Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the country. After the introduction of the Morrill Act in 1862, the state designated the college a land-grant institution in 1863, making it the first of the land-grant colleges in the United States. The college became coeducational in 1870. Michigan State has facilities across the state, and over 550,500 alumni.
The university's six professional schools include the College of Law (founded in Detroit, in 1891, as the Detroit College of Law and moved to East Lansing in 1997), Eli Broad College of Business; the College of Nursing, the College of Osteopathic Medicine (the world's first state-funded osteopathic college), the College of Human Medicine, and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The university pioneered the studies of music therapy, packaging, hospitality business, supply chain management, and communication sciences.
Michigan State is a member of the Association of American Universities, classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity", and a Public Ivy institution. MSU ranks among the world's top 100 institutions, according to Time magazine. The university's campus houses the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, the Abrams Planetarium, the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, and one of the country's largest residence hall system.
University faculty, alumni, and affiliates include 3 Nobel laureates, 20 Rhodes Scholars, 20 Marshall Scholars, and 8 Pulitzer Prize winners. The Michigan State Spartans compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference. Spartan teams have won national championships in many sports, including football, men's basketball, ice hockey, and women's cross country.
History
In early 1855, John Clough Holmes, secretary of the agricultural society, convinced the Michigan legislature to pass an act establishing "a State Agricultural School" to be located on a site selected by the Michigan State Agricultural Society within ten miles of Lansing. On February 12, 1855, Michigan Governor Kinsley S. Bingham signed a bill establishing the nation's first agriculture college, the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. William J. Beal called Holmes "the most important agent" of the college. Holmes Hall, the home of the Lyman Briggs College, is named in his honor.
The State Board of Education was designated as the institution's governing body. The board also oversaw the Michigan State Normal School in Ypsilanti, which had opened in 1852. Classes began on May 13, 1857, with three buildings, five faculty members, and 63 male students.
Joseph R. Williams, the first president and a passionate promoter of interdisciplinary liberal arts education, encouraged a curriculum that went far beyond practical agriculture: "The course of instruction in said college shall include the following branches of education, viz: an English and scientific course, natural philosophy, chemistry, botany, animal and vegetable anatomy and physiology, geology, mineralogy, meteorology, entomology, veterinary art, mensuration, leveling and political economy, with bookkeeping and the mechanic arts which are directly connected with agriculture..." From its inception, the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan offered courses of study that would characterize the land-grant philosophy of higher education after the passage of the Morrill Act in 1862. Michigan's agricultural college educated people to be well-informed citizens, as well as good farmers.
However, after just two years, Williams ran into conflict with the managing State Board of Education. Despite Williams' eloquent defense of an all-round education for the masses, the board saw the college as inefficient and had far deviated from the agriculture focus as the founder, John Clough Holmes, had anticipated. Indeed, some agriculturalists began protesting against the college's unpractical curriculum with some even calling for the college's abolition. Williams eventually resigned in 1859. The board then reduced the curriculum to a two-year, vocation-oriented farming program, which proved catastrophic and resulted almost overnight in a drastic reduction in enrollment. There was a high demand for an all-round education grounded in the liberal arts tradition instead of a specialized agriculture program, a fact the board disregarded. With a sharp decrease in tuition revenue, the college was soon in dire financial straits and threatened with dissolution.
In 1860, Williams became acting lieutenant governor and helped pass the Reorganization Act of 1861. This restored the college's four-year curriculum and gave the college the power to grant master's degrees. Under the act, a newly created body, known as the State Board of Agriculture, took over from the State Board of Education in running the institution. The college changed its name to State Agricultural College, and its first class graduated in the same year.
In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant Acts to support similar colleges nationally, the first instance of federal funding for education. Shortly thereafter, on March 18, 1863, the state designated the college its land-grant institution making Michigan State University the nation's first land-grant college. The federal funding had rescued the Agricultural College from extinction.
Although the school's then-isolated location limited student housing and enrollment during the 19th century, the college became reputable, largely due to alumni who went on to distinguished careers, many of whom led or taught in other land-grant colleges. While the institution emphasized scientific agriculture, its graduates went into a wide variety of professions.
The college first admitted women in 1870, although there were no female residence halls. The few women who enrolled boarded with faculty families or made the arduous stagecoach trek from Lansing. From the early days, female students took the same rigorous scientific agriculture courses as male students. In 1896, the faculty created a "Women Course" that melded a home economics curriculum with liberal arts and sciences. That same year, the college turned the Abbot Hall male dorm into a women's dormitory.
It was not until 1899 that the State Agricultural College admitted its first African American student, William O. Thompson. After graduation, he taught at what is now Tuskegee University. A few years later, Myrtle Craig became the first woman African American student to enroll at the college. Two years later, the college changed its name to Michigan Agricultural College.
During the early 20th century, Michigan Agricultural College expanded its curriculum well beyond agriculture. By 1925, it had expanded enough to change its name to Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science (MSC), or "Michigan State" for short. In 1941, the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, John A. Hannah, became president of the college.
After World War II, Hannah began the largest expansion in the institution's history, with the help of the 1945 G.I. Bill, which helped World War II veterans gain college educations. One of Hannah's strategies was to build a new dormitory building, enroll enough students to fill it, and use the income to start construction of another dormitory. Under his plan, enrollment increased from 15,000 in 1950 to 38,000 in 1965.
Six years later, during the school's centennial year of 1955, the State of Michigan officially designated the school as a university, even though Hannah and others felt it had been one for decades. The college then became Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science. During the 1950s, Michigan State University was the "preeminent" example of a group of former agricultural colleges which had already evolved into state colleges and were attempting to become research universities. In 1957, Hannah continued MSU's expansion by co-founding Michigan State University–Oakland, now Oakland University, with Matilda Dodge Wilson.
After the ratification of the Michigan Constitution of 1964, the university's governing body changed its name from the State Board of Agriculture to the Michigan State University Board of Trustees.
MSU was affiliated with Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan, from the time of the latter's founding in 1957 (as Michigan State University-Oakland), until 1970 when Oakland University gained institutional independence.
In September 2005, President Lou Anna Simon called for Michigan State to become the global model leader for land-grant institutions by 2012. Her plans included creating a new residential college and increased grants awarded from the National Institutes of Health past the US$100 million mark. While there are over 100 land-grant universities in the United States, she stated she would like Michigan State University to be the leader.
Campus
MSU's sprawling campus is in East Lansing, Michigan. The campus is perched on the banks of the Red Cedar River. Development of the campus started in 1856 with three buildings: a multipurpose College Hall building, a dormitory later called "Saints' Rest", and a barn. Today, MSU's contiguous campus consists of 5,200 acres (2,100 ha), 2,000 acres (810 ha) of which are developed. There are 563 buildings: 107 for academics, 131 for agriculture, 166 for housing and food service, and 42 for athletics. Overall, the university has 22,763,025 square feet (2,114,754.2 m2) of indoor space. Connecting it all is 60 miles (97 km) of roads and 120 miles (190 km) of sidewalks. The university manages land holdings totaling more than 26,000 acres throughout Michigan.
In early 2017, construction of a $22.5 million solar project began at five parking lots on campus. MSU's solar carport array is constructed on five of the university's largest commuter parking lots and covers 5,000 parking spaces. The solar carports are designed to deliver a peak power of 10.5 Megawatts and an annual energy of 15 million kilowatt-hours, which is enough to power approximately 1,800 Michigan homes. The solar carport project was recognized at the Smart Energy Decisions Innovation Summit 2018, earning the Onsite Renewable Energy award for “The Largest Carport Solar Array in North America.”
Some land owned by MSU is in Lansing, Lansing Charter Township, Alaiedon Township, Delhi Charter Township, and Meridian Charter Township.
North campus
The oldest part of campus lies on the Red Cedar river's north bank. It includes Collegiate Gothic architecture, plentiful trees, and curving roads with few straight lines. The college built its first three buildings here, of which none survive. Other historic buildings north of the river include the president's official residence, Cowles House; and Beaumont Tower, a carillon clock tower marking the site of College Hall, the original classroom building. To the east lies Eustace–Cole Hall, America's first freestanding horticulture laboratory. Other landmarks include the bronze statue of former president John A. Hannah, the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, and the painted boulder known as "The Rock", a popular spot for theater, tailgating, and candlelight vigils. On the campus's northwest corner is the university's hotel, the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The university also has two museums. MSU Museum, initiated in 1857, is one of the Midwest's oldest museums and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, designed by Zaha Hadid, opened in 2012 as MSU's primary art gallery, featuring local, national, and international artists, and a permanent collection of over 10,000 works.
In recent years, university planning efforts have emphasized repurposing previously developed sites to accommodate new construction while protecting designated green spaces. The STEM Teaching and Learning Facility (completed in 2021) replaced a former coal plant and incorporates elements of the original structure; the Multicultural Center (2025) was built on a former parking lot; and the Student Recreation and Wellness Center is rising on the former Cherry Lane Apartments site. Additional projects include the Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation that will replace several existing structures, reflecting the university’s land-use strategy of prioritizing redevelopment and long-term sustainability in its campus master plan.
South campus
The campus south of the river consists mostly of post-World War II International Style buildings, and is characterized by sparser foliage, relatively straight roadways, and many parking lots. The "2020 Vision" Master Plan proposes replacing these parking lots with parking ramps and green space, but these plans will take many years to reach fruition. As part of the master plan, the university erected a new bronze statue of The Spartan in 2005 to be placed at the intersection of Chestnut and Kalamazoo, just south of the Red Cedar River. This replica replaced the original modernist terra cotta statue, which can still be seen inside Spartan Stadium. Notable academic and research buildings on the South Campus include the Cyclotron, the College of Law, the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building, and the Broad College of Business.
This part of campus is home to the MSU Horticulture Gardens and the adjoining 4-H Children's Garden. South of the gardens lie the Canadian National and CSX railroads, which divide the main campus from thousands of acres of university-owned farmland. The university's agricultural facilities include the Horse, Dairy Cattle, Beef Cattle, Swine, Sheep, and Poultry Teaching and Research Farms, as well as the Air Quality Control Lab and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center
The Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center is a full service hotel and a business-friendly conference center. It is on the northwest corner of Michigan State University's campus, across from the Brody Complex, on Harrison Road just south of Michigan Avenue. The hotel's 160 rooms and suites can accommodate anyone staying in East Lansing for a business conference, sporting event or an on-campus visit. Besides a lodging facility, the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center is a "learning laboratory for the 300–400 students each year that are enrolled in The School of Hospitality Business and other majors." The Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center strives to facilitate education by hosting conferences and seminars.
Dubai campus
MSU ran a small campus at Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It first offered only one program, a master's program in human resources and labor relations. In 2011, it added a master's program in Public Health.
Previously, MSU established an education center in Dubai that offered six undergraduate programs, thereby becoming the first American university with a presence in Dubai International Academic City. The university attracted 100 students in 2007, its first year, but the school was unable to achieve the 100–150 new students per year needed for the program to be viable, and in 2010 MSU closed the program and the campus.
Detroit campus
MSU has a large presence in downtown Detroit. This campus includes programs with the College of Education, Detroit Outreach Admissions, MSU Community Music School of Detroit, and the Study of Active Neighborhoods in Detroit (StAND). MSU began a partnership with Apple in 2022, creating the Apple Developer Academy, which provides students with app development training, business skills and preparation for careers in the growing app economy. In 2025, the two institutions announced the Apple Manufacturing Academy, a partnership to train and support the next generation of U.S. manufacturers. On June 13, 2023, MSU purchased a majority stake in Detroit's iconic Fisher Building. The MSU Research Foundation opened a startup incubator inside the Fisher Building later that year. In early 2023 MSU announced they would begin collaborating with Henry Ford Health on a new research center in Detroit that will focus on cancer, neuroscience, cardiometabolic diseases, immunology and precision health.
College of Human Medicine campuses
The College of Human Medicine currently operates smaller campuses as partnerships with local health systems in multiple Michigan cities. The Grand Rapids Secchia Campus is the largest of these campuses, with plans to expand the campus in coming years. The Secchia Campus partners with multiple hospitals on Grand Rapids' Medical Mile. Other Michigan cities with campuses include Flint (Ascension Genesys Hospital, Hurley Medical Center, and McLaren Flint), Midland, Traverse City (Munson Medical Center), Marquette (UP Health System), Southfield (Ascension Providence Hospital), and Detroit (Henry Ford Health).
Admissions
Undergraduate
Michigan State offers a rolling admissions system, with an early admission deadline in October, and does not offer an early decision plan. The 2022 annual ranking of U.S. News & World Report categorized MSU as "more selective". For freshmen enrolling in fall 2024, Michigan State received 62,138 applications and accepted 52,690 (84.8%). Of those accepted, 9,625 enrolled, a yield rate (the percentage of accepted students who choose to attend the university) of 18.3%. MSU's freshman retention rate is 91.4%, with 82.52% going on to graduate within six years.
The university started test-optional admissions with the fall 2021 incoming class in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has extended this through fall 2025. Of the 51% of enrolled freshmen in 2023 who submitted SAT scores; the middle 50 percent composite scores were 1110–1320. Of the 14% of the incoming freshman class who submitted ACT scores; the middle 50 percent composite score was between 26 and 31.
The university has seen steady increases to its applicant pool in recent decades, and the number of applications has more than doubled since the class of 2007 received 24,436 applications. Michigan state law does not require the state's public universities to reserve their spaces for Michigan residents.
Together with Michigan Technological University, Wayne State University, Kalamazoo College, Hillsdale College, Calvin University, and Hope College, Michigan State is one of the seven college-sponsors of the National Merit Scholarship Program in the state. The university sponsored 30 Merit Scholarship awards in 2020. In the 2020–2021 academic year, 38 first-year students were National Merit Scholars.
Graduate
For fall 2024, the Michigan State University College of Law received 1,359 applications and accepted 433 (31.86%). Of those accepted, 139 enrolled, a yield rate of 32.1%. The College of Law had a middle-50% LSAT range of 157-162 for the 2024 first year class.
Academics
Rankings
In 2026, TIME/Statista ranked MSU No. 85 globally (and No. 14 among U.S. public universities). In its 2026 rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked MSU 105th in the world. Michigan State ranks 151st in the world for 2025, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. Washington Monthly ranked MSU 43rd nationally for 2024. The publication also ranked Michigan State No. 16 as a Best Bang for Your Buck College in the Midwest for 2025. The 2026 QS World University Rankings placed it at 161st internationally. In its 2025-2026 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked it as tied for the 29th best public university in the United States, tied for 64th nationally, and tied for 37th among best universities for veterans.
In its 2026 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked the following MSU graduate programs number one in the country: elementary teacher education and secondary teacher education (#1 for 31 straight years), curriculum and instruction and the online graduate program in educational administration and supervision. No. 2 ranked programs include educational administration, higher education administration, and rehabilitation counseling.
The Eli Broad College of Business was ranked No. 45 nationally and No. 20 among public programs for 2025-26 by Bloomberg Businessweek. The college had a placement rate of 99% for its graduating class (undergraduate) in 2025. In addition, the college's undergraduate supply chain program is ranked No. 1 nationally and the accounting program is ranked 22nd. The MBA program is ranked #19 among public institutions by U.S. News and World Report.
The College of Communication Arts and Sciences was established in 1955 and was the first of its kind in the United States. In 2025, its communication program was ranked #5 by the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities. The communication and media studies program ranks in the top 25 by QS World University Rankings for 2026. The game design program is ranked in the top 15 nationally by Princeton Review.
Collections and museums
The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum is the university's contemporary art museum.
The MSU Museum is the university's oldest museum, founded in 1857. It is Michigan's first Smithsonian Affiliate. The museum holds collections in anthropology, folklife, cultural heritage and history, mammalogy, ornithology, herpetology, ichthyology, and vertebrate paleontology.
Michigan State University Libraries comprise North America's 29th largest academic library system with over 4.9 million volumes and 6.7 million microforms.
Research
The university has a long history of academic research and innovation. In 1877, botany professor William J. Beal performed the first documented genetic crosses to produce hybrid corn, which led to increased yields. MSU dairy professor G. Malcolm Trout improved the process for the homogenization of milk in the 1930s, making it more commercially viable. In the 1960s, MSU scientists developed cisplatin, a leading cancer fighting drug, and followed that work with the derivative, carboplatin. Albert Fert, an adjunct professor at MSU, was awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics together with Peter Grünberg.
Michigan State continues its research with facilities such as the U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory and a particle accelerator called the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science named Michigan State University as the site for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) facility. Construction began in 2014 and was completed in 2022. The $730 million facility has a goal to attract top researchers from around the world to conduct experiments in basic nuclear science, astrophysics, and applications of isotopes to other fields.