Back to schools/ Schools / University of Michigan
26%
Acceptance rate
34,000
Undergrads
$40k
Avg. net cost
#23 nat'l
Ranking
97%
Fit score
✨ Campus at a glance
Big Ten sportsTop researchStrong aidPre-professional
34,000
Undergrads
#3
Public university
750+
Student orgs
30%
Greek life
82%
4-yr grad rate
1:15
Faculty ratio
🎯 Fit score breakdown
Academic rigor
92
Campus social life
95
Affordability (in-state)
88
Career outcomes
94
Campus size fit
80
✨ What makes Michigan unique
Massive alumni network
500,000+ living alumni across every industry — one of the largest networks in the country for warm intros.
Big Ten athletics culture
Game days regularly draw 100,000+ fans; students get free entry to every home game with a student ID.
Research budget
One of the top 5 research expenditure universities in the US — undergrads can land paid lab positions as early as freshman year.
💬 What people are saying
Aggregated from Reddit & parent forums“The sheer size means you can find your people no matter how niche your interests are — there's a club for everything.”
r/UMich, Class of 2026
“Recruiting on campus for consulting and tech is intense in the best way. Almost every major firm shows up.”
Parent Facebook group
Quotes sourced from public Reddit threads and parent Facebook groups. Edited for clarity. CollegeCounter does not verify individual claims.
☀️ A day in the life
Real student snapshotsPriya, Junior — Computer Science
8:30a
Data structures lecture in the CSE building
11:00a
Office hours to debug a project with a GSI
1:00p
Lunch at the Union, then a shift at the undergrad research lab
4:00p
Study group in the Duderstadt Center
7:00p
Hackathon club meeting
📚 Top departments & programs
Computer Science & Engineering
#8 nationalHuge CS programStrong AI research
Ross School of Business
#4 undergrad bizTop consulting placement
Biology / Pre-Med
#15 nationalStrong med school pipeline
Mechanical Engineering
#7 nationalAuto industry ties
📍 Location, food & campus life
Food nearby
Zingerman's Deli — Legendary sandwiches, 10 min walk from Central Campus
Blank Slate Creamery — Student favorite for late-night ice cream
Ann Arbor Farmers Market — Saturday mornings, downtown
Attractions
The Diag — Central quad, the social heart of campus
Michigan Stadium ("The Big House") — 107,000-seat stadium, largest in the US
Nichols Arboretum — Riverside park for studying and running trails
💰 Financial aid
Avg. annual aid$18,400/yr
Students receiving aid58%
Meets 100% of need?Meets 100% (in-state)
Average loan burden$24,700 avg. debt at grad
In-state sticker$17,800/yr
Sticker price / yr$58,000/yr
2024–25 figures. Net cost varies by family income. Always file FAFSA.
📅 Application deadlines
Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionFeb 1
FAFSA priorityFeb 15