Career orientation
highhealth professions, engineering technology, business, education, design, and skilled technical fields create visible professional pathways.
COLLEGE FIT GUIDE
Evidence checked · 2026-10-06
Ferris State University
Ferris State is an applied public university with strengths in health professions, engineering technology, business, education, design, and skilled technical fields. Big Rapids provides a residential campus and a practical, career-focused culture.
- Career and Professional Success
- Academic choices and structure
- Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
QUICK READ
- Location
- Big Rapids, Michigan · Small-town setting
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 8,106
- Aggregate admission rate
- 91.4%
- Average net price
- $8,624
FIT SNAPSHOT
How this environment may feel
These are directional interpretations of the college environment, not a score or universal verdict.
Learning by doing
highLaboratories, clinics, studios, internships, and industry projects emphasize learning by doing.
Community closeness
neutralThe campus setting supports recurring contact and a recognizable community.
School spirit
moderateCampus traditions and student organizations provide shared entry points.
WHY IT MAY FIT
Consider Ferris State University if…
- You want applied professional programs.
- You want hands-on learning.
- You want a manageable public university.
- You want clear career preparation.
POSSIBLE TENSIONS
It may not fit if…
- You do not want a research-intensive flagship.
- You do not want a major city.
- You do not want a theory-first curriculum.
- You do not want a small liberal-arts college.
WHAT STANDS OUT
The environment behind the name
Career and Professional Success
Laboratories, clinics, studios, internships, and industry projects emphasize learning by doing.
Source: Career and Professional Success
Academic choices and structure
Programs in health professions, engineering technology, business, education, design, and skilled technical fields sit within an applied public university, with the campus setting influencing access, community, and daily life.
Source: Academics
A setting that shapes the experience
Big Rapids, Michigan gives students a distinct context for campus life, work, community, and recreation.
Source: Career and Professional Success
LOOK CLOSER
Questions worth asking before you decide
Use these prompts during a visit, an information session, or a conversation with a current student.
- 1
Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
Ferris State documents substantial opportunities, but availability can differ by program, timing, prerequisites, capacity, and student initiative.
Source: Career and Professional Success
- 2
Interpret scale and selectivity carefully
Federal data report 8,106 undergraduates and an aggregate admission rate of 91.4%. These figures describe the institution, not an individual applicant’s probability or a particular program’s experience.
- 3
Use the current price for your circumstances
Federal data report an average net price of $8,624. This historical average is not a quote; residency, income, housing, aid eligibility, and program costs can materially change what a family pays.
FEDERAL CLERY DATA
Campus safety statistics, with context
Federal Clery records describe reported incidents within defined campus geography. They are not a measure of crime prevalence or an overall safety rating.
2024 reported on-campus offenses:22
Per 1,000 enrolled:2.2
Reporting campuses:5
COMPARE THE TRADEOFFS
Schools that sharpen the question
A useful comparison for students evaluating Ferris State across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating Ferris State across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating Ferris State across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
EVIDENCE
Sources and method
View the reviewed sources
- Career and Professional Success - Ferris State University (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Academics - Ferris State University (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Ferris State University institutional data - U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (federal, retrieved 2026-10-06)
Navastra interprets Ferris State’s documented academic environment, setting, opportunities, and federal reference fields through preference dimensions. The page describes documented structures, not every student’s experience. It does not calculate an individual fit score, predict admission, or estimate a financial-aid award. Read the methodology →
Programs, policies, costs, and campus life change. Verify current details with the college ↗
PERSONALIZE THE QUESTION