University of Michigan admissions for Michigan residents come down to a deadline one week away: Early Decision and Early Action both close November 1. U-M Ann Arbor admitted 16.1% of first-year applicants for fall 2026 (17,495 of 108,774). Michigan residents made up 4,436 of the 8,659 freshmen who enrolled, about 51%. If your family earns $125,000 or less, the Go Blue Guarantee covers tuition.
The figures are from U-M's Office of Budget and Planning first-year class profile (Sept. 29, 2026), the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the Go Blue Guarantee site.
Five years of first-year admissions
| Fall | Applied | Offered admission | Admit rate | Enrolled | In-state enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 84,289 | 14,914 | 17.7% | 7,050 | 3,667 (52%) |
| 2023 | 87,632 | 15,722 | 17.9% | 7,466 | 3,849 (52%) |
| 2024 | 98,310 | 15,373 | 15.6% | 7,278 | 3,848 (53%) |
| 2025 | 109,112 | 17,915 | 16.4% | 8,178 | 4,284 (52%) |
| 2026 | 108,774 | 17,495 | 16.1% | 8,659 | 4,436 (51%) |
Source: University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning, New Undergraduate First-Year Class Profile. Admit rate and in-state share calculated from U-M's counts.
U-M doesn't publish admit rates by residency, but in-state students have filled just over half the class every year since 2022. U-M says this year's in-state first-years came from 537 Michigan high schools.
Fall 2025 enrolled students' middle 50%: high school GPA 3.9-4.0, SAT reading and writing 690-750, SAT math 680-780, ACT 32-34. 55% submitted SAT scores and 18% ACT. Fall 2026 figures aren't posted yet.
Fall 2027 application plans
| Early Decision (binding) | Early Action | Regular Decision | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application deadline | Nov. 1 | Nov. 1 | Feb. 1 |
| Financial aid (CSS Profile + FAFSA) | Nov. 15 | Dec. 15 suggested; March 1 deadline | Dec. 15 suggested; March 1 deadline |
| Decision by | Dec. 24 | Jan. 29 | April 2 |
| Commit by | Jan. 6 | May 1 | May 1 |
Source: U-M Office of Undergraduate Admissions, First-year Application Plans.
Early Decision is new as of the fall 2026 cycle, and binding: if admitted, you must withdraw your other applications. Early Decision applicants can be postponed to Early Action or Regular Decision, which releases them from the commitment. 65% of fall 2026 applicants applied early (ED or EA combined).
School of Music, Theatre & Dance programs are Regular Decision only, with a Dec. 1 deadline.
U-M isn't part of the Michigan Assured Admission Pact, the 3.0-GPA guarantee at 11 other public universities.
Paying for it: the Go Blue Guarantee
Michigan families with income of $125,000 or less and assets under $125,000 get free tuition for four years on the Ann Arbor campus. There's no separate application: apply to U-M, apply for financial aid, and get admitted.
- Income is from the "prior-prior" tax year, including adjusted gross income and untaxed income.
- Assets include home equity, savings and investments, but exclude retirement accounts.
- Families above the line still get help: U-M says families earning $125,000 to $150,000 paid an average of $967 in tuition for 2026-27, and $150,000 to $180,000, $2,377.
- New: qualifying students in nursing, teacher preparation, and music, theatre & dance get the full cost of attendance, including housing.
See Michigan free tuition programs to compare U-M with the other 14 public universities.
What this means for you
- Decide by Nov. 1: Early Decision only if U-M is clearly your first choice; otherwise Early Action is non-binding with a Jan. 29 decision.
- Meet the Nov. 15 financial aid deadline if you apply ED, so your Go Blue Guarantee package arrives with your decision.
- Michigan residents fill about half the class, so applying in-state still means competing for a 16% overall admit rate.
- Look at real profiles: see Michigan accepted vs. rejected applicants.
Sources
- New Undergraduate First-Year Class Profile, Fall 2026 (PDF) — U-M Office of Budget and Planning
- First-year Application Plans — U-M Office of Undergraduate Admissions
- Go Blue Guarantee: Ann Arbor — University of Michigan
- U-M welcomes more than 54,000 students for fall term (Oct. 5, 2026) — The University Record