“Public research university in Mount Pleasant offering 200 academic programs across Michigan.”
Central Michigan University (CMU) is a mid-size public research university founded in 1892 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, in the geographic center of the state's Lower Peninsula. CMU enrolls roughly 15,500 students across a large 854-acre main campus plus a College of Medicine site in Saginaw, a network of off-campus and online programs, and a research station in Beaver Island, Lake Michigan. The university is classified as an R2 doctoral research institution and, along with its medical college established in 2012, positions CMU as a full-stack public with programs spanning business, sciences, engineering, the arts, education, health professions, and medicine. Academically, CMU offers more than 200 programs across seven colleges: the College of Medicine; the College of Science and Engineering; the College of Business Administration; the College of Education and Human Services; the College of the Arts and Media; the College of Health Professions; and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. The School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts is nationally recognized and one of the largest of its kind in the country, the business college is AACSB-accredited with standout programs in supply-chain management and logistics, and the College of Health Professions houses well-regarded physical therapy, physician assistant, speech-language pathology, and athletic-training programs. Popular undergraduate majors cluster around psychology, biology, marketing, exercise science, and supply-chain management. Campus life is shaped by NCAA Division I Chippewa athletics in the Mid-American Conference — football Saturdays at Kelly/Shorts Stadium are signature events — plus 300+ student organizations, a large Greek system, and a lively downtown Mount Pleasant of restaurants, coffee shops, and live music. CMU's scale gives international students abundant on-campus employment, a full Office of International Affairs, and aggressive scholarships (including the International President's Award, which drops eligible students to the in-state tuition rate, and the full-ride Centralis Scholarship). For students who want a big-school experience at a manageable cost — tuition is significantly below most flagship publics — CMU is a strong Midwestern option.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Top Public Schools
US News 2026
International Student Enrollment (F-1)
DHS SEVIS by the Numbers (2024)
Research Activity
Carnegie Classifications (2021)
Research classification
Carnegie
Research classification
Carnegie Classification
Alternative Breaks participation
Break Away
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourcePriority / Rolling
Priority deadline for scholarship consideration; rolling admission continues.
Regular Decision
Applications accepted on a rolling basis until classes fill.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$14,760
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
AACSB-accredited business college with nationally recognized strengths in supply chain management, logistics, entrepreneurship, and information systems.
Integrated science and engineering college with programs from biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics through to mechanical, electrical, and information technology programs.
Houses the nationally recognized School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts along with journalism, design, music, theater, and public relations.
Doctoral and master's clinical programs in PT, PA, audiology, and speech-language pathology alongside undergraduate majors in health sciences, exercise science, and athletic training.
Michigan-licensed teacher preparation, counseling, social work, and human development programs with strong regional placement.
CMU's largest liberal-arts home, including psychology, political science, history, English, sociology, and foreign languages.
CMU's MD-granting medical school focused on training physicians for medically underserved and rural populations in Michigan.
Nationally recognized programs with a Celonis Academic Center of Excellence designation.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $14,760
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
