The student population at Michigan State University is 52,089 (41,234 undergraduate and 10,855 graduate students) . The number of students has increased by 1,551 (3.07%) over the past decade.
- Class Level: The percentage of undergraduate students at MSU is 79.16% which is increased by 2,091 over last 10 years. The graduate student population decreased by 540 and it has been decreasing.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 88 male students for every 100 female students, down from 94 in 2015.
- 2,681 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 20.93% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 50,384 where 52,089 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 4 year-over-year increases and 5 decreases. It peaked at 52,089 students in 2025 and was lowest at 49,659 in 2022. Overall, enrollment rose from 50,538 to 52,089 students, a net gain of 1,551 (3.1%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Michigan State University since 2015.
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the last 11 years is 39,381 where 41,234 students are attending the Undergraduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Michigan State University since 2015.
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the last 11 years is 11,003 where 10,855 students are attending the Graduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Michigan State University since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 64.15%. The percentage was 65.71% 10 years ago and MSU still has a high percentage of white students. 7.85% of enrolled students is Asian and 6.46% is black students. Hispanic students comprise 6.68% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 65.71% to 64.15%. Asian enrollment grew from 4.63% to 7.85%. Black student enrollment decreased from 6.59% to 6.46%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 4.02% to 6.68%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.5719 which indicates that moderately diverse. This increased from 0.5595 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Michigan State University over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
2,681 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 5% of total students. The number of online students has increased 20.93% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Michigan State University from 2015 to 2025.