Public
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Big Rapids, Michigan
80.6% Acceptance Rate
Ferris State University — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
80.6%Acceptance Rate
3.3Avg GPA
1001Avg SAT
22Avg ACT
$26,066Annual Cost
$54,735Grad Salary
33.6%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
80.6%
Avg GPA
3.3
Avg SAT
1001
Avg ACT
22
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
890–1120
ACT Middle 50%
18–26
Avg Net Price
$12,202
Need-Based Aid
33.6% receive Pell
Ferris State University is a public institution in Michigan known for its commitment to academic excellence, hands-on learning, and career preparation. Offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs including many specialized technical and professional fields the university provides a supportive campus environment that fosters professional success. Its focus on providing an accessible, high-value, and career-relevant education makes it a reliable choice for students.
Ferris State University Acceptance Rate
Ferris State University runs an open-access admission policy. With a 80.6% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 80.6% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.30 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.10 – 3.29
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.85
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Ferris State University Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Ferris State University follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline, though the priority deadline of March 1 is recommended for the best chances of admission and financial aid.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 204 days left — Priority
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
Ferris State University reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Priority
March 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (March 1, 2027) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Ferris State University GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Ferris State University is 3.3. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.00–3.3 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.50–3.70.Ferris State University GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Holistic review is critical for admission.
Recommended Strategy: Requires Contextual Factors (Leadership, hardship, or talent).
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.30 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.10 – 3.29
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.90 – 3.09
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.89
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Public university based in Big Rapids, MI; founded 1884; test-optional general admission with average admitted GPA reported around 3.3.
- PharmD program targets 120 admitted seats annually each Fall; minimum 32 semester hours of math/science prerequisites required with a 2.50 prerequisite GPA floor and C-or-better in each prerequisite course.
- Grand Valley State University maintains a SEPARATE, distinct Guaranteed Early Admissions Program (GEAP) with Ferris's College of Pharmacy reserving up to 10 seats annually specifically for GVSU students - a parallel but different pathway from Ferris's own GEAR program, worth not confusing if a family is considering GVSU as an undergraduate stepping stone.
- PharmD interview format includes a face-to-face interview (30-60 minutes), an on-site extemporaneous written essay with the question provided only at the interview, and a curriculum overview/Q&A - a multi-component interview day, not a single conversational interview.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Ferris State University
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Ferris State University's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Ferris State University Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Ferris State University is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Ferris State University Without SAT or ACT?
Ferris State University considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Ferris State University Average SAT Score: 1001
The average SAT score of admitted students at Ferris State University is 1001 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1001 — Accessible
This average is on the lower end nationally, making a strong score here a genuine advantage.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1120 SAT or 26 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Ferris State University allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 890, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Ferris State University. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 495 | 440 | 550 |
| SAT Reading | 510 | 450 | 570 |
| SAT Composite | 1001 | 890 | 1120 |
Below 890, you're behind most admitted students; at 1120 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1000
Can I get into Ferris State University with a 1100 SAT?
A 1100 SAT puts you ahead of most of Ferris State University's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Ferris State University ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Ferris State University is 22.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 22 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average ACT score.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 21 | 16 | 25 |
| ACT English | 21 | 16 | 25 |
| ACT Composite | 22 | 18 | 26 |
Can I get into Ferris State University with a 26 ACT?
A 26 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Ferris State University's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Ferris State University.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Ferris State University
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Ferris State University takes a broad view of applicants. Your energy is best spent proving readiness for coursework and maximizing your financial aid package.
Decide between standard PharmD admission and the Guaranteed Early Admission Route (GEAR) as early as possible - GEAR reserves a seat 2-3 YEARS before enrollment
Ferris's College of Pharmacy offers GEAR, an alternate pathway specifically for highly qualified high school seniors OR current college students just beginning pre-pharmacy coursework, that reserves a pharmacy school seat years in advance and streamlines the eventual PharmCAS application. GEAR requires a minimum 3.0 GPA (high school GPA used if it's the student's first semester of college) and is explicitly NOT meant for students planning to start pharmacy school imminently - it's a long-horizon commitment tool. A family with a strong 9th-11th grade student already interested in pharmacy should investigate GEAR specifically rather than waiting until senior year to think about pharmacy admissions, since the entire point of the program is securing a seat years ahead of the standard competitive cycle.
Use the College of Health Professions' explicit 2.7 GPA + 18 ACT composite threshold to secure DIRECT placement - avoiding the "pre-professional" holding pattern entirely
Ferris explicitly states that incoming freshmen meeting a 2.7 GPA AND an 18 ACT composite are placed DIRECTLY into a College of Health Professions Bachelor's/Associate's pre-degree program, while students below this threshold enter as general pre-professional students who must later qualify and then apply separately to the professional sequence. Since pre-professional students are admitted to programs "based on the semester they qualify and then by the date they selected their program upon admission," hitting this 2.7/18 threshold specifically can save real time by skipping a holding-pattern stage entirely - worth highlighting to a borderline student that a modest ACT score increase could change their admission category meaningfully.
Apply by June 1 for pharmacy specifically to capture a guaranteed $2,500 scholarship - a concrete, dated, stackable incentive separate from general admission timing
Ferris's College of Pharmacy offers an explicit $2,500 scholarship to any Fall 2026 applicant who applies by June 1, 2026 AND completes all admission steps, if admitted - a clean, calendar-specific incentive independent of GPA tiers or essay quality. Since Ferris pharmacy uses rolling admissions with 120 total seats and a wait list once full, applying by June 1 serves double duty: it maximizes seat availability AND captures guaranteed scholarship money, making it one of the clearest "apply early, no downside" recommendations in this entire research batch.
Treat foreign academic credit as fully non-transferable for pre-pharmacy prerequisites - with Canada as the sole, explicit exception
Ferris's pharmacy admissions page states plainly that foreign academic credits CANNOT be used to meet pre-pharmacy requirements, with Canadian academic institutions specifically named as the only exception. An international or recently-immigrated student with strong foreign science coursework should not assume credential evaluation services (like WES) will satisfy Ferris's PharmD prerequisites - those courses will need to be retaken at a US (or Canadian) institution regardless of how they evaluate on paper, a much harder line than Ferris's general transfer credit policy for non-pharmacy programs.
Expert Insight:
Ferris's overall reputation as a highly accessible, "nearly open admission" university (acceptance rates commonly cited above 90%) creates a dangerously misleading impression for families targeting Pharmacy or other professional programs - Niche reviews from actual Ferris pharmacy/welding-program students explicitly describe the university overall as "very easy" to enroll in while specific professional programs are "difficult." A family should mentally separate "Ferris is easy to get into" (true for general admission) from "Ferris's Pharmacy/Optometry/PT programs are competitive" (also true) - these are not contradictory facts, but treating the university's headline acceptance rate as informative about program-specific difficulty is a real and common misread.
Ferris State University Profile
Full Name
Ferris State University
City
Big Rapids
State
Michigan
ZIP Code
49307-2251
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a Ferris State University Degree Worth It?
At $26,066/year against a $54,735 median graduate salary, Ferris State University is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation. The numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
The average household income among admitted students is $61,000, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.83%.
How much does a degree from Ferris State University Cost?
The sticker price is $26,066/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is closer to $12,202.
33.6% of students receive a Pell Grant and 47% take federal loans at Ferris State University. File your FAFSA early and list Ferris State University as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Ferris State University Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $54,735. That's about 35% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Ferris State University. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State University | Montgomery, AL | 977 | 18 |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | 980 | 20 |
| University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport, CT | 985 | NA |
| Delaware State University | Dover, DE | 984 | 24 |
| Clayton State University | Morrow, GA | 973 | 18 |
| University of Hawaii-West Oahu | Kapolei, HI | 973 | 18 |
| Judson University | Elgin, IL | 985 | 20 |
| Rockford University | Rockford, IL | 984 | 20 |
| Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | Saint Mary of the Woods, IN | 966 | 17 |
| St Luke's College | Sioux City, IA | 980 | 18 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Ferris State University. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University Pueblo | Pueblo, CO | 1005 | 22 |
| Trinity Baptist College | Jacksonville, FL | 1007 | 20 |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | Tifton, GA | 994 | 19 |
| College of Coastal Georgia | Brunswick, GA | 1001 | 18 |
| Columbus State University | Columbus, GA | 994 | 21 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Ferris State University. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville, AL | 1055 | 21 |
| Marion Military Institute | Marion, AL | 1043 | 20 |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, AR | 1049 | 21 |
| Arkansas Tech University | Russellville, AR | 1050 | 21 |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | Magnolia, AR | 1050 | 20 |
Degree Programs at Ferris State University
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Ferris State University Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Ferris State University run about $54,735 a year.
At about $26,066 a year, Ferris State University is on the more affordable end.
About 33.6% receive a Pell Grant at Ferris State University. The odds are moderate and largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 80.6%, Ferris State University's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Ferris State University average a 3.3 GPA.
Ferris State University doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.9, Ferris State University becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Ferris State University — aim above 1001, ideally within the 890–1120 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Ferris State University is March 1. Rolling Admissions is also offered, so applying early improves your chances.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is March 1, 2027. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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