R2 ResearchPublicMedical

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan·Public, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·cmich.edu
6-yr Graduation
59%
+1.0pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
14,488
peer median 14,281
Avg net price
$16,041
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
21,969
21,969 candidates competed
Admitted
19,732
89.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,222
11.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
59%+1.0pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
40%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
59%
Full-time retention
75%

Pell equity

14.0pp gap
Pell recipients
48%
Non-Pell
62%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 14.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 267 Title IV programs, 80 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 187 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
267
Passing
80
30.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

267programs
  • Passing80 · 30.0%
  • No Data187 · 70.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
3
Watch
6
Safe
71
No data
187

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

80
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+4.8%
$60,801 vs $58,014
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+6.9%
$49,626 vs $46,411
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+9.1%
$63,316 vs $58,014
Physiology Pathology and Related Sciences
Master's Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+10.8%
$54,829 vs $49,483
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+19.0%
$39,262 vs $32,989
Anthropology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+20.0%
$39,577 vs $32,989
Parks Recreation and Leisure Studies
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+21.1%
$39,947 vs $32,989
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+21.8%
$40,181 vs $32,989

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+4.8%
+$2,787

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

73
Medicine
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
178%
$246,822 debt · $138,552 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
121%
$99,615 debt · $82,493 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
91%
$112,434 debt · $123,450 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
86%
$49,054 debt · $57,197 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
85%
$75,130 debt · $88,310 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
84%
$53,038 debt · $63,316 earn
Anthropology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
78%
$31,000 debt · $39,577 earn
Parks Recreation and Leisure Studies
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
76%
$30,250 debt · $39,947 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1923Next review Aug 2026
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1915

Programmatic accreditations · 18

Action history · 22

  1. Jul 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  2. Jun 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level programs offered outside a school of public health
  3. Apr 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  4. Feb 2024Warning or Equivalent-Factors Affecting Academic Quality
    Liaison Committee on Medical Education · Medicine (MED) - Programs leading to the M.D. degree
  5. Oct 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PT) - Professional programs for the physical therapist

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$12,672
$30–48k$11,638
$48–75k$14,182
$75–110k$17,215
$110k+$18,780

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$16,041
vs R2 Research median $16,053
Federal loans
67.9%
In-state tuition
$14,190
Out-of-state
$14,190

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 4,042 students received $22.1M in Pell grants, alongside $98.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,042
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$22.1M
$22,125,199 total
Direct Loans
$98.8M
11,372 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
20
4k
21
3k
22
3k
23
4k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$14.5M
3,684 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$18.2M
4,279 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$36.9M
1,790 loan awards
Parent PLUS$10.7M
902 loan awards
Grad PLUS$18.5M
717 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 5,766 borrowers who entered repayment, 74 (1.2%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.2%
-1.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
5,766
Defaulted
74
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.9%
2017
5.4%
2018
4.8%
2019
1.2%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Central Michigan

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs212
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,662 total completions
01Business
1,05028.7%
02Computer Sciences
56115.3%
03Health Professions
49013.4%
04Education
48513.2%
05Psychology
2516.9%
06Parks/Recreation
1865.1%
07Biological Sciences
1855.1%
08Public Admin
1674.6%
09Communication
1644.5%
10Visual/Performing Arts
1233.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
14,488
12-mo unduplicated
16,725
Undergraduate
11,187
Graduate
5,538

Gender split

Men
40%6,634
Women
60%10,091

Race / ethnicity composition

White
76.5%
Black
8.4%
Hispanic
5.4%
Two or more
3.7%
Non-resident
2.7%
Asian
1.4%
Unknown
1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
465
225 M · 240 W
Women athletes
51.6%
Athletic aid
$6.4M
Total student aid
Budget
$36.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.7M
$2.7M
Recruiting expense
$454K
$201K
Head-coach salaries
$367K
$136K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
· 132 W
$1.6M
Football
123 M ·
$10.3M
Baseball
40 M ·
$1.6M
Lacrosse
· 36 W
$642K
Soccer
· 34 W
$771K
Basketball
17 M · 15 W
$4.0M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.51
22 offenses · 14,557 students

3-year trend

4.792 yrs ago1.621 yr ago1.51Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
130
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
55
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
8
Aggravated assault
6
Fondling
5
Motor vehicle theft
3

By location

22total
  • On campus17
  • Non-campus5

Includes 10 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

12
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
5
Stalking
17 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs026
Liquor0115

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
16.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
657

Central Michigan vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Central Michigan selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectCentral Michigan University
59%14,488$16,041R2 Research
Eastern Michigan University
46%79.6%12,631$17,084R2 Research
Oakland University
58%87.8%15,768$13,584R2 Research
Western Michigan University
58%84.6%16,744$18,701R2 Research
Michigan Technological University
68%92.4%7,403$15,729R2 Research
Cleveland State University
51%91.3%14,074$16,065R2 Research
Peer group median58%87.8%14,281$16,053

Frequently asked questions about Central Michigan University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Central Michigan.

What is the graduation rate at Central Michigan University?

Central Michigan University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 59% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Central Michigan University?

Central Michigan University reports a total enrollment of 14,488 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Central Michigan University?

The average net price at Central Michigan University is $16,041 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Central Michigan University?

Central Michigan University's yield rate is 11.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Central Michigan University located?

Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan 48859.

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