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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Georgia TechAtlanta, GA

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

GT AdmissionIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from GT Admission (Fall 2026).
13.3%acceptance rate
Applied
66,881
Admitted
8,921
Enrolled
4,071

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state28%
Out-of-state9%

~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.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Georgia Tech requires standardized test scores for all applicants.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1370
50th Percentile
1460
75th Percentile
1530

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
31
50th Percentile
33
75th Percentile
35

Class rank

Where Georgia Tech's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class88.69%
Top quarter of class97.93%
Top half of class99.09%

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.

→ Importance

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.

$30,154
In-State
$53,238
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$12,008$35,092
Room & Board
$13,996$13,996
Other Expenses
$4,150$4,150
Total
$30,154$53,238

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$8k
$30–48k~$7k
$48–75k~$11k
$75–110k~$15k
$110k+~$17k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants13.9%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
29%
Avg. Package
$19,981
Avg. Need Met
61%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Engineering
Computing
Sciences
Business
Liberal Arts
Other
Engineering
42%
Computing
30%
Sciences
10%
Business
9%
Liberal Arts
6%
Other
3%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

20:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return97%
Graduate within six years94%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$119k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$22k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Georgia Tech’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

Show all 24 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
92%
In Fraternities
20%
In Sororities
23%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Large city
Location
Atlanta, GA

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
5436J
5839F
6645M
7453A
8161M
8769J
9072J
8971A
8466S
7455O
6444N
5638D
Snow a year
2 in
Precipitation a year
50 in
Days at 90°F or above
47
Days below 32°F
36

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, ATLANTA HARTSFIELD INTL AP, GA US station, 10.2 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

60%
40%
Male
12,659
Female
8,369

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

Asian and Pacific Islander35.5%
White33.4%
Other13.6%
Hispanic9.2%
Black8.5%
Native American<1%
UMichAnn Arbor, MI

Acceptance rate

Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.

15.6%acceptance rate
Applied
126,850
Admitted
19,789
Enrolled
7,500

Early decision

UMich offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.

Fall 2027 datesEarly Decision is published on UMich's own Fall 2027 dates page. UMich's 2025-2026 Common Data Set, which is cited for its other figures, does not report it.
Early Decision
Binding
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

UMich requires standardized test scores for all applicants.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1360
50th Percentile
1450
75th Percentile
1530

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
31
50th Percentile
33
75th Percentile
34

Class rank

UMich does not report this.

Not reported

Admissions factors

How UMich weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

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.

$38,548
In-State
$84,164
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$18,346$63,962
Room & Board
$16,246$16,246
Other Expenses
$3,956$3,956
Total
$38,548$84,164

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$1k
$30–48k~$2k
$48–75k~$5k
$75–110k~$11k
$110k+~$27k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants18.1%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
39%
Avg. Package
$35,086
Avg. Need Met
91%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Computer Science
Engineering
Business
Sciences
Liberal Arts
Other
Comp Sci
25%
Engineering
23%
Business
20%
Sciences
10%
Liberal Arts
10%
Other
12%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

15:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return97%
Graduate within six years93%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$96k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$20k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

UMich’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Computer & Information Sciences

    1,146 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$173kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Economics

    651 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$111kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Business Administration & Management

    608 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$145kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    318 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$79kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
  • Biology

    305 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$61kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$19k median debt
Show all 34 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
96%
In Fraternities
10%
In Sororities
16%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize city
Location
Ann Arbor, MI

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
3216J
3516F
4525M
5834A
7046M
8056J
8459J
8258A
7550S
6239O
4830N
3622D
Snow a year
59 in
Precipitation a year
38 in
Days at 90°F or above
14
Days below 32°F
147

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, ANN ARBOR SE, MI US station, 3.3 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

51%
49%
Male
17,574
Female
16,880

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White36%
Other35.5%
Asian and Pacific Islander17%
Hispanic7%
Black4%
Native American<1%

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Georgia Tech vs. UMich: frequently asked questions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).