Master of Science in Data Science 

at Michigan State University, East Lansing

Michigan State University serves academic excellence and student success. It is a leading public research university and offers more than 400 areas of study across 17-degree granting colleges. In all, top-ranked UG and PG programs, world-class faculty, and dynamic learning facilities empower students to create personalized paths that enable them to succeed and lead. On top of this, Michigan State University placement rate for UG students is 93%.

At the time of MSU admission, international students are required to submit an IELTS score. Minimum score required in IELTS is 6.5 or higher. TOEFL / PTE / Duolingo scores are also accepted.

The minimum or sub-score is different for graduate courses. So, check with the official website to know the details.

Michigan State University is ranked by Times Higher Education for the year 2026 and this ranking is 105 among the top universities of the world. Many parameters are used for the same like teaching, research development, research quality, industry, international outlook. Look at the table given below for the MSU scores on each of these parameters - 

Michigan State has been consistently ranked by ARWU Shanghai ranking body over the years. In the past 3 years, its MSU's ARWU ranking has witnessed a stagnant rank. In the 2025 ranking, the university was ranked at #151 globally and the same was the case for the past some years. 

Michigan State University is one of the best universities in the United States. The university is immensely popular among international students. Every year thousands of students from within the United States and around the world apply at Michigan State University. With an acceptance rate of 84% Michigan State University is less selective for admissions. Currently, Michigan State University is home to 51,000+ students with 8.7% international students. 

Michigan State University alumni have access to benefits like Spatan bookstore - which includes the university's apparel, souvenirs, and more. Alums who access the bookstore in person can have 10% discount. Also, Liberty Mutal equips the graduates to save over USD 950 with customized auto and home insurance. 

The UG Business course of Michigan State University has been ranked at #24 in 2026 rankings by U.S. News & World Report. In the previous year, this course ranked at #27. Also, for a lot of courses, this ranking publisher ranked Michigan State in 2025 such as Supply Chain Management MBA at #3, UG Mechanical Engineering at #26, Chemical Engineering PG at #53, Civil Engineering PG at #31, Graduate Business School at #35, etc.

Michigan State University acceptance rate is 84%. This means that the university is less selective. However, the university is considered very competitive. The university cites that admissions at the university is very competitive and the applicants are encouraged to apply early. Admission at MSU is based on:

• Academic performance in high school or college
• Class rank
• Strength and quality of curriculum
• Standardized test scores
• Recent trends in academic performance
• English language proficiency test score
• Leadership, talents, conduct and diversity of excellence

For international students 2023 class profile, here are the statistics:

• High-school GPA: 3.5 – 4.0
• Total SAT: 1100-1310
• Composite ACT: 24-30

To evaluate the perfomance of MSU, the US World and News uses some of the parameters which are Global Research Reputation, Regional Research Reputation, Conferences, Books, Total Citations, Publications, etc. the weightage for some of the indicators utilized to cumulate Best Global Universities ranking are:

Also Check: U.S. News & World Report Global Universities Ranking Methodology