


University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation evaluates the university as a whole; it is different from accreditation of an individual degree program.
Some professional programs also hold field-specific accreditation, including programs in areas such as engineering, business, nursing, and health professions. A prospective student pursuing a licensed occupation should verify the accreditation and licensing requirements for the exact program and state where they expect to practice. Institutional accreditation is relevant to eligibility for federal student aid, but it does not guarantee that another college will accept a particular course in transfer or that a graduate will qualify for a professional license.
First-year admission to University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is selective. Applicants generally submit a first-year application, a secondary-school record, written responses, and a recommendation; requirements can vary by applicant category and school.
The university uses the Common Application for first-year admission. Applicants should review the questions for their intended college or school, since Michigan requests writing specific to the academic option selected. A strong high-school curriculum matters, but there is no single published GPA that guarantees admission. The reported first-year admission figures show about 98,310 applicants and 15,373 admitted students - an acceptance rate of approximately 16%.
SAT and ACT requirements have changed across admission cycles, so applicants should check the policy for their intended entry term before deciding whether to send scores. In the reported entering class, 55% submitted SAT scores and 18% submitted ACT scores; those submission rates do not make either test mandatory. Applicants educated in a language other than English may also need to document English proficiency under the university's rules. Programs involving auditions, portfolios, or other specialized review can impose additional requirements. Michigan publishes separate application rounds and deadlines, rather than treating first-year admission as an unrestricted rolling process.
The reported standard undergraduate application fee is $75. It is an application charge, not an enrollment deposit or a payment toward tuition.
Eligible applicants can request a fee waiver through the application process. Common grounds include demonstrated financial need or participation in qualifying access programs, but applicants should follow the waiver instructions for their application type before submitting: paying first and seeking reimbursement afterward is not the same as receiving a waiver. Graduate and professional schools may set different fees, and international or other applicant categories should confirm the amount displayed in their own application.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor has on-campus Army, Air Force, and Naval ROTC programs. These are officer-training routes alongside a student's academic degree, not separate undergraduate majors.
Naval ROTC also offers a Marine Corps option. Participation rules, scholarship selection, physical and citizenship requirements, and eventual service obligations depend on the branch and the student's status. Joining an introductory ROTC course is not necessarily the same as accepting a scholarship or committing to military service. Prospective participants should review the relevant detachment's enrollment process and speak with its staff before making academic or financial plans around an award.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor admits transfer students, but admission and the award of transfer credit are separate decisions. Applicants need to identify the school or college they want to enter and review its eligibility rules before applying.
Transfer applicants generally provide transcripts from every college attended, along with required application materials; a high-school record may also be required, particularly for applicants with limited college coursework. Academic preparation and any program-specific prerequisites affect review. Schools can differ in their expectations, space, and entry-term availability, so a university-wide statement that transfers are accepted should not be read as a promise that a particular major accepts applicants in every term.
Michigan generally considers coursework from other accredited institutions, but an accepted course may count as a specific equivalent, elective credit, or credit that does not satisfy a major requirement. Its transfer-credit equivalency resources can help with preliminary planning. Students should obtain an official evaluation from the admitting school and check how many credits and which degree requirements must be completed at Michigan before relying on an anticipated graduation date. Community-college transfer pathways can be useful, but an articulation guide does not itself guarantee admission.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor offers study-abroad options ranging from shorter programs to semester- and year-length study. Choices include university-sponsored programs and approved opportunities run with partner institutions or outside providers.
The Center for Global and Intercultural Study advises many undergraduate students, while some schools manage field-specific international programs or internships. Students need to check academic approval before departure: a course that earns credit may still fail to satisfy a particular major, language, or graduation requirement. Program charges, housing, travel, and the treatment of scholarships or financial aid can differ from an ordinary term in Ann Arbor. Early advising is especially important in tightly sequenced majors.
47% of admitted students enrolled (7,278 of 15,373)
Regular application deadline
February 1Application fee
$75Early Decision
NoEarly Action
Yes, deadline November 1Percent of students submitting ACT scores
18%Percent of students submitting SAT scores
55%High school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredComputer required
NoComputer purchase/lease plan is available in the institution
YesSecondary school GPA
Considered but not requiredSecondary school rank
Considered but not requiredSecondary school record
RequiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Considered but not requiredRecommendations
RequiredFormal demonstration of competencies
Neither required nor recommendedAdmission test scores
Considered but not requiredTOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
RequiredOther Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)
Neither required nor recommendedOpen admission policy
NoDual credit
NoCredit for life experiences
NoAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesOrientation program
YesDisabilities services
YesOff-campus study
YesROTC-Army
ROTC branch unit on campusROTC-Navy
ROTC branch unit on campusROTC-Air Force
ROTC branch unit on campusStudy abroad
YesStudent can complete their preparation in certain areas of specialization
YesPreparation at another institution required
NoApproved by the state for initial certification or licensure of teacher
YesGenerally accepts credits
YesAccept ACE recommendation for credit
YesPossible transfer
Fall, Winter, Spring, SummerData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.