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Ferris State University

Ferris State University

Ferris State University, established in 1884, was founded by an educator, Woodbridge Ferris. The central campus of the university is located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The secondary campus is found in Grand Rapids. Ferris has more than 10,000 students and offers over 170 degree programs. Ferris consists of 8 separate colleges:

  • Allied Health Sciences
  • Arts and Sciences
  • Business
  • Education and Human Services
  • Kendall College of Art and Design
  • Optometry
  • Pharmacy
  • Technology

Ferris State University's sports teams are known by the name Bulldogs. The university's teams participate in wrestling, golf and hockey. Project Engineer Jeffrey M Orkisz, head football coach Butch Jones, news anchor Dana King and former NFL Linebacker Monty Brown are a few notable alumni of the university.

Overview of Ferris State University

Ferris State is found in Big Rapids, MI. Big Rapids is a town not particularly near any major cities. The school is a public institution. Students can earn degrees up to and including the Master's degree at Ferris State.

Areas of Study

The range of program offerings available from the school is especially impressive compared to its number of students. Ferris State is known for its programs in real estate and construction management, engineering technician, security and law enforcement, and mechanics and repair.

Ferris State Selectivity

Admission to the school is not automatic; not everyone who applies gets in.

Faculty

Ferris State has a tenure system for senior faculty.

Student Body

Students numbered 13,087 in 2007 at the school.

Student Life

A lot of students at Ferris State attend part-time. The school offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. Ferris State values student athletics, and belongs to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The school reports its educational mission is:
"Ferris State University will be a national leader in providing opportunities for innovative teaching and learning in career-oriented, technological and professional education."

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Ferris State

Ferris State University
901 S State St
Big Rapids, MI 49307-2251
General Phone: (231) 591-2000
http://www.ferris.edu/

Ferris State Programs and Degrees (2007)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Engineering Technician482mechanical engineering tech, construction engineering tech, plastics engineering tech, industrial production tech, surveying tech, energy systems tech, automotive tech, architectural engineering tech, ...
Business And Management464business management, operations management, hospitality marketing, marketing, accounting technology, sales, entrepreneurship, business, ...
Security And Law Enforcement273criminal justice and police, criminal justice and administration
Education And Teaching258elementary school teaching, technical teaching, curriculum and instruction, math teaching, English teaching, health teaching, business teaching, history teaching, ...
Medical Support And Technology249dental hygienist, respiratory care tech, radiation therapist, nuclear medical tech, phlebotomy, clinical lab tech, sonography and ultrasound tech, medical lab tech, ...
Mechanics And Repair182automobile mechanics, heavy equipment maintenance, autobody repair, industrial electronics tech
Medicine167pharmacy, optometry, medical preparatory
Nursing And Emergency Medicine104registered nursing, various nursing, nursing administration
Science100biology, biological and physical sciences, biotechnology, chemistry, biochemistry, environmental biology, vision science
Design98design and visual communication, graphic design, industrial design, design and applied arts
Media90radio and TV tech, printing management, desktop publishing and imaging, advertising, printing equipment operation, public relations, animation and special effects, communication studies
Medical Administration83health care administration, medical records tech, medical records admin
Real Estate And Construction Management78construction management, real estate
Computer Science And Engineering76information technology, computer security, database administration
Liberal Arts63liberal arts and humanities, speech and rhetoric, history, technical and business writing, English language and literature, sociology, English composition
Family And Social Work58social work, child care management, public administration
Hospitality53hotel management, hospitality management
Photography And Commercial Art42commercial art, photography
Fine Arts37fine arts, metal and jewelry, sculpture, painting
Production Trades35welding, tool and die tech
Architecture And Planning28interior architecture
Cooking And Culinary Arts26restaurant and catering management, culinary arts services
Therapy And Counseling25psychology
Law18legal assistant
Landscaping And Horticulture15ornamental horticulture
Engineering15construction engineering
Music14music management
Mathematics13applied mathematics, statistics, mathematics
Nutrition And Exercise Therapy12parks and recreation management, sports and fitness management
Science And Laboratory Technician11chemical tech

Number of programs and degrees for Ferris State in 2007:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree1,64688
Associate's degree87440
Award of less than 1 academic year29127
Master's degree1717
First-professional degree1542
Postbaccalaureate certificate315
Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years21

Ferris State Student Body

In 2007, Ferris State had a total enrollment of 13,087 students (11,055 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men53%
Women47%
Full-Time78%
Part-Time22%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate90%
Graduate5%
First Professional5%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White84%
Black7%
Hispanic2%
Asian2%
American Indian1%
Unknown3%
(Foreign Students)1%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 182%
18-1924%
20-2126%
22-2424%
25-2910%
30-344%
35-393%
40-495%
50-642%
65+0%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
Michigan96%
Illinois1%
(International Students)1%
Indiana1%

Ferris State Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time70 %
Part-Time38 %

Ferris State Room and Board (2007)

Ferris State offers campus housing for 3,837 of its 11,055 (full-time) students. Freshmen are required to live on campus.

(Please refer to our profile of Big Rapids, Michigan for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Michigan Colleges).

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

Ferris State Admissions and Selectivity (2007)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total14,7038,24056%3,84647%
Men7,0053,98857%2,02651%
Women7,6984,25255%1,82043%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
ACT Verbal1723
ACT Math1825
ACT Composite1824

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Ranknot required
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrecommended
Recommendationsnot required
Formal Demonstration of Competencenot required
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT86%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required
Other Standardized Testsnot required

Ferris State Expenses and Financial Aid (2007)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 7,668
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 15,592
Room and board$ 7,534
Room charge$ 3,884
Board (meal plan) charge$ 3,762
Books and supplies$ 1,246
Other expenses$ 2,192

Financial Aid:
Ferris State participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 226000)

Ferris State Faculty

Ferris State has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured24999
Non-tenured, but on tenure track6760
Non-tenured and not on tenure track4753

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professorcalendar year26$106,2104$105,658
Associate professorcalendar year8$72,2059$87,883
Assistant professorcalendar year5$72,32410$72,651
Instructorcalendar year1*0*
No academic rankcalendar year10$50,8755$46,800
All faculty totalcalendar year50$85,70428$77,646

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year119$79,27831$79,476
Associate professoracademic year81$66,10547$63,803
Assistant professoracademic year75$55,35559$50,316
Instructoracademic year4$41,9794$45,007
No academic rankacademic year20$43,71822$42,333
All faculty totalacademic year299$66,831163$58,543

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Ferris State Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
FootballGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
BasketballGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
TrackGreat Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):

SportMenWomenTotal
Total12191212
Football71071
Basketball91221
Track21113
All Other Sports3968107

Ferris State Degree Programs (2007)

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Interior Architecture

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping
Accounting and Finance
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Commerce, General
E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
Fashion Merchandising
Finance, General
Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
International Business/Trade/Commerce
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Operations Management and Supervision
Selling Skills and Sales Operations

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer and Information Systems Security
Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration
Information Technology

COOKING AND CULINARY ARTS
Culinary Arts and Related Services, Other
Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager

DESIGN
Design and Applied Arts, Other
Design and Visual Communications, General
Graphic Design
Industrial Design

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Art Teacher Education
Biology Teacher Education
Business Teacher Education
Chemistry Teacher Education
Curriculum and Instruction
Education, Other
Elementary Education and Teaching
English/Language Arts Teacher Education
Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
Health Teacher Education
History Teacher Education
Mathematics Teacher Education
Secondary Education and Teaching
Social Studies Teacher Education
Technical Teacher Education

ENGINEERING
Construction Engineering

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN
Architectural Engineering Technology/Technician
Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician
CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician
Civil Engineering Technology/Technician
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
Electrical/Electronic/Communications Engr Technology/Technician
Energy Management and Systems Technology/Technician
Environmental Engineering Technology/Environmental Technology
Heating/AC/Refrigeration Technology/Technician
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other
Industrial Technology/Technician
Manufacturing Technology/Technician
Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Technology/Technician
Plastics Engineering Technology/Technician
Quality Control Technology/Technician
Surveying Technology/Surveying
Telecommunications Technology/Technician

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Child Care and Support Services Management
Public Administration
Social Work

FINE ARTS
Fine/Studio Arts, General
Metal and Jewelry Arts
Painting
Sculpture

HOSPITALITY
Hospitality Administration/Management, General
Hotel/Motel Administration/Management

LANDSCAPING AND HORTICULTURE
Ornamental Horticulture

LAW
Legal Assistant/Paralegal

LIBERAL ARTS
English Composition
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
History, General
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other
Sociology
Speech and Rhetorical Studies
Technical and Business Writing

MATHEMATICS
Applied Mathematics
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General

MECHANICS AND REPAIR
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician
Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology/Technician
Industrial Electronics Technology/Technician

MEDIA
Advertising
Animation, Interactive Tech, Video Graphics and Special Effects
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Graphic and Printing Equipment Operator, General Production
Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design
Printing Management
Public Relations/Image Management
Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician
Health/Health Care Administration/Management

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician
Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer & Ultrasound Technician
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist
Phlebotomy/Phlebotomist
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist

MEDICINE
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, Other
Optometry (OD)
Pharmacy (PharmD [USA], PharmD or BS/BPharm [Canada])

MUSIC
Music Management and Merchandising

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Nursing Administration (MSN, MS, PhD)
Nursing, Other
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Commercial and Advertising Art
Photography

PRODUCTION TRADES
Tool and Die Technology/Technician
Welding Technology/Welder

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Construction Management
Real Estate

SCIENCE
Biochemistry
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biotechnology
Chemistry, General
Environmental Biology
Vision Science/Physiological Optics

SCIENCE AND LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Chemical Technology/Technician

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
Criminal Justice/Police Science

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Psychology, General

Ferris State Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Ferris State Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%Ferris State Number of degree programs
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 5%Ferris State Number of students
% of degrees in design
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 8%Ferris State % of degrees in design
% of degrees in mechanics and repair
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 11%Ferris State % of degrees in mechanics and repair
% of degrees in real estate and construction management
(vs. all colleges)
Top 11%Ferris State % of degrees in real estate and construction management
% of freshmen enrolled part-time
(vs. all colleges)
Top 12%Ferris State % of freshmen enrolled part-time
% of degrees in medical adminstration
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 13%Ferris State % of degrees in medical adminstration
% of degrees in security and law enforcement
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 14%Ferris State % of degrees in security and law enforcement
% of degrees in engineering technician
(vs. all colleges)
Top 14%Ferris State % of degrees in engineering technician
% of degrees in medicine
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 17%Ferris State % of degrees in medicine
Male % of student body
(vs. all colleges)
Top 17%Ferris State Male % of student body
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 17%Ferris State Dorm rooms per full-time student
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Offers credit for life experience
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Offers weekend classes
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Remedial classes for students
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member

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