Ferris State University
Ferris State University is a public university in Big Rapids, MI, with about 8,338 students on campus and 1,580 more studying only online.
The short version on Ferris State University
A low price for what graduates go on to earn
After aid, Ferris State University costs $8,624 a year, less than 94% of 4-year colleges. Ten years after starting, former students earn a median $54,735, more than at 78% of colleges. Outcomes ↓
Ferris State University is nearly free for lower-income families
Families earning under $30,000 pay about $2,556 a year after grants. Families earning $48,000–75,000 pay about $7,638, and those over $110,000 pay about $18,603. What it costs ↓
A graduation gap for lower-income students
34% of students with Pell grants finish, against 47% overall, a gap of 13 points. 34% of undergraduates get Pell grants. Outcomes ↓
Students are a big part of Big Rapids
42% of Big Rapids’ 8,623 residents are enrolled in college. Median rent runs 18% below the state. Living in Big Rapids ↓
What you study here makes a big difference to pay
Among Ferris State University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, industrial production technologies/technicians graduates earn a median $91,993 four years out. Graphic communications graduates earn $44,116. Majors ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$223 a month against about $3,945 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 73% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
How hard is it to get into Ferris State University?
of applicants admitted
About 18 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1012.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $27,048 a year
Before any grants
After grants, the average family on aid pays $8,624.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $30,552 over 4 years · 72% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
8,106 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Big Rapids
42% of Big Rapids’s 8,623 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Big Rapids pages.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.