Awesome information, thanks! Do any of you know what those rankings are based on?
Here is the methodology: http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings-articles/world-university-rankings/qs-world-university-rankings-methodology
Keep in mind that the problem with QS World Rankings is that it seems to forget about great Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs).
This might be of interest:
The Curse of Michigan’s Other School
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-curse-of-michigans-other-school-1451500030
@MaryGJ
While U of M has near ivy league rankings, MSU is no slouch. MSU is globally known and does rank in world university rankings. Also of note is that although MSU is not Michigan’s flagship university, US News ranks MSU higher than the flagship universities in 31 other states. It is tied with our state’s flagship (IU).
Examples of MSU world ranking:
Times World University ranking- #99
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2016/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/100
US News Best Global Universities- #82
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/michigan-state-university-171100
“While U of M has near ivy league rankings”
According to international rankings and reputational rankings, Michigan is on par with Cornell and Penn, so not “near Ivy League rankings”, but equal to Ivy League rankings.
I agree with the rest of your comments. MSU is a good university, but it is not a peer institution. Michigan’s peers are universities like Cal, Cornell, Northwestern, Penn etc…
By the way, I only got a 29 on my ACT and I have a 3.9, if that at all factors into how difficult I will find it.
@Cady98000 I was accepted to Michigan with a 28 ACT and I am also wondering if I will find it difficult. To answer your question, you posted this on the Michigan forum, so of course everyone will tell you to go to Michigan. They are both great schools, but Michigan has more resources and options available to students.
If you need to ask this question, you should just go to MSU and your acceptance should be rescinded. The only real excuse is financial difficulty and MSU offering a full-ride.
More than the OP ask this question every year @ForeverAlone, it is a very legitimate question and deserving of respect. The costs are not all that different for middle to upper class families.
There are people in the United States who will legitimately vote for Donald Trump over Sanders/Clinton. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t bad idea. Same concept.
U of M. My brother is a professor there 
@ForeverAlone Wanting to be completely informed before I make a decision on how I spend my next four years is not something stupid. Knowing opinions from both different perspectives only makes you stronger in your knowledge and decision. I have been leaning toward UofM, and I will most likely continue to. Don’t tell me that just because I asked for other people’s opinions that I am not deserving of a school that has accepted me. I think maybe it would be a good idea for you to be immersed in some differing opinions before criticizing others.
@momofthreeboys Thank you very much for your insight and knowledge. I really appreciate it!
@AcceptableName congratulations on your acceptance! I was concerned about posting on the Michigan forum, but I didn’t know where else to post it, but I have been surprised by the amount of comments from both sides.
@ForeverAlone The OP said that he doesn’t want to base his decision solely on prestige. He most likely already knew Michigan has that vote. He wanted to know the difference in class size, the difficulty of the curriculum at UMich, and where we thought he would be the best fit. Also, you said ‘just go to MSU’ like it’s a bad institution. Most people there actually love it and receive a good education at the same time.
I would say “go to Michigan” if it was Harvard vs Michigan. That doesn’t make Michigan
IvyWise Newsletter
Dr. Kat’s List: Top Colleges Where Students Change the World
For many students, giving time and service is not just a great way to spend the holidays, it’s a way of life. I’ve rounded up and compiled this list of schools where students are encouraged to get involved and shape the world around them. These schools aren’t just for community service superstars; they’re great for students interested in broadening their experiences and learning about the world from a different perspective. Many of the undergraduates at these universities choose to extend their service efforts beyond graduation, and go on to join Teach For America, the Peace Corps, or Americorps. These programs are great career-launchers and offer full-time, paid service opportunities either locally or abroad. In short, if you’re interested in schools that may provide you with some great tools to help the community, you just might want to add these universities to your college list.
Duke University, Durham, NC
Students at this private university have the opportunity to travel throughout the country and the world to create change. Through a program called Duke Engage, students participate in full-immersion service programs that can take place locally, nationally or internationally. Duke students, or “Blue Devils” may find themselves teaching eco-tourism in Brazil, advocating for women’s entrepreneurship in Kenya, or rebuilding homes for Gulf Coast victims of Katrina. To top it off, Duke commits to fully funding each student for a full summer or semester (yep, that means travel expenses and possibly a stipend too). If you choose to stay closer to campus, you won’t be doing good alone—more than 80% of students participate in volunteer work of some kind, and have created over 30 service organizations. Duke’s Office of Durham and Regional Affairs provides students the opportunity to work with the local community, including options for volunteering or tutoring and mentoring at-risk youth. All that tutoring pays off, as the university is also one of the top mid-size feeder schools for Teach For America, a program that places top students as teachers in urban schools at competitive salaries for two years.
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Being a member of the Big Ten means being a sports fan—but MSU students have more to brag about than their Division 1 teams. Their university boasts a four-season, student-run organic farm, the lowest electrical consumption per square foot of the Big Ten colleges, and the oldest continuously operating service-learning center in the country. The center, which has been running for over four decades, provides students with over 360 community opportunities, and is regarded by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best programs in the nation. In addition to all their involvement, students here still manage to keep their grades up. Since the 1970s MSU has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other Big Ten institution, including Northwestern, Penn State, and Purdue. The university’s Rhodes Scholars take advantage of this prestigious international scholarship award to continue their studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
…
Re: MSU
From http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/07/kalamazoo_college_named_to_fis.html
KALAMAZOO, MI – Kalamazoo College is one of seven Michigan schools that rank among the best in the world, according to the new “Fiske Guide to Colleges.”
“Kalamazoo is a small liberal arts college that opens up the world to its students – literally,” the 2015 guide reads.
Eighty percent of students participate in one of the college’s three- to nine-month-long immersive study abroad programs in 21 countries.
Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Albion, Alma, Hope and Calvin were the other Mitten State schools included in the annual guide, compiled by former New York Times education editor Edward Fiske. More than 300 higher-education institutions from the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Ireland are included in the 2015 edition.
For most students admitted to both Michigan and Michigan State I’d say it’s an easy choice, Michigan in a heartbeat—and given that about 85% of the cross-admits choose Michigan, it looks like that’s a widely shared view. Given the OP’s interests, however, James Madison College at MSU is a very attractive option, one that Michigan doesn’t exactly replicate. At JMC the OP would be in an intimate small residential college setting within the larger university, specifically focused on public policy. Michigan has a Residential College option, but it’s more arts and foreign language focused, not public policy oriented. The Ford School at Michigan is a very good public policy school, but it’s not residential. And of course Michigan has outstanding Poli Sci and Econ departments, but those are among the most popular majors so you’re likely to get some rather large classes even at advanced levels. So if class size is important, JMC might be the more attractive option. I think the OP can get an excellent education either way, and the Michigan credential carries more heft nationally and internationally (though not necessarily within the state). But for this particular applicant, MSU would certainly not be a silly choice, and could be a very good one.
(post #36) IvyWise Newsletter:
What does that mean?