🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $14,182/yr.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1120–1330 · ACT 25–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students focused on Engineering (the school's signature program)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1120, or ACT below 25, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity
Total enrollment
5,955
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$19,123
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$42,988
+$23,865 vs in-state
Admit rate
87.9%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1120–1330
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
25–31
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$78,198
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$69,672
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,198
4-year completion
68%
Median debt (completers)
$24,990
Cost of attendance
$34,152
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
20%

💰 True ROI

13.8× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$56,728
$14,182/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$79,880
vs sticker $136,608
10-yr earnings total
$781,980
$78,198/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
0.7 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Michigan Technological University, the average net price is $14,182/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$2,045/yr
Family income $30-48k
$3,373/yr
Family income $48-75k
$6,187/yr
Family income $75-110k
$12,813/yr
Family income $110k+
$23,107/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Michigan Technological University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Michigan Technological University →

Opens on Michigan Technological University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Michigan Technological University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Michigan Technological University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Engineering
672 degrees · 72.4%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
2. Computer & Information Sciences
92 degrees · 9.9%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
3. Business, Management, & Marketing
68 degrees · 7.3%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
4. Natural Resources & Conservation
56 degrees · 6.0%
Typical career outcomes
Environmental Scientist $79k Conservation Scientist / Forester $67k Wildlife Biologist $71k
Forestry, environmental science, conservation work — often public-sector or NGO.
5. Engineering Technologies
40 degrees · 4.3%
Typical career outcomes
Electrical Engineering Tech $72k Industrial Engineering Tech $64k Mechanical Engineering Tech $64k
Technician-track engineering roles. Strong wages, faster ramp than full engineer path.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Michigan Technological University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 82 $69,910 $105,428
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 102 $79,439 $99,848
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 88 $80,193 $94,478
Engineering-Related Fields. Bachelor's Degree 21 $68,919 $93,993
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 73 $77,465 $93,557
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. Bachelor's Degree 25 $77,810 $93,480
Materials Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 20 $63,135 $92,070
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 266 $74,922 $88,860
Biomedical/Medical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 63 $63,831 $83,916
Civil Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 77 $70,928 $83,841

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Michigan Technological University

CS degrees (annual)
81
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Michigan Technological University vs. another college

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