COLLEGES · 30-YEAR ROI · BIG RAPIDS, MI

Is Ferris State University worth the money?

Yes — at resident pricing. A Ferris State University degree clears +$2.16M in 30-year projected net value over skipping college and investing the difference.

A public four-year school in Big Rapids, Michigan, priced as a Michigan resident — earnings rolled up from 39 FREOPP-reported programs.

IPEDS 2023 cost · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · same model as /worth-it · this school clears positive net value.

Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI

30-year net value · resident pricing
+$2.16M
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$63,881
Breaks even by age
35
Annual tuition · Michigan resident
$14,246
Total cost of attendance (4 years, sticker)
$99,624
FREOPP program coverage
39 programs
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Ferris State University runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the standard loan assumptions, a 30-year horizon, and Michigan’s own cost-of-living on the skip-college path. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of going vs. skipping and investing the difference, in real dollars.

What it isn’t: a verdict on every major. The school-level number averages across 39 FREOPP-reported programs — the field you pick swings it by over a million dollars on its own. We only publish school pages that clear positive net value at resident pricing; earnings roll up from at least three FREOPP programs (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t fake the number.

Questions

Is Ferris State University worth the money?
At resident pricing, yes: Ferris State University clears +$2.16M in 30-year projected net value versus skipping college and investing the difference. That is computed from a total cost of attendance of $99,624 and median earnings of $63,881 ten years after entry (IPEDS 2023 cost, FREOPP 2021 earnings, BEA 2023 cost-of-living — the same model as the LE TEEN calculator).
How much is tuition at Ferris State University?
Ferris State University's annual sticker tuition is $14,246 for Michigan residents, before financial aid. Total cost of attendance over 4 years — tuition plus fees, housing, and living costs — is $99,624 (IPEDS 2023).
What is the total cost of Ferris State University?
Over 4 years, Ferris State University's sticker cost of attendance is $99,624 — tuition, fees, housing, and living costs at Michigan prices, before financial aid. Median earnings ten years after entry are $63,881.
How long until a Ferris State University degree pays for itself?
The degree path overtakes the skip-college path around age 35 under our defaults — from there the gap only widens, ending +$2.16M ahead at the 30-year horizon.
What could change the number for Ferris State University?
Two levers dominate. Residency: this page prices Ferris State University as a Michigan resident — non-resident tuition is a different trade (see the out-of-state tax in Michigan). And the major: the field you pick swings lifetime ROI by over a million dollars on its own (see the majors pages).

Keep going

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Is Ferris State University worth the money? 30-year ROI.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/colleges/ferris-state-university