About

Ferris State University offers its students a high-quality college education with a small-school feel. With program variety, personalized attention and practical, career-focused instruction, Ferris State students find the degree program they want at a school close to home.

“Ferris State University focuses on degree programs that fuel and support economic growth for Michigan, particularly in the STEM and healthcare fields, with 100 percent job placement in many of our programs,” says Ferris State University President David Eisler.

Located in Big Rapids, Ferris State provides experiential learning opportunities. The faculty have professional experience in the fields in which they teach. Students also learn by using state-of-the-art equipment and labs provided by industry partners that hope to empower the students to enter the workforce with an advantage in the competitive job market.

Students who attend Ferris State can choose from a variety of degree programs. There are professional and technical programs like pharmacy, optometry, medical laboratory science, nursing, public health, criminal justice and education, and a host of engineering technology programs, some of which are unique in the state or nation. Ferris offers automotive, construction, HVACR, heavy equipment, manufacturing, plastics, rubber and welding engineering technology programs. There are also business degree tracks, including business administration, marketing and public relations.

There are also lesser-known, yet highly specialized programs at Ferris State that were developed out of the emerging demands of industry or students, themselves – such as digital animation and game design, information security and intelligence, music and entertainment business, professional brew management, professional golf management, professional tennis management, and risk management and insurance. For students with specific career goals, these programs provide exceptional preparation and networking opportunities.

“Many of Ferris’ offerings are tailored to prepare students for careers aligned with occupations experiencing a shortage of skilled workers,” Eisler says. “We are in the top 20 percent of institutions nationally in the awarding of degrees in critical skills areas, more than 1,700 annually. We possess the ability and execute on our promise to provide a career-oriented education. This has been our mission since our founding in 1884.”

Class sizes at Ferris State are smaller, with 80 percent of them having fewer than 25 students and a student-faculty ratio of 16:1.

Ferris State is a “small school with big-school amenities.” The school is in a safe environment with a walkable, mid-sized campus. Despite what students might expect of a mid-sized campus in the middle of the state, there are a lot of engagement opportunities and fun events, and more than 200 student organizations, including clubs and intramural sports.

On-campus residence halls are available for all Ferris students. Live-Learn Communities are available for Ferris students with specific interests. These communities also do a great deal to facilitate student involvement in activities and groups related to their interests.

There are programs at Ferris that support campus diversity and inclusion, including those provided by the Office of Multicultural Students Services and the Center of Latino Studies.

Ferris State wants to see all students succeed, and is one of the few Michigan universities that allow students to use Tuition Incentive Program funding. The school also has the Ferris Youth Initiative program, which helps students from the foster care system successfully complete college degrees.

For more information on Ferris State University, visit ferris.edu. There is a free application, as well as more information about the school’s program, virtual tours and a way to sign up for more information or schedule a visit to campus. There are a number of visit programs for prospective students throughout the year, including “Dawg Days” or comprehensive Saturday visits.

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