Central Michigan University

Central Michigan University Overview

Central Michigan University is a public, state school in a small town setting in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. CMU was founded in 1892 and now enrolls around 17,344 students a year, including 13,048 undergrads. CMU offers on-campus housing for up to 5,637 students. Most students live in off campus housing.

There are many ways for students to get involved at CMU! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of CMU's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? CMU students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Thinking of pledging? CMU has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? CMU has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at CMU on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at CMU on the Student Life page.

Is CMU a Good School?

Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Let's take a closer look at to get a better idea of what CMU offers and if it might be a good choice for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for Central Michigan University

It is moderately difficult to get into CMU. The acceptance rate at CMU is 69%. Last year, 19,396 students applied to CMU and 13,320 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at CMU

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

About 80% of students who start at CMU return the next year.CMU's six-year graduation rate for undergrads is 64%. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outlook CMU Graduates

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. Within six months of graduating, 56% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

The average starting salary for recent CMU grads is $44,974 a year. Average starting salaries vary by discipline, but the average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year.

CMU's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. CMU's endowment was valued at $182 million in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, CMU spends about $8,154 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at CMU

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. CMU meets 74% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend CMU full-time are awarded $15,560 a year in financial aid, on average.

Graduates in the class of 2021 had an average of $31,962 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so be very wary of anyone asking you for money.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at CMU. Based on this information, how does CMU sound? Remember, the best school for one person may not be the right school for another! So ask yourself: Is CMU a good school for you?

If Central Michigan University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Doing Your Research?

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

CMU Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the schools in the U.S.

Where is CMU?

CMU is located in the small town setting of Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

If you want to see CMU for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take U.S. Highway 127 to Mount Pleasant, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Tri-City International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what CMU and Mount Pleasant are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges in Michigan?

See a full list of colleges in Michigan and save your favorites to your college list.