A quarter scored below the first figure and a quarter above the second. Section ranges can't be added together into a total-score range.
- SAT Reading and Writing
- 490β610
- SAT Math
- 470β590
- ACT composite
- 21β27
What the college considers in admission decisions, fall 2023
How the college said it used each item when deciding on first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking applicants for fall 2023. For SAT and ACT scores, see the fall 2024 policy above.
| High school GPA | Required |
| High school class rank | Considered if submitted |
| High school record | Required |
| Completion of a college-preparatory program | Required |
| Recommendations | Not considered |
| Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g. portfolio) | Not considered |
| English proficiency test (for applicable students) | Required |
| Other test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.) | Not considered |
| Work experience | Not considered |
| Personal statement or essay | Considered if submitted |
| Legacy status | Not considered |
- First-time applicants
- 18,102
- Admitted
- 16,474
- Enrolled
- 2,044
fall 2023
fall 2023
fall 2023, full and part time
Counts of first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students, including early decision and early action. The acceptance rate higher up this page comes from a different College Scorecard release, so it may not match these counts.
IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Admissions 2023β24 (ADM2023, provisional release), fall 2023; open admission from IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023β24 (revised); public domain.
Most popular fields of study
Share of bachelor's degrees awarded.
Earnings and debt by field of study
Median annual earnings of graduates who received federal student aid and were working, not studying: one year after completing (graduates of 2020β21 and 2021β22) and four years after (2017β18 and 2018β19), measured in 2022 and 2023 and shown in 2024 dollars. Median debt is federal Direct and Grad PLUS loans borrowed at this college by 2022β23 and 2023β24 graduates; it leaves out Parent PLUS and private loans. βNationalβ is the median for the same field and credential across all US colleges.
Bachelor's degrees (66)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023β24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 212 | $60,935 | $74,113national $68,257 | $24,648 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 161 | $39,079 | $57,771national $54,562 | $23,250 |
| Psychology, General | 151 | $39,005 | $53,422national $50,706 | $27,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 146 | $45,338 | $49,677national $47,382 | $27,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 136 | $46,489 | $49,588national $51,389 | $27,000 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 92 | $48,581 | $58,344national $51,936 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | 90 | $59,853 | $75,661national $69,303 | $25,000 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 73 | $36,209 | βnational $66,697 | $23,531 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 71 | β | βnational $50,523 | $24,250 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 59 | $38,980 | $45,881national $48,568 | $25,221 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 58 | $65,020 | $79,906national $83,343 | $26,000 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 54 | $37,403 | $46,942national $50,497 | $27,000 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 54 | $62,071 | $80,551national $76,194 | $23,625 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 53 | $47,418 | $59,522national $63,560 | $27,000 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 53 | $41,205 | $54,254national $51,490 | $25,512 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 53 | $35,266 | $62,082national $58,928 | $23,438 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 49 | $42,445 | $56,553national $61,027 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 40 | $71,984 | $85,196national $92,135 | $28,000 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 40 | $43,187 | $56,314national $56,726 | $28,620 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 39 | $35,880 | $73,316national $62,451 | $27,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 39 | β | βnational $55,378 | $23,657 |
| Computer Science | 38 | $61,836 | $89,216national $107,009 | $24,250 |
| Political Science and Government | 37 | $44,735 | $50,462national $63,293 | $21,150 |
| Business/Corporate Communications | 31 | $54,934 | βnational $65,784 | $26,250 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 31 | $67,958 | $95,721national $83,290 | $25,048 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 29 | $28,538 | βnational $48,842 | $22,500 |
| Social Work | 29 | $41,806 | $53,279national $51,790 | $27,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 28 | $46,497 | $48,290national $55,012 | $23,542 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 28 | $42,020 | $55,353national $56,359 | $27,000 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 26 | $50,780 | $50,095national $50,499 | $28,775 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 26 | $50,004 | $67,117national $58,716 | $22,375 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 25 | $51,145 | $73,340national $68,069 | $24,985 |
| Journalism | 22 | $32,394 | $47,775national $56,278 | $26,500 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 22 | $28,677 | $39,262national $48,590 | $25,500 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 20 | β | $48,409national $55,000 | $26,183 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 18 | $56,792 | $73,112national $92,374 | $25,250 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 18 | $81,999 | $91,542national $100,647 | β |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 18 | $39,310 | $61,331national $66,596 | β |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 18 | $28,529 | $43,916national $39,775 | $27,000 |
| Music | 18 | β | $43,089national $42,892 | $30,750 |
| Outdoor Education | 16 | $35,851 | βnational $39,157 | $27,359 |
| Public Administration | 16 | $46,137 | βnational $65,093 | $26,306 |
| History | 16 | $32,750 | $40,918national $50,680 | $27,000 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 15 | β | βnational $65,466 | $20,000 |
| Sociology | 15 | $31,500 | $48,389national $52,657 | β |
| Statistics | 14 | β | $81,853national $92,425 | β |
| Mathematics | 13 | β | $54,265national $69,562 | β |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 13 | $41,929 | βnational $60,997 | $28,500 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 13 | $40,503 | $49,639national $55,792 | β |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 12 | $29,214 | $40,181national $41,367 | β |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | 12 | $44,646 | $57,513national $59,631 | $24,092 |
| Economics | 11 | β | $65,174national $82,686 | β |
| Public Health | 11 | $44,239 | βnational $58,808 | β |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | 10 | $67,339 | $86,472national $82,073 | β |
| Anthropology | 10 | β | $39,577national $46,676 | β |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 9 | $16,953 | $55,134national $55,753 | β |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 9 | $56,932 | $77,768national $86,176 | β |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 8 | $75,601 | $84,064national $71,753 | β |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 8 | β | $57,108national $61,959 | β |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 7 | $42,648 | $52,311national $70,786 | $28,000 |
| Geography and Cartography | 4 | β | $62,999national $57,853 | β |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 3 | β | $57,438national $60,190 | β |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 0 | β | $86,839national $93,843 | β |
| Biology, General | 0 | β | $57,438national $57,214 | β |
| Social Sciences, Other | β | $38,861 | $54,888national $56,812 | $27,000 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 0 | β | $53,353national $52,119 | β |
Undergraduate certificates (1)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023β24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 26 | $32,503 | βnational $55,975 | $27,251 |
Master's degrees (23)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023β24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 418 | $96,506 | $99,708national $124,201 | $43,377 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 376 | $94,053 | $96,611national $103,485 | $36,219 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 49 | $48,198 | βnational $59,571 | $65,183 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 44 | $74,064 | $80,381national $83,558 | $37,887 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 42 | $108,243 | $123,591national $125,651 | β |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 41 | $68,068 | $78,586national $89,981 | $43,597 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 39 | $60,477 | $63,316national $67,030 | $55,989 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 37 | $117,917 | $123,450national $127,347 | $137,921 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 31 | $68,236 | $73,010national $71,685 | $28,576 |
| Public Administration | 30 | $69,941 | $79,416national $81,408 | $37,953 |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 28 | $57,658 | $60,135national $63,399 | $34,403 |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 28 | $60,634 | βnational $70,644 | $22,262 |
| Public Health | 27 | $61,331 | βnational $82,751 | β |
| Special Education and Teaching | 25 | $58,547 | βnational $64,397 | $31,500 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 18 | β | $57,197national $60,111 | $62,901 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 16 | $58,459 | $62,450national $63,707 | $26,206 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 12 | $63,642 | $69,324national $66,523 | β |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 9 | $45,825 | $54,829national $67,681 | β |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 8 | $46,996 | $49,626national $62,033 | β |
| International Business | 4 | β | $101,449national $97,121 | β |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 0 | β | $60,801national $75,972 | β |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 0 | β | $112,443national $106,092 | β |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | β | β | βnational $124,807 | $37,530 |
First professional degrees (1)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023β24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | 102 | $62,660 | $138,552national $112,460 | $253,748 |
Doctoral degrees (4)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023β24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 13 | $95,823 | $90,336national $100,573 | β |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 9 | β | $125,201national $99,878 | β |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | β | $93,006 | $88,310national $88,343 | β |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | β | $77,237 | $82,493national $82,893 | $120,378 |
Graduate certificates (1)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023β24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 7 | β | $101,507national $94,506 | β |
A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured β not zero. 115 more programmes at this college have every figure suppressed and are not listed.
Contact and accreditation
- Address
- 106 Warriner Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
- Phone
- (989) 774-4000
- Institutional accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
Is Central Michigan University a reach, target, or safety for you?
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Find my matches βSources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts) and IPEDS Fall Enrolment for international student counts. College Scorecard, October 2026 release: net price calculator link, mission flags and religious affiliation (2025β26), enrolment shares, test policy, SAT/ACT ranges and student-to-faculty ratio (fall 2024), cost-of-attendance components (2025β26), and earnings and debt by field of study. IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023β24 for the application fee and the IPEDS 2024 directory for the phone number. IPEDS Admissions 2023β24 (ADM2023, provisional release) for admission requirements and first-time applicants, admits and enrolments (fall 2023). IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022β23 (SFA2223, provisional release) for grants and loans to full-time, first-time students. All are U.S. Department of Education data in the public domain. Verify current costs and requirements with the school.
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