Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Central Michigan University, Kent State University at Kent, Western Michigan University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Central MichiganMount Pleasant, MI | Kent StateKent, OH | Western MichiganKalamazoo, MI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 89.8% | 86.3% | 84.6% |
| SAT middle 50% | 960–1200 | 1010–1240 | Not reportedWestern Michigan University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. |
| Average net price | $17,59731.4% on Pell grants | $20,78728.5% on Pell grants | $15,27326.8% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $14,760 in-state · $14,760 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $13,232 in-state · $23,082 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $15,252 in-state · $19,034 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 58.7% | 63.7% | 57.6% |
| First-year retention | 75.4% | 80.9% | 81.1% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 31.4% | 28.5% | 26.8% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $55,874 | $45,388 | $53,562 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 | $24,500 | $26,188 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 16:1 | 21:1 | 16:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 10,035 | 19,320 | 12,568 |
| Consensus percentile | 59Lower is better | 55Lower is better | 67Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 71 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 72 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 71 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 | Central Michigan | Kent State | Western Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #283 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #232 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #293 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #428 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #807 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #544 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #757 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #287 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #466 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #410 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #599 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #560 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #593 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | #1419 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1053 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1405 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Central Michigan 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 Kent State University at Kent 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 Western Michigan 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.
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