10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$4,100at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · 130 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 129 · Federal debt reported for 83
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$4,100 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
9.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+2%Estimated return after 10 years
$71,282Observed earnings · year 5
$20,705Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $1,025 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $12,564 housing and food allowance plus $3,838 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$82,820
$8,000Annual price+$50,820
$16,000Annual price+$18,820
$20,000Current college-wide context+$2,820
$24,000Annual price−$13,180
$32,000Annual price−$45,180
$40,000Annual price−$77,180
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- Land-grant institution
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
108 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Michigan run 4% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$19,680Average net price / year
$32,198Cost of attendance
$23,250Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$246/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$71,282Median earnings · year 5 after completion
80.7%Completion rate
84.8%Admission rate
1,269Average SAT score
26ACT midpoint
40,922Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Michigan State University
What does Michigan State University cost?
Michigan State University reports an average annual net price of $19,680 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Michigan State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $71,282 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Michigan State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $23,250. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Michigan State University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 130 field-and-degree records for Michigan State University; 129 report year-4 earnings and 83 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
56,166Students enrolled at any point
43,792Undergraduate students
12,374Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
75% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
4,160 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
59% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$60,132Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$65,332Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$72,723Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income55%
Middle income65%
Higher income75%
Undergraduate student composition
White67%
Black7%
Hispanic7%
Asian8%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$50,898Year 1
$74,093Year 4
$71,282Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Business/Commerce, General · Master's Degree$188,0852Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$142,9273Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Master's Degree$139,5894Medicine · First Professional Degree$130,5035Veterinary Medicine · First Professional Degree$127,6216Human Resources Management and Services · Master's Degree$127,4817Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$123,6218Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$118,130Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $61,187 reported+62%vs same-degree national median$13,722federal debt2Human Resources Management and ServicesMaster's Degree · $127,481 reported+53%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Business/Commerce, GeneralMaster's Degree · $188,085 reported+49%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Agricultural Business and ManagementUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $63,115 reported+44%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree · $142,927 reported+38%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree · $91,187 reported+34%vs same-degree national median$23,250federal debt
Comparable colleges in MI
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Dearborn, MI
University of Michigan-Dearborn
- Annual net price
- $9,492
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $68,752
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +9%
Central Michigan University
- Annual net price
- $17,597
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $57,741
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -49%
Wayne State University
- Annual net price
- $12,766
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $62,306
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -25%
Western Michigan University
- Annual net price
- $15,273
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,173
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -41%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 130 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | Master's Degree | $188,085 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $142,927 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $139,589 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $130,503 | Not available | Not reported |
| Veterinary Medicine | First Professional Degree | $127,621 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $127,481 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $123,621 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $118,130 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $116,905 | $24,022 | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Doctoral Degree | $113,129 | Not available | 31 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | Master's Degree | $110,091 | Not available | Not reported |
| Food Science and Technology | Master's Degree | $106,264 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $105,724 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $104,627 | $24,999 | Not reported |
| Engineering, General | Bachelor's Degree | $102,301 | $22,500 | Not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $102,223 | $26,573 | 6 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $102,017 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $101,377 | Not available | 31 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $100,481 | $22,500 | 8 |
| Marketing | Master's Degree | $100,453 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $97,946 | $24,000 | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $97,236 | $23,250 | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $96,342 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $96,093 | $23,250 | 5 |
| Materials Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $95,761 | $27,925 | Not reported |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Bachelor's Degree | $95,387 | $25,363 | Not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Bachelor's Degree | $94,143 | $23,756 | Not reported |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $93,930 | $25,625 | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $91,736 | Not available | 11 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $91,187 | $23,250 | 35 |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $90,650 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $90,453 | $23,896 | Not reported |
| Agricultural Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $86,498 | $28,000 | Not reported |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Master's Degree | $86,080 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $85,886 | $23,475 | 3 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Master's Degree | $84,105 | Not available | Not reported |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $81,743 | Not available | Not reported |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other | Master's Degree | $80,358 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $80,129 | $28,500 | 6 |
| Engineering, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $79,609 | $22,875 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every Michigan State University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.