Michigan State SAT Scores and GPA

What are Michigan State's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into Michigan State. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: East Lansing, MI

This school is also known as: MSU, Michigan State University

Michigan State Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into Michigan State University.


Average SAT: 1215

The average SAT score composite at Michigan State is a 1215.

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Michigan State SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1100, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1300.

In other words, a 1100 places you below average, while a 1300 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Michigan State, but they really want to see at least a 1100 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SectionAverage25th Percentile75th Percentile
Math610540660
Reading + Writing610550650
Composite121511001300

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Average GPA: 3.8

The average GPA at Michigan State is 3.8. This makes Michigan State Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

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(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.8, Michigan State requires you to be near the top of your class, and well above average. You'll need mostly A's, ideally with several AP or IB classes to help show your preparation at a college level.



Admissions Rate: 87%

The acceptance rate at Michigan State is 87%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, 87 are admitted.

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This means the school is not selective. As long as you don't fall way below average, you'll likely get in.



Final Admissions Verdict

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Because this school is not selective, you have a great shot at getting in, as long as you don't fall well below average. Aim for a 1100 SAT or higher, and you'll almost certainly get an offer of admission. But if you score below this, you may be one of the unlucky few to get rejected.


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Admissions Calculator

What are your chances of admission at Michigan State University?
Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

Pick your test: SAT ACT

SAT Score
Your GPA

Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
  • 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
  • 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
  • 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
  • 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
  • 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.
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Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Michigan State, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Michigan State.


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Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Michigan State. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 1355 29
United States Military Academy West Point, NY 1331 30
University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 1315 29
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA 1313 29
Penn State University Park University Park, PA 1310 29
University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX 1291 28
University of California, Davis Davis, CA 1280 28

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Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Michigan State, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 1225 26
University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA 1225 27
University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 1223 26
University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 1220 26
San Diego State University San Diego, CA 1215 26
Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT 1210 25
Howard University Washington, DC 1204 25

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Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Michigan State, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Michigan State is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Ohio University Athens, OH 1174 25
Pace University New York, NY 1173 26
University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX 1160 23
California State University Long Beach Long Beach, CA 1145 23
Washington State University Pullman, WA 1130 23
Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL 1110 23
University of North Texas Denton, TX 1110 23

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.


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