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Central Michigan University: Rankings, Admissions, Cost & Majors

46 awards Ranking Badges
Fair Price Value for Your Money
90% Acceptance Rate

Central Michigan University is a public institution in Mount Pleasant, Michigan enrolling 10,035 undergraduates. It accepts 90% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 59%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #729 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 14%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.

Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.

How Is Central Michigan University Ranked?

Central Michigan University ranks #729 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 14%.

#729 Best Colleges in Nation
#17 Best Colleges in MI
Central Michigan University ranking badge

2027 Rankings

College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities in its annual rankings and ranks them in a variety of ways, including most diverse, best overall quality, best for non-traditional students, and much more.

Central Michigan University was awarded 46 badges in the 2027 rankings.

Overall Quality

According to College Factual’s 2027 analysis, Central Michigan is ranked #729 out of 5,159 schools in the nation that were analyzed for overall quality. This puts it in the top 20% of all schools in the nation.

Within the state, Central Michigan holds the #17 spot on the Best Colleges in Michigan ranking.

See all of the rankings for Central Michigan University.

Is It Hard to Get Into Central Michigan University?

90% Acceptance Rate
90% Of Accepted Are Women
61% Submit SAT Scores

Acceptance Rate

With an acceptance rate of 90%, Central Michigan University is easier to get into than many other schools. But that doesn’t mean you can slack off on your application. Make sure to treat this school like any other when submitting requested materials and documents.

Average Test Scores

About 61% of students accepted to Central Michigan submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 490 and 610. Math scores were between 470 and 590.

SAT Reading and Writing Scores for Central Michigan University  ( 490 to 610 )
200
800
SAT Math Scores for Central Michigan University  ( 470 to 590 )
200
800

Central Michigan received ACT scores from 7% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 21 and 27.

ACT Composite Scores for Central Michigan University  ( 21 to 27 )
1
36

Learn more about Central Michigan University admissions.

What Is the Student-to-Faculty Ratio at Central Michigan University?

16 to 1 Student to Faculty
75% Full Time Teachers

Student to Faculty Ratio

With a student to faculty ratio of 16 to 1, Central Michigan University is about average in this regard as the nationwide rate is 15 to 1. While this does not translate directly to class size, it’s a good indicator of how much time professors will have to spend with their students on a one-on-one basis.

Percent of Full-Time Faculty

In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.

The full-time faculty percentage at Central Michigan University is 75%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.

Full-Time Faculty Percent  75 out of 100
0
100

What Are the Graduation and Retention Rates at Central Michigan University?

75% Freshmen Retention
59% On-Time Graduation Rate

Freshmen Retention Rate

Central Michigan University has a freshmen retention rate of 75%. That’s a good sign that full-time students like the school and their professors enough to want to stick around for another year. It’s also a sign that the admissions team did a good job in choosing applicants who were a good fit for the school.

Freshmen Retention Rate  75 out of 100
0
100

Graduation Rate

Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At Central Michigan the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 59%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.

On-Time Graduation Rate  59 out of 100
0
100

Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Central Michigan University.

How Diverse Is Central Michigan University?

10,035 Undergraduate Students
20.0% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
62.0% Percent Women

In the current academic year, there are 10,035 undergraduates at Central Michigan.

Get more detailed information on the diversity at Central Michigan University.

How Much Does Central Michigan University Cost?

$17,140 Net Price
69% Take Out Loans
$28,860 Total Student Loans

The average net price of Central Michigan is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.

Net Price by Income Group for Central Michigan

$0-30 K $30K-48K $48-75 $75-110K $110K +
$12,185 $12,139 $13,601 $16,269 $21,403

The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Central Michigan, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.

Student Loan Debt

It’s not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At Central Michigan, approximately 69% of students took out student loans averaging $7,215 a year. That adds up to $28,860 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 5.0%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for Central Michigan University.

How Much Do Central Michigan University Graduates Earn?

$55,874 Avg Salary of Grads
High Earnings Boost

Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Central Michigan University make around $55,874 per year during the early years of their employment. That’s great news for Central Michigan University students since it is 14% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Average Salary for Central Michigan University Graduates

See which majors at Central Michigan University make the most money.

Where Is Central Michigan University Located?

Michigan State
10,035 Undergraduate Students
Town Campus Setting

Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The surrounding location of Mount Pleasant is ideal for students who enjoy the charms of a college town. Get more details about the location of Central Michigan University.

Location of Central Michigan University

Get in touch with Central Michigan University are listed below.

Contact Details
Address: 106 Warriner Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Phone: 9897744000
Website: www.cmich.edu
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Michigan_University
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cmich
Twitter: twitter.com/CMUniversity

What Majors Does Central Michigan University Offer?

26 Majors With Completions
8,668 Undergraduate Degrees

In the most recent reporting year, students from 26 majors graduated from Central Michigan University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.

Most Popular Majors Completions Average Salary of Graduates
Multi-Disciplinary Studies 4,334 NA
Computer Information Systems 481 $56,922
Business Administration & Management 362 $59,718
Management Sciences & Methods 175 $49,995
Teacher Education Grade Specific 172 $38,154
Teacher Education Subject Specific 148 $41,097
General Psychology 148 $24,851
Health & Physical Education 147 $30,305
Community Organization & Advocacy 126 $41,663
Communication Sciences 97 $49,484

Learn more about the majors offered at Central Michigan University along with which ones have the highest average starting salaries.

Does Central Michigan Offer Online Classes?

55% Take At Least One Class Online
16% Take All Classes Online

5,520 students took at least one online class at Central Michigan University.

Online learning options are becoming more and more popular at American colleges and universities. Online classes are great for students who have busy schedules or for those who just want to study on their own time.

Learn more about online learning at Central Michigan University.

Interested in comparing Central Michigan? Match them up using College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.

Notes and References

Footnotes

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

References

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