MI
Michigan State University
5.32 incidents / 1,000 students
East Lansing, MI · Clery Act 2024 · Public
Michigan State University
Across 2022–2024, Michigan State University reported 441 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count rose over that span (largest filed category: Motor Vehicle Theft). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- 5.32
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,646
- Rank of 2,072
- #68
- MI rank
- 52,089
- Enrolled students
5.32 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
Michigan State University reports 5.32 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 105% above Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Rutgers University-New Brunswick (2.24/1k); University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (3.75/1k); University of Wisconsin-Madison (3.80/1k); Houston Community College (0.32/1k); Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (2.85/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (3.75/1k); Wayne State University (2.31/1k); Grand Valley State University (3.95/1k); Western Michigan University (2.39/1k); Oakland University (2.35/1k); Central Michigan University (3.11/1k); Eastern Michigan University (5.46/1k); Henry Ford College (0.18/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Motor Vehicle Theft.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 5.32
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,646
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 79%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 158
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 171100 · Michigan State University 5.32/1k score rate · #1,646/2,072
RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-REPORT
- RATE-HIGH 5.32/1k
- RANK-BOTTOM #1,646/2,072
- ST-MID #68 in state
- ABOVE-PEER University of Wisconsin-Madison · +1.52
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-UP ↑ 23%
- CAT-LEAD Motor Vehicle Th…
- ENR-LARGE 52,089
- FIRE-REPORT 10 fires
Nearest enrollment peer: University of Wisconsin-Madison (-1.52/1k)
Michigan State University sheet RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-REPORT · peer University of Wisconsin-Madison. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-HIGH · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-LARGE · FIRE-REPORT. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is University of Wisconsin-Madison (-1.52/1k). National rank #1,646 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
Michigan State University reports 5.32 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 105% above Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Rutgers University-New Brunswick (2.24/1k); University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (3.75/1k); University of Wisconsin-Madison (3.80/1k); Houston Community College (0.32/1k); Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (2.85/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (3.75/1k); Wayne State University (2.31/1k); Grand Valley State University (3.95/1k); Western Michigan University (2.39/1k); Oakland University (2.35/1k); Central Michigan University (3.11/1k); Eastern Michigan University (5.46/1k); Henry Ford College (0.18/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Motor Vehicle Theft.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around Michigan State University
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest Michigan on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Houston Community College · lowest peer 0.32
Houston Community College — lowest peer
0.32 per 1,000 students
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main · near
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus — near
2.85 per 1,000 students
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · near
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor — near
3.75 per 1,000 students
- University of Wisconsin-Madison · near
University of Wisconsin-Madison — near
3.8 per 1,000 students
- Michigan State University · this campus · highest
Michigan State University — this campus · highest
5.32 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around Michigan State University's 5.32/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
Michigan State University increased from 155 to 158 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 MI 4-year peers in this comparison, Michigan State University is larger than 97% and safer-reporting than 17% - the larger, higher-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Michigan State University: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma College | 1,197 | 12.53 | 0 | 0 |
| Albion College | 1,308 | 12.23 | 3 | 3 |
| College for Creative Studies | 1,433 | 0.70 | 6 | 78 |
| Kettering University | 1,466 | 0.00 | 8 | 89 |
| Lake Superior State University | 1,567 | 4.47 | 11 | 22 |
| Alpena Community College | 1,581 | 0.00 | 14 | 89 |
| Cornerstone University | 1,695 | 0.00 | 17 | 89 |
| Adrian College | 1,765 | 3.97 | 19 | 25 |
| Siena Heights University | 1,781 | 3.93 | 22 | 31 |
| Madonna University | 2,124 | 3.30 | 25 | 39 |
| Northwood University | 2,409 | 0.00 | 28 | 89 |
| Michigan State University (this campus) | 52,089 | 5.32 | 97 | 17 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 52,089 enrolled students, Michigan State University is the 29th largest of the 5,585 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment, ahead of 5,556 of them. Closest same-state same-level scored peers by enrollment: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (3.75/1k); Wayne State University (2.31/1k); Grand Valley State University (3.95/1k); Western Michigan University (2.39/1k); Oakland University (2.35/1k); Central Michigan University (3.11/1k); Eastern Michigan University (5.46/1k); Henry Ford College (0.18/1k). The score above normalizes 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe (Rutgers University-New Brunswick is the nearest similar-enrollment comparison on this profile).
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at Michigan State University rose from 155 to 158 (+2%). The increase shows up in Burglary (15 to 35), Aggravated Assault (13 to 23) and Robbery (4 to 6). Falling over the same period: Fondling (38 to 17), Rape (38 to 32) and Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter (3 to 0).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at Michigan State University
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 8 Clery Act categories here: Motor Vehicle Theft, Rape, Burglary, Fondling, Aggravated Assault, Robbery, Arson and Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter.
The remaining 3 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, Incest, Negligent Manslaughter and Statutory Rape. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyMichigan State University: Criminal Offenses by year
Rising 23% (128 → 158 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 128 |
| 2023 | 155 |
| 2024 | 158 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 41 | 40 | 36 |
| Rape | 32 | 38 | 19 |
| Burglary | 35 | 15 | 33 |
| Fondling | 17 | 38 | 26 |
| Aggravated Assault | 23 | 13 | 5 |
| Robbery | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Arson | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
45 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 4 | 157 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 8 | 547 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 14 | 12 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 6 | 222 |
Michigan State University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
NJ
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
2.24 incidents / 1,000 students
MI
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
3.75 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where Michigan State University sits on price and outcomes
At $19,680, Michigan State University's reported average net price is cheaper than 68% among 138 Michigan colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $17,263.
- $19,680
- average net price
- $17,263
- Michigan median
- 2.4×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $21,478
- reported income-bracket spread
Aid here is steeply income-scaled. Families reporting under $30,000 of income record a net price of $7,068, while those above $110,000 record $28,546 - roughly 4.0 times as much. A published average of $19,680 therefore describes very few families well; the bracket nearest your own income is the more useful figure.
Median reported earnings six years after entry are $55,084, roughly 2.8 times a year of net price. That is a workable ratio, though it says nothing about how long the programme takes to finish.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $16,458
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $43,842
- Avg Net Price
- $19,680
- Median Debt
- $23,250
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 20%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 85%
- SAT Average
- 1269
- SAT Math Range
- 590-680
- ACT Average
- 26
- ACT Range
- 25-31
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 81%
- Retention Rate
- 90%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $55,084
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $67,253
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 74%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 134 similar institutions by enrollment size.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · 52,269 enrolled
Safety Score 2.24
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · 52,855 enrolled
Safety Score 3.75
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · 51,044 enrolled
Safety Score 3.80
Houston Community College
Houston, TX · 53,253 enrolled
Safety Score 0.32
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA · 53,363 enrolled
Safety Score 2.85
Closest by National Rank
Michigan State University (national rank #1646) sits near SUNY College at Geneseo (#1647) and Capital University (#1645) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for Michigan State University, both outside MI so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · 52,269 enrolled
Safety score 2.24
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · 51,044 enrolled
Safety score 3.80
Houston Community College
Houston, TX · 53,253 enrolled
Safety score 0.32
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
Atlanta, GA · 53,363 enrolled
Safety score 2.85
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University Park, PA · 50,737 enrolled
Safety score 4.22
American Public University System
Charles Town, WV · 50,715 enrolled
Safety score 0.00
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · 53,864 enrolled
Safety score 1.95
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL · 49,622 enrolled
Safety score 4.63
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
SUNY College at Geneseo
Geneseo, NY · 3,945 enrolled
Safety score 5.32
Capital University
Columbus, OH · 2,263 enrolled
Safety score 5.30
Thomas Aquinas College
Santa Paula, CA · 566 enrolled
Safety score 5.30
Emory & Henry University
Emory, VA · 1,311 enrolled
Safety score 5.34
Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX · 2,809 enrolled
Safety score 5.34
Livingstone College
Salisbury, NC · 936 enrolled
Safety score 5.34
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
Providence, RI · 4,303 enrolled
Safety score 5.35
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, VA · 946 enrolled
Safety score 5.29
DOE Enforcement Actions
2019 Clery Act Violation $4,500,000
Largest Clery Act fine in history. Systematic failure to report sexual assaults related to Larry Nassar case. DOE found the university failed to issue timely warnings and had inadequate reporting structures.
Record fine paid. Ongoing compliance monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Michigan State University safe?
Michigan State University has a safety score of 5.32 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,646 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: Rutgers University-New Brunswick (2.24/1k). Same-state same-level set: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (3.75/1k); Wayne State University (2.31/1k); Grand Valley State University (3.95/1k); Western Michigan University (2.39/1k); Oakland University (2.35/1k); Central Michigan University (3.11/1k); Eastern Michigan University (5.46/1k); Henry Ford College (0.18/1k).
What crimes are reported at Michigan State University?
For calendar year 2024, Michigan State University reported Motor Vehicle Theft (41), Burglary (35), Rape (32), Aggravated Assault (23) and Fondling (17), and 2 further categories in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does Michigan State University compare to similar schools?
Michigan State University reports 105% more 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: Rutgers University-New Brunswick (2.24/1k); University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (3.75/1k); University of Wisconsin-Madison (3.80/1k); Houston Community College (0.32/1k); Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (2.85/1k). Same-state same-level set: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (3.75/1k); Wayne State University (2.31/1k); Grand Valley State University (3.95/1k); Western Michigan University (2.39/1k); Oakland University (2.35/1k); Central Michigan University (3.11/1k); Eastern Michigan University (5.46/1k); Henry Ford College (0.18/1k).
Does Michigan State University have fire safety data?
Yes. Michigan State University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 10 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.