Michigan State University is in East Lansing, Michigan, three miles east of the state capitol in Lansing. Its history page says it was established in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan and describes it as the prototype for the land-grant system created by the Morrill Act of 1862. It describes itself as a land-grant university and a public research university. Kevin M. Guskiewicz became its 22nd president on 4 March 2024.
The MSU Facts page lists 51,838 students: 41,415 undergraduates and 10,423 graduate and professional students. It reports 5,696 faculty and academic staff, more than 400 academic programmes and a 5,200-acre campus. Research expenditure was $992 million in 2025, according to the same page. MSU is a member of the Association of American Universities.