The Michigan Assured Admission Pact (MAAP) means a 3.0 high school GPA gets you into 11 of Michigan's 15 public universities. Each one commits to "admitting all Michigan high school graduates who earned a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or above." You still apply to each school and meet its deadline. Michigan State, Michigan Tech, U-M Ann Arbor and Western Michigan aren't part of the pact. Of the four, three have Early Action deadlines on November 1.
The information below is from MAAP's site, the Michigan Association of State Universities' (MASU) 2026-2027 Guide to Admissions (data as of July 2026) and, for Michigan State and U-M Ann Arbor, the universities' own deadline pages.
The 11 MAAP universities
| University | First-year average GPA | Fall 2027 application timing |
|---|---|---|
| Central Michigan | 3.48 | Rolling; Centralis Honors Scholarship deadline Nov. 2 |
| Eastern Michigan | 3.35 | Rolling |
| Ferris State | 3.35 | Rolling |
| Grand Valley State | 3.41 | Rolling; March 1 for merit scholarships |
| Lake Superior State | 3.21 | Rolling |
| Northern Michigan | 3.36 | Rolling; Presidential Scholars Competition Oct. 19, 26 and Nov. 2 |
| Oakland | 3.50 | Rolling; fall recommended by Aug. 1 |
| Saginaw Valley State | 3.55 | Rolling; Dec. 1 for President's Scholarship |
| U-M Dearborn | 3.70 | Rolling; recommended Dec. 1, preferred April 1, final Aug. 15 |
| U-M Flint | 3.54 | Rolling; March 1 for True Blue scholarship; final Aug. 9 |
| Wayne State | 3.47 | Rolling; priority Dec. 1, scholarship April 1, final Aug. 1 |
Source: Michigan Association of State Universities, Michigan's Public Universities Guide to Admissions 2026-2027; MAAP.org.
The pact covers general admission, not every major. MAAP says students applying to selective programs "may need to meet additional requirements to be admitted to their major program." It applies only to the first fall after high school graduation, and universities that review disciplinary or criminal history still do.
The four universities outside the pact
| University | First-year average GPA | Fall 2027 deadlines |
|---|---|---|
| U-M Ann Arbor | 3.92 | Early Decision and Early Action Nov. 1; Regular Decision Feb. 1 |
| Michigan State | 3.72 | Early Action Nov. 1 (decision by Jan. 15); priority Feb. 1; Regular Decision April 1 |
| Michigan Tech | 3.84 | Early Action Nov. 1; Regular by Feb. 1 |
| Western Michigan | 3.55 | Early Action Dec. 1; rolling admission June 1 |
Sources: U-M Office of Undergraduate Admissions; Michigan State University Office of Admissions; MASU 2026-27 Guide to Admissions.
Michigan State's Early Action guarantees an initial decision by January 15 and "automatically ensures maximum consideration for all scholarship opportunities," per MSU. Applications completed by February 1 are guaranteed a decision by March 31. See U-M admissions for Michigan residents for U-M's plans.
All 15 are test-optional
MASU's guide lists every public university as test-optional. Michigan Tech's policy applies to applicants with a 3.0 GPA.
What this means for you
- Have a 3.0? Apply to MAAP schools early anyway. Admission is assured, but scholarship deadlines come first: Northern Michigan's last Presidential Scholars dates are Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, Central Michigan's Centralis deadline is Nov. 2, and Saginaw Valley's President's Scholarship date and Wayne State's priority deadline are both Dec. 1.
- Nov. 1 is the date for U-M, Michigan State and Michigan Tech. MSU's Early Action also gets you maximum scholarship consideration.
- Check your major. Assured admission to the university doesn't guarantee a selective program.
- Pair admission with aid. File the FAFSA for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and each university's free-tuition program.