Michigan State University Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways. Together we tackle some of the world’s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better.
The nation’s pioneer land-grant university, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, MSU is a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.
MSU Facts
Michigan State University Spartans work to advance the common good in uncommon ways. The nation’s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world—on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation—and is home to a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.
ABOUT MSU
History
Founded in 1855
Prototype for 69 land-grant institutions established under the Morrill Act of 1862
First institution of higher learning in the United States to teach scientific agriculture
Official name changes
February 12, 1855 – Agricultural College of the State of Michigan
March 15, 1861 – State Agricultural College
June 2, 1909 – Michigan Agricultural College
May 1, 1925 – Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science
July 1, 1955 – Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science
January 1, 1964 – Michigan State University
Presidents
- Joseph R. Williams (1857–1859)
- Lewis R. Fisk (1859–1862)
- Theophilus C. Abbot (1862–1884)
- Edwin Willits (1885–1889)
- Oscar Clute (1889–1893)
- Lewis B. Gorton (1893–1895)
- Jonathan L. Snyder (1896–1915)
- Frank S. Kedzie (1915–1921)
- David Friday (1921–1923)
- Kenyon L. Butterfield (1924–1928)
- Robert S. Shaw (1928–1941)
- John A. Hannah (1941–1969)
- Walter Adams (1969–1970)
- Clifton R. Wharton Jr. (1970–1978)
- Edgar L. Harden (1978–1979)
- Cecil Mackey (1979–1985)
- John DiBiaggio (1985–1992)
- Gordon Guyer (1992–1993)
- M. Peter McPherson (1993–2004)
- Lou Anna K. Simon (2005 –)
Faculty & Staff
Michigan State University is a diverse and dynamic intellectual community. Find what you’re looking for with this gateway to campus resources and opportunities for faculty and staff. Businesses
Spartans work side by side with individuals, businesses, and communities to help meet the vast economic, social, and cultural changes and challenges that face us in Michigan, across the United States, and around the world. We’re making connections and collaborating—from support for small businesses to intellectual property and technology commercialization. We invite you to partner with us and discover the possibilities that can make a difference to you and to the world.Alumni & Donors
Every day, Spartans are changing lives in ways that are both practical and profound—creating opportunities for study and research and finding solutions for some of the world’s most challenging problems. Michigan State University’s more than half a million alumni are an integral part of that force for good. One of the most important things they do is provide scholarships and opportunities to help make it possible for the next generation of Spartans to contribute to the world.Visitors
Get to know the remarkable Spartan community on one of the biggest and greenest campuses in the country. From Big Ten athletic venues to Beaumont Tower, from the Red Cedar River to the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, from the MSU Museum and Broad Art Museum to the MSU Dairy Store—explore, learn, and enjoy, beginning here.Students
MSU is home to one of the most talented, creative, and hardworking student communities you’ll find. Want proof? Our students come from all 50 states and more than 130 countries. They win championship titles and some of the world’s most prestigious academic awards. They conduct research, study abroad, and take advantage of hundreds of student organizations and the more than 200 academic programs MSU offers.In-state freshman
Tuition and fees: $14,114
