Lake Superior State University

Public · MI

Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri (CC BY 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationMI · Midwest

SettingRural

Undergrads1,325

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate31.4%

6-yr grad rate51%

Drop-out rate21.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$15k

Out-of-state tuition$15k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity30%

Gender diversity54.3%

International8.2%

Identity—

Overview

Lake Superior State University, in Sault Ste. Marie, is Michigan's smallest public university, sitting at the Canadian border where Lake Superior empties into the St. Marys River. Its small size and remote location shape everything about it: classes are small by default, the town is compact, and the university functions as a hub for a region far from Michigan's other population centers.

Academics

Fisheries and wildlife biology is the program the university is most identified with, taking advantage of the surrounding Great Lakes and river ecosystem for fieldwork most schools cannot offer. Robotics engineering technology and criminal justice are the other signature programs, each with a hands-on, applied character rather than a purely theoretical one. Class sizes stay small across the board given the university's overall size.

Campus & student life

The campus sits directly on the St. Marys River across from Ontario, with the Soo Locks and international shipping traffic visible from campus. Hockey is the dominant piece of campus culture and identity, out of proportion to the university's enrollment, and winter defines much of the social calendar in a way few other American campuses experience.

Getting in

Admission is not highly selective and the process is straightforward, with the university drawing many students specifically for its niche programs rather than general appeal. Students who already know they want fisheries and wildlife, robotics technology, or criminal justice tend to be the ones actively seeking the school out.

After graduation

Graduates in fisheries and wildlife go on to state and federal natural-resources agencies and conservation work, while robotics engineering technology graduates place well with regional manufacturers given the applied nature of the program. The alumni network is small but tightly connected to the Upper Peninsula and Great Lakes region specifically.

Worth knowing

The remote location is a real factor: Sault Ste. Marie is hours from any major city, and winters are long and serious, both of which shape the kind of student who thrives there. The hockey tradition is a genuine part of the school's identity, not incidental campus color.

lssu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate—

Enrolled mid-50%1180

Test policynot reported

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying