First-time Student Data

Click on the buttons below to show data about the undergraduate student cohort.

 

Average ACT Score

Average composite ACT scores are calculated using only first-time freshmen scores. MSU average ACT scores are available for each academic college.

Year MSU
Fall 2023 25.1
Fall 2022 25.1
Fall 2021 25.1
Fall 2020 25.9
Fall 2019 26.1
Fall 2018 25.6
Fall 2017 25.1
Fall 2016 24.4
Fall 2015 24.0
Fall 2014 24.4

Average ACT Composite Scores by College

COLLEGE 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Agriculture and Life Sciences 24.2 23.8 24.6 24.8 25.4 26.3 25.7 24.7 24.3 24.7
Architecture, Art and Design 24.8 23.7 23.7 24.0 25.4 26.0 25.9 24.8 24.9 24.5
Arts and Sciences 24.1 23.4 23.7 24.8 25.2 25.7 25.2 24.4 24.8 27.7
Business 23.8 23.5 24.0 24.5 24.9 25.0 25.2 24.0 24.0 23.3
Education 22.5 22.8 22.7 24.0 24.2 24.3 24.8 23.7 24.2 23.4
Engineering 27.8 27.2 27.5 28.1 28.7 28.8 28.9 28.8 28.3 28.5
Forest Resources 24.2 24.0 23.9 25.3 25.5 25.5 25.5 25.1 25.0 25.4
Veterinary Medicine 22.4 24.6 22.1 24.0            
Other 21.1 21.0 21.8 22.1 22.2 22.9 22.6 20.9 21.2 21.9
Composite 24.4 24.0 24.4 25.1 25.6 26.1 25.9 25.1 25.1 25.1

 

National Merit Scholars

First-Time students entering school at MSU who have been designated as a National Merit Scholar according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.  The number of scholars are also available for each academic college.

Year Scholars
2023 38
2022 43
2021 48
2020 47
2019 31
2018 45
2017 33
2016 39
2015 36
2014 35

National Merit Scholars by College

College 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Agriculture & Life Sciences 3 4 4 3 1 5 3 3 6 5
Architecture, Art & Design 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1
Arts & Sciences 6 2 6 5 11 6 6 9 5 3
Business 1 0 1 2 1 1 4 0 2 3
Education 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 1
Engineering 21 25 25 18 28 17 29 34 26 21
Forest Resources 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 1
Other 1 4 1 3 1 1 1 0 1 3
Total 35 36 39 33 45 31 47 48 43 38

 

Retention Rates & Persistence

Data representing to first-time full-time cohort who returned their second year and then the percentage who persisted into their third year.

First-Time / Full-Time Students
Returned for 2nd Year Returned for 3rd Year
Cohort MSU Cohort MSU
1995 77.8 1995 68.8
1996 77.9 1996 67.5
1997 76.2 1997 67.2
1998 78.9 1998 68.6
1999 78.9 1999 71.0
2000 80.4 2000 71.6
2001 80.8 2001 70.7
2002 81.2 2002 72.9
2003 81.1 2003 72.9
2004 79.8 2004 70.5
2005 82.4 2005 70.8
2006 83.5 2006 73.1
2007 84.5 2007 73.3
2008 81.8 2008 73.7
2009 82.0 2009 72.3
2010 83.1 2010 71.0
2011 80.7 2011 69.3
2012 78.5 2012 69.1
2013 80.2 2013 71.4
2014 82.0 2014 73.8
2015 80.2 2015 69.1
2016 79.3 2016 70.5
2017 79.8 2017 71.8
2018 81.6 2018 75.0
2019 85.1 2019 77.1
2020 81.4 2020 74.8
2021 80.6 2021 73.2
2022 82.8 2022

 

Six-year Graduation Rates

Percentage of the first-year cohort who graduated within 6 years, starting with the 1997 cohort.

6-Year Graduation Rates
Cohort Cohort Size Degrees Graduation Rate
1997 2,016 1,159 57.5
1998 1,929 1,113 57.7
1999 2,033 1,135 55.8
2000 2,055 1,190 57.9
2001 1,826 1,062 58.2
2002 1,736 1,040 59.9
2003 1,659 1,018 61.4
2004 1,738 1,007 58.0
2005 1,951 1,174 60.2
2006 1,896 1,097 57.8
2007 2,262 1,381 61.1
2008 2,474 1,495 60.4
2009 2,447 1,469 60.0
2010 2,688 1,609 59.9
2011 2,886 1,671 57.9
2012 2,869 1,674 58.4
2013 3,142 1,931 61.5
2014 2,962 1,900 64.1
2015 3,454 2,063 59.7
2016 3,615 2,281 63.1
2017 3,424 2,154 62.9

Last Updated: Febuary 29, 2024