University of Michigan Acceptance Rate: 16.1% for the Class of 2030, Early Decision and Residency
By Rona Aydin
What is the University of Michigan acceptance rate?
The University of Michigan acceptance rate for the Class of 2030, which entered in fall 2026, was 16.1% by our calculation. Michigan received 108,774 first-year applications, offered admission to 17,495 students and enrolled 8,659, according to the New Undergraduate First-Year Class Profile from its Office of Budget and Planning, dated September 29, 2026. By our calculation, 49.5% of admitted students enrolled, up from 45.6% a year earlier.
For fall 2025, the Common Data Set 2025-2026 shows 109,112 applicants, 17,915 admitted and 8,178 enrolled, an acceptance rate of 16.4%. Michigan admitted 420 fewer students for fall 2026 than for fall 2025 and enrolled 481 more. Michigan has not explained the change on its admissions site; in our view, the new binding Early Decision round is the likely reason, because students admitted Early Decision commit to enroll.
How has the Michigan acceptance rate changed?
| Entering class | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate | Enrolled | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 (Class of 2030) | 108,774 | 17,495 | 16.1% | 8,659 | 49.5% |
| Fall 2025 (Class of 2029) | 109,112 | 17,915 | 16.4% | 8,178 | 45.6% |
| Fall 2024 (Class of 2028) | 98,310 | 15,373 | 15.6% | 7,278 | 47.3% |
| Fall 2023 (Class of 2027) | 87,632 | 15,722 | 17.9% | 7,466 | 47.5% |
| Fall 2022 (Class of 2026) | 84,289 | 14,914 | 17.7% | 7,050 | 47.3% |
First-year applications grew 29.4% from fall 2022 to fall 2025 by our calculation, then leveled off for fall 2026. The University Record reported 108,666 first-year applications for fall 2026 in February, before the final count, and 6,459 transfer applications (University Record, February 26, 2026). Over the five years the acceptance rate ranged from 15.6% to 17.9%: from fall 2022 to fall 2026, offers of admission rose 17.3% while applications rose 29.0%, by our calculation.
How does Early Decision work at the University of Michigan?
Michigan offered binding Early Decision for the first time to students applying for fall 2026 entry. The Early Decision agreement must be signed by the applicant, a parent or guardian and the high school counselor (University Record, July 9, 2025). Michigan’s application plans page reports that “13 percent of Early Decision applicants” were admitted “during the initial Early Decision binding decision release in December 2025” (Michigan Admissions). The page labels this figure “fall 2025,” but a December 2025 release was for students entering in fall 2026. Early Decision applicants are admitted, denied or postponed to Early Action or Regular Decision, so the 13% does not include postponed applicants admitted later. Michigan has not reported the number of Early Decision applicants or admits on its admissions site.
Michigan also offers nonbinding Early Action. The University Record reported that 71,893 students applied for early consideration for fall 2026, through Early Decision and Early Action combined. In our view, students should choose Early Decision at Michigan only if Michigan is a clear first choice and the family is comfortable committing before seeing financial aid offers from other colleges; for most applicants, Early Action keeps the benefit of an early application without the commitment.
When are the Michigan application deadlines for fall 2027?
| Application plan | Application due | Decision by | Reply by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision (binding) | November 1, 2026 | December 24, 2026 | January 6, 2027 (deposit) |
| Early Action (nonbinding) | November 1, 2026 | January 29, 2027 | May 1, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | February 1, 2027 | April 2, 2027 | May 1, 2027 |
Is the Michigan acceptance rate different for out-of-state students?
Michigan does not publish acceptance rates by residency. Its Common Data Set leaves the residency columns of section C1 blank, and its first-year profile reports residency only for enrolled students. Michigan residents made up 4,436 of the 8,659 first-year students who enrolled in fall 2026, or 51.2% by our calculation, and 4,284 of 8,178 in fall 2025, or 52.4%. The out-of-state group includes 426 international students in fall 2026 (Office of Budget and Planning).
Michigan publishes no figure that measures the gap between in-state and out-of-state admission rates. In our view, out-of-state applicants should treat Michigan as a reach unless their grades and scores sit well inside the ranges below. Our guide to out-of-state acceptance rates covers flagships that do publish the split.
What SAT scores and grades do Michigan students have?
| Measure | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total | 1370 | 1470 | 1530 |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | 690 | 730 | 750 |
| SAT Math | 680 | 740 | 780 |
| ACT Composite | 32 | 33 | 34 |
Michigan reports an average high school GPA of 3.9 for fall 2025, with 97.8% of students reporting a GPA; 38.8% had a 4.0 and 55.1% had a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99. Fall 2026 grade and score figures were listed as to be determined in the September 2026 profile. Our guide to getting into the University of Michigan covers the academic profile in more detail.
Does Michigan require the SAT or ACT?
No. Michigan is test optional, and its admissions site states that the policy continues for the 2027 application cycle and is reviewed on an ongoing basis (Michigan Admissions). Michigan accepts self-reported scores, due November 1 for Early Decision and Early Action and February 1 for Regular Decision. Because the published ranges include only students who chose to submit, in our view a score at or above the median of 1470 is usually worth sending. Our list of colleges that require the SAT or ACT shows how Michigan compares.
Do Michigan schools and colleges have different acceptance rates?
Applicants apply to a specific school or college, such as the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, the College of Engineering or the Ross School of Business. Michigan does not report acceptance rates for its individual schools on its admissions site, so any Ross or Engineering admit rate found online is an estimate rather than a Michigan figure. Our guides to Michigan Ross and Michigan Engineering cover those programs.
How does the Michigan waitlist work?
| Entering class | Offered a place | Accepted a place | Admitted from the waitlist | Share of those who accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 (Class of 2029) | 24,447 | 18,435 | 1,663 | 9.0% |
| Fall 2024 (Class of 2028) | 24,804 | 18,793 | 973 | 5.2% |
Michigan offered a place on its waiting list to 22.4% of applicants for fall 2025, by our calculation, compared with 4.5% at Penn, 1.9% at Yale and 1.1% at Stanford in their Common Data Sets, and it admitted more students from the list for fall 2025 than for fall 2024. Our Michigan waitlist guide covers what to send.
How much does Michigan cost for in-state families?
The Go Blue Guarantee provides free tuition to Michigan residents with family incomes of $125,000 or less and assets below $125,000, for full-time undergraduates earning a first degree, for up to four years (Go Blue Guarantee; Michigan Financial Aid). The current limits apply from fall 2025 (Michigan News, December 2024). Retirement accounts are not counted as assets.
What does the Michigan acceptance rate mean for applicants?
In the view of Oriel Admissions, Michigan should be treated as a reach by most out-of-state applicants and by many in-state applicants, even at a 16.1% overall rate. Its new Early Decision round adds a real decision for families: the published 13% covers only the initial December release, so it does not show how much applying early helps, and Early Decision makes sense only for students who are sure Michigan is the right fit. Applicants should also choose their school or college carefully, because each applicant applies to a specific school or college. Families comparing public flagships can read our guides to Michigan vs UVA and the UC Berkeley acceptance rate.
Frequently Asked Questions About the University of Michigan Acceptance Rate
Michigan admitted 17,495 of 108,774 first-year applicants for fall 2026, the Class of 2030, an acceptance rate of 16.1% by our calculation from its Office of Budget and Planning profile. The rate was 16.4% for fall 2025.
Michigan reports that 13 percent of Early Decision applicants were admitted in the initial release of its first binding Early Decision round, in December 2025, for students entering in fall 2026. Postponed applicants admitted later are not included, and Michigan has not reported the number of applicants or admits.
Michigan does not publish acceptance rates by residency. Michigan residents made up 51.2% of the first-year students who enrolled in fall 2026, by our calculation from the university profile.
Yes. Michigan is test optional for the 2027 application cycle and accepts self-reported scores. For fall 2025, enrolled students who submitted the SAT had a middle 50% range of 1370 to 1530.
Michigan does not set a minimum GPA. Students who enrolled in fall 2025 had an average high school GPA of 3.9, and 38.8% had a 4.0, according to the Common Data Set 2025-2026.
For fall 2027 entry, Michigan releases Early Action decisions by January 29, 2027, and Early Decision decisions by December 24, 2026. Both plans close November 1, 2026.
For fall 2025, Michigan offered 24,447 students a place on its waiting list, 18,435 accepted and 1,663 were admitted, about 9.0% of those who accepted by our calculation.
The Go Blue Guarantee covers tuition for Michigan residents with family incomes of $125,000 or less and assets below $125,000. In the view of Oriel Admissions, out-of-state families should plan on a cost close to that of a private university.
Sources: University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning, first-year profile, fall 2026, University of Michigan Common Data Set 2025-2026, Common Data Set 2024-2025, Common Data Set 2023-2024, Common Data Set 2022-2023, University Record, February 26, 2026, University Record, July 9, 2025, Michigan first-year application plans, Michigan requirements and deadlines, Michigan application changes, Go Blue Guarantee, Go Blue Guarantee eligibility, Michigan News, December 2024. All read October 26, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team pairs deep admissions expertise with a distinctive 360 approach spanning academic planning, extracurricular strategy, essays and application execution. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.
