Central Michigan University — College Profile

About

Located in Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a comprehensive public institution celebrated for its strong academic foundations in teacher education, business administration, broadcast journalism, and the health professions. The university distinguishes itself through its College of Medicine, which specifically prepares physicians to serve rural and underserved communities, as well as unique experiential learning facilities like the CMU Biological Station on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. Campus culture revolves around a welcoming, tight-knit Midwestern college-town atmosphere energized by hundreds of student organizations, Division I athletics, and the university's defining "Fire Up Chips" school spirit.

Wikipedia:Central Michigan University is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1892 as a private normal school and became a state institution in 1895. CMU is one of the eight research universities in Michigan and is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". It has more than 14,000 students on its Mount Pleasant campus. CMU offers 200 academic programs at the undergraduate, master's, specialist, and doctoral levels. The Central Michigan Chippewas compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference in six men's and ten women's sports.

Location

Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859 · Town campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

DTW · Detroit

119 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$14,760$14,760

Housing & food (on campus)$12,564$12,564

Books & supplies$1,250$1,250

Cost of attendance$30,681$30,681 est.

Average net price$17,597Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$14,760

Housing & food (on campus)$12,564

Books & supplies$1,250

Cost of attendance$30,681 est.

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $17,597

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$12,185

$30–48k

$12,139

$48–75k

$13,601

$75–110k

$16,269

$110k+

$21,403

Your family's actual price → Central Michigan University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

60%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

40%

Back for yr 2

75%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

63% graduated · 26% transferred · 1% still enrolled · 10% left or unknown

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$46,567

10 yrs after entry$55,874

Debt

Median at graduation$27,000

Monthly payment$286

Middle 50% owe$9.3k–$31k

90th percentile$40,188

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

90%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1091

R 490–610 · M 470–590

ACT midpoint

Comp 21–27 · E 20–27 · M 19–27

SAT middle 50%: 960–1200

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Central Michigan University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 38%Women 62%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

16 : 1

Pell grant

31%

First-gen

29%

Family income

$57,838

Independent

15%

Veterans

Age at entry

21.0

Part-time

14%

Race & ethnicity

White

76%

Hispanic

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

AI/AN

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FBS · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Cross Country
Men's
Field Hockey
Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Gymnastics
Women's
Lacrosse
Women's
Soccer
Women's
Softball
Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Women's
Volleyball
Women's
Wrestling
Men's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$46,567

After 10 yrs

$55,874

Psychology, General215

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness189

Business Administration, Management and Operations188

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas181

Community Organization and Advocacy107

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services86

Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences84

Marketing80

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication65

Finance and Financial Management Services64

Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology61

Computer Science59

Design and Applied Arts56

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services55

Political Science and Government54

Social Work52

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$265M

Full-time faculty

75%

Faculty salary

$10,682/mo

Teaching spend

$8,718

per student

Federal loans

69%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R2 — high research

$27M research spending · 79 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile