This article does that: it walks you through what the federal government reports about Ferris State University—who studies there, how much it costs, how difficult it is to get in, and what happens after students enroll—and explains what each figure means without embellishing it or using it to frighten you. By the end, you will understand this piece of the map. The other two pieces—what your child wants and what your family can afford—belong to you and your child.
What Kind of School It Is, in a Few Words
Ferris State University is a four-year public university. The government classifies it among institutions that offer programs through the doctoral level, although that institutional ceiling does not tell you whether your child's specific major is available there or whether it connects to a graduate program. Above all, it is an undergraduate-focused school: of the approximately 9,918 enrolled students, the vast majority are undergraduates.
It is in Big Rapids, in Mecosta County, in a town setting far from any large urban area. If your family does not live nearby, this genuinely matters: calculate separately where your child would live, how your child would get to campus, and how often your child could return home. The official data only identify the school's location; they do not resolve any of your logistical questions.
Ferris State has none of the three designations tracked by the government: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this directory, 138 have at least one of the three. Ferris State's lack of such a designation says nothing about whom it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask about that directly: what cultural centers exist, what student organizations are active today, and, better yet, speak with someone who already studies on that campus.
On the other hand, the Carnegie Classification identifies it as a school that enrolls many transfer students. If your child is considering enrolling here after studying somewhere else, that information is a reason to ask questions, not a guarantee: before your child transfers, obtain in writing which courses will count and which will not.
The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up
With 9,918 enrolled students, Ferris State is neither a very small nor a very large university. It falls near the middle among similar schools. Of that total, 8,940 are undergraduates and 978 are graduate students: the experience here is primarily an undergraduate one.
The undergraduate population is almost evenly divided between men and women: 53 out of every 100 are women. Most first-time students, 93 out of every 100, already lived in Michigan before applying. If your family lives outside the state, your child would enter as part of a minority within the incoming class, something worth keeping in mind when considering belonging and out-of-state tuition costs.
And here is a number that must be stated plainly, without softening it: out of every 100 undergraduate students, only 7 are Hispanic or Latino. Compared with similar public universities, that proportion falls below the comparison-group midpoint. It is not the lowest figure that exists, but it represents a small minority. That does not make the school bad, nor does it make the school good; it simply describes who is enrolled today. If your child would be one of the few, the task is not to rule out the school because of the number. It is to ask, before deciding, what student groups and support services exist for Latino students and to find someone already there who can describe the experience from the inside. The number covers the entire school; your child's experience in a specific major may look different.
How the Academic Year Works and What Prior Credit It Recognizes
The school uses a semester calendar: two long terms of approximately 15 weeks each, with the same dates for all students.
Ferris State reported that it accepts credit from AP examinations as well as what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—learning acquired through independent study, work, a portfolio, prior certifications, or military training. The fact that the university reports accepting it does not mean your child will automatically receive it. Request a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling, and do not calculate any savings until you have it in hand. The university also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
As for fields of study, between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 1,749 bachelor's degrees across 23 program families. None accounts for the bulk of them: the largest, business and administration, accounts for 21 out of every 100 degrees, and no other program family exceeds it. This is a broad offering, not a school built around a single field of study. Still, “23 families with a row in the report” does not equal 23 actual majors available today: one family groups several programs together, and some may report no graduates that year. Verify the exact program that interests your child by its full name.
The ratio of students to instructional staff is 15 to 1, slightly below the median for similar schools. It is a middle-of-the-range figure. It does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class; it only describes an institution-wide ratio.
Ferris State also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research outside the classroom, a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends, and pathways to teacher certification. Their inclusion in the report confirms that they exist as stated options; it does not say how many students use them or how they work in practice within your child's major.
Admissions: Who Gets In and How
Here is a figure worth having your child hear directly: of the 9,548 applicants in the 2023 cycle, Ferris State offered admission to 7,694. That is 81 out of every 100. It is a selective university in the sense that it reviews applicants' records, but not in the sense that it rejects applicants in large numbers. Your child has a real reason to apply and also a reason to submit a complete application on time, because that figure comes from a single cycle and is not a fixed promise for the year your child applies.
Admission is not open: the university reviews specific materials. Three are required: a high school transcript, the high school grade point average, and a formal demonstration of ability, such as a portfolio or competency examination. Other materials are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, the college-preparatory course sequence completed, a personal essay, letters of recommendation, work experience, and an English-language examination when applicable. The report does not say how much weight each item carries in the final decision. The published undergraduate application fee is $0.
Of those admitted, only 21 out of every 100 ultimately enrolled that fall. Put another way, of every 5 students who receive an acceptance, approximately one chooses to attend. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not explain why each person chose what they chose—but do not ignore it either: receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend, and what others decided does not predict what your child will be offered. What truly matters is waiting for the letter showing your own family's net price.
The SAT and ACT are not required. Among students who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—66 out of every 100, a high proportion compared with similar schools—the middle half scored between 450 and 570 in reading and writing and between 440 and 550 in mathematics. That range describes students who were admitted, enrolled, and submitted scores; it is neither a minimum your child must reach nor a guarantee if your child reaches it.
Regarding transfers: of the cohort that entered in 2017, only 9 out of every 100 are reported as having transferred to another school without completing a credential here, a low proportion compared with similar universities. At the same time, 826 students arrived at Ferris State in 2023 as transfers from another institution, a high number. According to this report, it is a school to which many students transfer and from which few transfer elsewhere, although neither figure says how many credits were accepted for those who arrived. Request that information in writing, with the course list in hand, before your child transfers.
What It Costs and What You Might Actually Pay
At Ferris State University, among 321 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $5,957. Among 205 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $12,303; among 275 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $19,308. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $13,351 between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 321 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 275 students. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average amount was $13,154.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this measure with the same time coverage, Ferris State falls within the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a factor to weigh when deciding where to apply.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The aid letter sent to you is what governs.
Grants, Loans, and How Aid Is Distributed
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Ferris State, 79 receive a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. Among those who receive such aid, the annual average is $10,709. Be careful: that average is not distributed across all students; it describes only those who received something. In addition, 36 out of every 100 receive a Pell Grant, the federal aid for low-income families.
On the debt side, the picture is different. In the 2022-23 academic year, 47 out of every 100 undergraduate students—more than four out of ten—took out a federal student loan. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per borrower that year was $6,854. Compared with similar selective public schools, this proportion of students with loans falls on the high side: seven out of ten similar schools had an equal or lower proportion.
Here, financing an education with debt is common, not exceptional. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year over the program's four years, the total would be approximately $27,416, excluding interest. Make that calculation before the first signature, not at the end of the first semester. And this average covers only federal loans in the student's name during one year: it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or the total amount of debt your child would have upon graduating. That total is not in this report. What you can do is wait for your own family's aid letter before committing to the school.
Ferris State also reports a tuition installment payment plan and participation in a Promise-type program. It is worth asking the financial aid office directly about both.
Campus Life, Learning Format, and Available Support
Ferris State has institution-owned housing with a reported capacity of 3,230 students on or off campus, and no student is universally required to live there. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the selected plan. The existence of the option does not guarantee a place or a fixed cost: ask for this year's rate, the application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
If your child is interested in ROTC, the only branch confirmed in writing in the report is the Army. The Navy and Air Force are not marked, which does not mean participation is impossible, only that it is not confirmed in this report; ask directly. The report also does not clarify whether the program is offered on this campus or at another one.
In athletics, Ferris State competes and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, and cross-country or track and field. The affiliation belongs to the school, not to your child: if your child is interested in a team, contact the coach directly and ask in writing about roster availability, division, and athletic scholarships.
Regarding distance education, 14 out of every 100 undergraduate students take their entire course load online; the other 86 take at least one class in person. The university reports having at least one complete program that can be completed through distance education, although the report does not confirm whether that specific program is available at the undergraduate level in the field that interests your child. Confirm that directly.
The library operates with paid staff, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary lending. The university also reports a broad range of support services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus child care, a transition program for students with intellectual disabilities, a point of contact for veterans and a veterans' student organization, and a webpage dedicated to services for people with disabilities. Their inclusion in the report confirms that they exist as stated services; it does not measure their quality or effectiveness for your child's particular situation. Ask about that in person.
How Likely Your Child Is to Finish, and How Long It May Take
This is where it is most important to speak plainly.
Of the full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2022, 73 out of every 100 remained enrolled or had graduated one year later. This is a middle-of-the-range figure, slightly below the median for similar schools. This number does not separate those who had already graduated from those who were simply still studying, nor does it say what happened to the rest: transferring to another school and continuing to study elsewhere is counted differently from leaving education, but the report does not distinguish between those outcomes.
Of those who entered in 2017, 54 out of every 100 had earned a Ferris State degree six years later. At four years—the timeframe most families budget for—the figure falls to 31 out of every 100, a difference of 23 points. That gap matters because the fourth and fifth years of college also have to be paid for. Before deciding, it is worth asking directly how long students typically take to complete the specific major that interests your child and how its required courses are scheduled, because that changes the plan's total cost.
Looking at a longer window, eight years after entering, 60 out of every 100 students from a 2015-16 cohort had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 55 out of every 100, nine points below the figure for those who did not receive one. The report does not explain why; it only reports the result. If your family would currently qualify for Pell, that does not determine your child's outcome, but it is a reason to ask admissions what specific support exists for those students: an assigned adviser, emergency assistance, and annual renewal of institutional aid. Ask for the answer in writing.
What This Article Cannot Tell You
This report does not address earnings after graduation, employment, or how much debt a graduate carries upon leaving with a diploma in hand. That information requires another source, and if someone promises it to you based only on these data, be skeptical.
How to Put All of This Together
You now know an important piece of the map: what kind of university Ferris State is, how much it costs across different income circumstances, how accessible admission is, how likely students are to finish and how long it may take, and what support services it reports offering. That information is real, and it is yours to use.
But the complete map requires the other two pieces that only your family has. What your child wants to study and what your child has built to get there. And what your family can afford, what aid it has available, and what it is willing to take on in loans. If you live far from Michigan, add the questions of moving and distance. If your child would transfer credits, add the written question of which credits will be accepted. If your child would qualify for Pell, add the direct question about the support available to that specific group on this campus.
No figure in this article makes the decision for you. Together, they give you what you need to decide with your eyes open, without surprises halfway through the second semester.
Source: data from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, with different reference years and periods depending on the indicator, as specified in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Ferris State University or any government agency; this article organizes public information to help families understand it.