Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Saginaw Valley State University, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Saginaw ValleyUniversity Center, MI | Ferris StateBig Rapids, MI | Lake SuperiorSault Ste Marie, MI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 72.1% | 91.4% | Not reportedNot reported by Lake Superior State University in the most recent federal collection. |
| SAT middle 50% | 920–1170 | 890–1120 | Not reportedLake Superior State University did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class. |
| Average net price | $10,77535.2% on Pell grants | $8,62434.2% on Pell grants | $12,82226.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $12,930 in-state · $30,450 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $14,778 in-state · $14,778 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $14,890 in-state · $14,890 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.3% | 46.9% | 51.0% |
| First-year retention | 77.6% | 77.6% | 78.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 35.2% | 34.2% | 26.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $51,955 | $54,735 | $49,045 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,000 | $21,000 | $23,250 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 15:1 | 15:1 | 13:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,989 | 8,106 | 1,325 |
| Consensus percentile | 38Lower is better | 39Lower is better | 38Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 36 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 60 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 59 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Saginaw Valley | Ferris State | Lake Superior |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #103 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 | #329 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #13 of 94Regional colleges (Midwest)Regional Colleges (Midwest) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #404 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #380 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1092 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #682 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #395 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #739 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Saginaw Valley State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Ferris State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Lake Superior State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profile