How Much Does University Of Michigan Cost?

Updated on September 29, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 12 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

The University of Michigan costs about $40,194 to $42,566 per year for a Michigan resident undergraduate at the Ann Arbor campus in 2026–27. A nonresident undergraduate faces a much higher estimated budget of $88,394 to $93,096 per year. The range changes after a student reaches 55 credits because U-M charges a higher upper-division tuition rate.

Those budgets include tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. They use College of Literature, Science, and the Arts rates as the benchmark. Engineering, business, architecture, art, and other programs can cost more. Eligible Michigan families earning $125,000 or less with assets below $125,000 can receive free tuition and mandatory fees through the Go Blue Guarantee.

Article Highlights

• A lower-division Michigan resident has a standard annual budget of $40,194 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 7.7 months of full-time work, before taxes).
• An upper-division Michigan resident is budgeted at $42,566.
• Lower-division nonresident cost of attendance is $88,394.
• Upper-division nonresident cost reaches $93,096.
• U-M budgets $17,220 for undergraduate living expenses.
• The Go Blue Guarantee covers tuition and mandatory fees for qualifying Michigan families earning up to $125,000.
• A four-year LSA sticker-price model is about $165,520 for a resident versus $362,980 for a nonresident at today’s rates.

How Much Does the University of Michigan Cost?

U-M’s 2026–27 undergraduate budget separates lower division from upper division. A Michigan resident with 0 to 54 credits is budgeted at $18,896 (about 3.6 months of full-time work at $30 per hour) for tuition and fees. After reaching 55 credits, that amount rises to $21,268.

Nonresident tuition is dramatically higher. Lower-division tuition and fees are $67,096, rising to $71,798 at upper division. U-M then uses the same $17,220 living allowance, $1,220 books and materials allowance, $400 transportation amount, and $2,458 personal allowance for both residency groups.

2026–27 undergraduate category	Tuition and fees	Total annual budget
Michigan resident, lower division	$18,896	$40,194
Michigan resident, upper division	$21,268	$42,566
Nonresident, lower division	$67,096	$88,394
Nonresident, upper division	$71,798	$93,096

A lower-division resident worked total is straightforward. $18,896 tuition and fees plus $17,220 living expenses, $1,220 books, $400 transportation, and $2,458 personal spending equals $40,194.

These are LSA planning figures. U-M states that tuition can be higher or lower by school, college, credit load, and program.

Residency Changes the Price

Residency is the largest single price variable at Michigan. A lower-division nonresident pays $48,200 (about 9.3 months of full-time work at $30 per hour) more per year in tuition and fees than a comparable Michigan resident. At upper division, the gap grows to $50,530. Housing, food, books, and U-M’s standard personal allowances do not explain that difference. Tuition does.

The residency classification is stricter than simply living in Michigan while attending school. U-M evaluates domicile, dependency, employment, family ties, and the reason a student moved to Michigan. Someone who relocates primarily to attend the university should not assume that staying in Ann Arbor for a year will automatically produce resident tuition.

The upper-division jump deserves attention too. Resident tuition and fees rise by $2,372 per year once the student reaches 55 credits. The nonresident increase is $4,702. A family building a four-year budget from the freshman tuition rate will understate junior and senior costs even if U-M never raises its underlying rates.

Residency changes everything.

Program selection can raise costs further. The College of Engineering tuition schedule uses different rates from LSA. A student should identify the intended school and class standing before treating any university-wide estimate as the final number.

Housing and Meal Plans

U-M’s standard undergraduate cost of attendance uses a weighted average room rate with the Basic Unlimited meal plan. Actual 2026–27 room-and-board prices range widely. An economy triple or standard quad with the basic meal plan costs $14,586 per academic year, while a premium single or premium single suite can reach $21,834.

A standard double costs $16,502 including the Basic Unlimited meal plan. An enhanced double is $18,486, while a premium double costs $19,695. The meal portion of those contracts is $6,479 per year. Students can upgrade the meal plan for another $350 or $550 per academic year, depending on the selected tier.

Housing choice matters too.

A student choosing a $21,834 premium option instead of a $14,586 economy room-and-board package spends $7,248 more per year. Across two residence-hall years, that is $14,496 before rate increases.

Undergraduate residence contracts also carry a $75 residential computing fee and $24.75 Residence Hall Association fee. They are billed separately from the published room-and-board rates. University housing contracts are binding, so a student should review cancellation terms before assuming unused housing can be refunded freely.

Go Blue Guarantee

The biggest resident-aid story is U-M’s Go Blue Guarantee. Michigan families with income of $125,000 or less and assets below $125,000 can qualify for scholarships and grants covering tuition and mandatory university fees on the Ann Arbor campus.

The guarantee applies to qualifying Michigan residents pursuing their first bachelor’s degree. Students must meet financial-aid eligibility requirements, submit the required aid applications by the deadline, and maintain full-time enrollment. Eligibility is reviewed each year because family income and assets can change.

U-M’s July 2026 data gives useful context above the cutoff too. Among families with typical assets and income between $125,000 and $150,000, 99% in the published sample qualified for aid and the average family-paid tuition was $967. For the $150,000 to $180,000 bracket, 99% qualified and average family-paid tuition was $2,377.

The guarantee covers tuition and mandatory fees, not an automatic free ride for housing, food, books, travel, or personal spending. Separate grant aid can cover some of those expenses based on need. U-M says it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for eligible Michigan resident undergraduates who meet application deadlines.

That distinction can turn a $40,194 sticker budget into a much smaller net cost without making every part of attendance free.

Nonresident Financial Aid

Out-of-state students should not assume that the $88,394 to $93,096 sticker budget is always the final family price. U-M’s nonresident financial-aid policy confirms that institutional need-based aid is available to nonresident students and families who complete the required aid process by the priority deadline.

Nonresidents do not receive the same Go Blue Guarantee. Their aid depends on demonstrated need, institutional grants, school-specific awards, outside scholarships, federal aid, and family resources. Merit scholarships also exist within individual schools and colleges, but they should not be assumed before an award is issued.

U-M’s published 2026–27 family profiles show how large the difference can be. One hypothetical out-of-state first-year LSA student with family income of $138,960 and low assets receives $36,706 in U-M institutional grants, along with federal and state grants, work-study, student loans, and a Parent PLUS loan. The student’s modeled cost of attendance is $88,394.

The profile still leaves a stated $21,448 net cost after the illustrated aid package. It also includes borrowing, so families should separate grants from loans when comparing offers.

A $30,000 grant and a $30,000 loan lower the immediate bill by the same amount but create very different long-term costs.

Graduate and Professional Costs

Graduate and professional programs at Michigan use their own tuition schedules. U-M’s standard Rackham graduate budget for 2026–27 is $63,048 for a Michigan resident and $94,852 for a nonresident. Tuition and fees account for $31,800 and $63,604 of those totals.

The Ross MBA costs much more than the old article’s $24,300 resident estimate. The 2026–27 full-time MBA tuition is $78,586 for Michigan residents and $83,946 for nonresidents, before living expenses and other costs.

Michigan Law lists $108,156 resident and $111,156 nonresident annual budgets. Tuition and fees are $80,381 and $83,381. The residency difference at the law school is only $3,000, far smaller than the undergraduate LSA gap.

Medical school has another structure. The first-year 2026–27 MD budget is about $102,866 for residents and $124,331 for nonresidents. Resident tuition and fees are $60,495, versus $81,960 for nonresidents.

One Michigan price does not exist.

Hidden Costs and Payment

The standard undergraduate budget does not mean every possible student expense appears on the tuition bill. Domestic students who choose the university’s voluntary health plan pay $3,704.64 per year for 2026–27. Students with existing qualifying insurance may not need that additional policy.

A student adding that health plan to the $40,194 lower-division resident budget reaches a planning total of $43,898.64. Adding it to the $88,394 lower-division nonresident budget produces $92,098.64. Those are calculated scenarios rather than U-M’s official cost-of-attendance totals.

Transportation can exceed U-M’s $400 allowance for students flying home several times a year. Personal spending can also run above the $2,458 budget. Art, architecture, business, engineering, and other programs can require supplies or equipment above the standard $1,220 books-and-materials allowance.

Families that prefer installments can use U-M’s term payment plan. The plan spreads covered charges across five payments and has a $30 enrollment fee per term. Using it for both fall and winter adds $60 per academic year. Late payments can trigger a separate $30 fee and an account hold.

The payment plan changes timing, not price.

Families comparing costs can also review Arizona State University costs, University of Georgia costs, and Syracuse University costs.

Four-Year Cost and Fit

A four-year sticker-price calculation needs to account for Michigan’s lower- and upper-division structure. Using two years at today’s lower-division LSA budget and two years at today’s upper-division budget produces $165,520 for a resident. The calculation is $40,194 + $40,194 + $42,566 + $42,566.

The same frozen-rate calculation for a nonresident is $362,980. Two years at $88,394 plus two years at $93,096 create a four-year residency difference of $197,460. Actual future totals can be higher because U-M approves new tuition, housing, and meal rates each year.

Makes sense if

• You qualify for Michigan residency and a strong need-based aid package.
• The Go Blue Guarantee covers your tuition and required university fees.
• Your nonresident grant package cuts the sticker price to a sustainable net cost.
• The specific Michigan school or program offers opportunities you value enough to support the remaining expense.

Does not make sense if

• You budget all four years using only the lower-division freshman rate.
• You assume moving to Michigan for school automatically creates resident tuition eligibility.
• Your out-of-state package relies heavily on private or parent borrowing.
• A comparable program produces similar outcomes at a much lower confirmed net price.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does the University of Michigan cost per year for a resident?

A Michigan resident in LSA has a 2026–27 estimated budget of $40,194 at lower division and $42,566 after reaching upper division.

How much does U-M cost for an out-of-state student?

A nonresident LSA undergraduate is budgeted at $88,394 in lower division and $93,096 in upper division.

Who gets free tuition at Michigan?

Qualifying Michigan resident undergraduates with family income of $125,000 or less and assets below $125,000 can have tuition and mandatory fees covered through the Go Blue Guarantee.

Why does Michigan tuition increase junior year?

U-M uses separate lower- and upper-division tuition rates. In LSA, upper division begins once a student reaches 55 credits toward the program.

How much would four years at Michigan cost?

Using today’s lower-division rate for two years and upper-division rate for two years produces a frozen-price estimate of about $165,520 for a resident and $362,980 for a nonresident before financial aid and future rate changes.