Georgia Institute of Technology vs. University of Michigan
If you already know you want engineering or computing, Georgia Tech belongs high on your list. That's nearly all it does, and the whole school points you at a job. You'll rotate through co-ops, recruiters swarm the career fairs in midtown Atlanta, and yes, the grading runs as brutal as you've heard, brutal enough that getting through it becomes a point of pride. Michigan asks you to want more than one thing. You'd study engineering next to future historians and business majors, spend fall Saturdays at the Big House, and learn to handle real winters. It's the fuller experience, and the tradeoff is real: you're one of tens of thousands, and nobody chases you down to check in. So be honest about how settled you are. If it's engineering or bust, few places reward that certainty like Tech.
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Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admitted~3.1× higher admit rate for in-state applicants.
Early Action
Georgia Tech offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized Tests
Georgia Tech requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Georgia Tech's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 40.43% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Georgia Tech does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Georgia Tech weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Georgia Tech's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $23,084 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Action
UMich offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized Tests
UMich requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
UMich does not report this.
Not reported
Admissions Factors
How UMich weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from UMich's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $45,616 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Georgia Tech vs. UMich: frequently asked questions
Is Georgia Tech or Michigan better for engineering?＋
Of the two, Georgia Tech runs the more concentrated engineering shop. About 42% of its degrees land in engineering and another 30% in computing, so the campus orbits those fields. Michigan puts engineering at 23% of degrees inside a much broader university where business claims 20% and the liberal arts hold real weight, so you get a top engineering program with a wider academic world around it.
Is Georgia Tech or Michigan cheaper for out-of-state students?＋
On cost, Georgia Tech charges out-of-state students far less: roughly $35,092 in tuition and fees against $63,962 at Michigan, about $29,000 a year before any aid. Michigan does meet more demonstrated need on average, 91% versus 61% at Georgia Tech, so a high-need student can see those net prices close in well past what the sticker gap implies.
Is it harder to get into Georgia Tech or Michigan?＋
Admitting roughly 13.3% of applicants to Michigan's 15.6%, Georgia Tech edges out Michigan on selectivity, with admitted-student scores almost on top of each other (middle-50% SAT of 1370–1530 versus 1360–1530). Out-of-state applicants face steeper odds than either headline rate at both schools, since each reserves a big chunk of the class for in-state students.
Which is bigger, Georgia Tech or Michigan?＋
Michigan dwarfs Georgia Tech on size, enrolling about 34,454 undergraduates to roughly 21,028, and it runs a somewhat lower student-faculty ratio of 15:1 against 20:1. That scale buys breadth: Michigan covers a comprehensive span of programs, while Georgia Tech packs a large-university model tightly around engineering and computing.
Do Georgia Tech and Michigan graduate students at similar rates?＋
Both finish their students at almost the same clip: 94% graduate within six years at Georgia Tech, 93% at Michigan. First-year retention sits at 97% on both campuses, a clear sign that students who enroll tend to stick around and earn the degree.
Source: Georgia Institute of Technology Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Georgia Tech. Banner photo by Mistercontributer, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).
Source: University of Michigan Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-05. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with UMich. Banner photo by Chris Rycroft, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).