University of Michigan

University of Michigan

Latin: Universitas Michigania
Former names	Catholepistemiad (1817–1821)
Motto	Latin: Artes, Scientia, Veritas
Motto in English	"Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
Type	Public research university
Established	August 26, 1817; 207 years ago (1817-08-26)[1]
Accreditation	HLC
Academic affiliations	AAU ORAU URA URC Sea-grant Space-grant
Endowment	$17.9 billion (2023)[2]
Budget	$13.1 billion (2024)[3]
President	Santa Ono
Provost	Laurie McCauley
Academic staff	8,189 (2023)[4]
Administrative staff	23,798 (2023)[4]
Students	52,065 (2023)[4]
Undergraduates	33,730 (2023)[4]
Postgraduates	18,335 (2023)[4]
Location	Ann Arbor , Michigan , United States 42°16′37″N 83°44′17″W / 42.27694°N 83.73806°W / 42.27694; -83.73806
Campus	Midsize city[6], 3,177 acres (12.86 km2) Total: 20,965 acres (84.84 km2), including arboretum[5]
Newspaper	The Michigan Daily
Yearbook	Michiganensian
Colors	Maize and blue[7]
Nickname	Wolverines
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS – Big Ten CWPA
Website	umich.edu

The University of Michigan (U-M, UMich, or simply Michigan) is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Michigan is one of the earliest American research universities and is a founding member of the Association of American Universities. In the fall of 2023, the university employed 8,189 faculty members and enrolled 52,065 students in its programs.^[8][4][9]

The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity". It consists of nineteen colleges and offers 250 degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.^[10] The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2021, it ranked third among American universities in research expenditures according to the National Science Foundation.

The University of Michigan's athletic teams are collectively known as the Wolverines. They compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as members of the Big Ten Conference. The university currently fields varsity teams across 29 NCAA-sanctioned sports. As of 2022, athletes from the university have won 188 medals at the Olympic Games.

Notable alumni from the university include 8 domestic and foreign heads of state or heads of government, 47 U.S. senators, 218 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 42 U.S. Cabinet secretaries, and 41 U.S. governors.

The University of Michigan traces its origins to August 26, 1817,^[1] when it was established in the Territory of Michigan as the Catholepistemiad or University of Michigania through a legislative act signed by acting governor and secretary William Woodbridge, chief justice Augustus B. Woodward, and judge John Griffin.^[11]: 117 In 1821, by a new enactment, the university itself was created as a "body politic and corporate,"^[11]: 117 maintaining its corporate status through various modifications to its charter.^[12]: 11 The term "Catholepistemiad," a neologism derived from a blend of Greek and Latin roots, can be loosely translated as "School of Universal Knowledge".^[13] This corporation was modeled after the Imperial University of France, an entity established by Napoleon I a decade prior,^{[14][12]: 10} and included an array of schools and libraries under a single administration,^[15] with the authority to establish additional schools across the territory.^[12]: 10 It wasn't until Michigan became a state in 1837 that the corporation focused solely on higher education.^[14]

Promptly after the Territory of Michigan's formation in 1805, prominent citizens acknowledged the need for a college.^[12] In 1806, Father Gabriel Richard, who presided over several schools in the Town of Detroit, first petitioned for land to found a college.^[16][17] Although Governor William Hull and Woodward promulgated an act in 1809 to establish public school districts, this preliminary endeavor yielded negligible results.^[18] Woodward, aspiring to categorize knowledge (which he termed "encathol epistemia"), discussed this with Thomas Jefferson in 1814.^[19] In 1817, Woodward drafted a territorial act for the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania, which included thirteen professorships, or didaxiim.^[20] The act was enacted on August 26, 1817, with Father Richard appointed Vice-President and Rev. John Monteith as President. Woodward sought funding from the Zion Masonic Lodge, which contributed $250, leading to a total of $5,000 raised for the university.^{[12]: 12 [21]} The cornerstone for the first schoolhouse, situated near the intersection of Bates Street and Congress Street in Detroit, was laid on September 24, 1817, and by the following year, a Lancasterian school, taught by Lemuel Shattuck, and a classical academy were operational.^[22] Additional schools were established in Monroe and Mackinaw by the end of September 1817.^[12]: 11 In 1821, a new act placed the corporation under the control of a board of trustees.^[23] Rev. Monteith, no longer President, joined the board, and Father Richard served on the board until his death in 1832.^[24] The trustees continued to manage the schools and classical academy, but established no new schools.^[25] By 1827, all schools had closed, and the Detroit schoolhouse was leased to private teachers.^[25]

In 1837, following Michigan admission to the Union, its constitution enabled the appointive regents to oversee university operations directly alongside professors, without the need for a president.^[14] The regents met in Ann Arbor and accepted the town's proposal for the university to relocate,^[1][26] based on a 40 acres (16 ha) grant from the Treaty of Fort Meigs.^[27][28] Alexander Jackson Davis devised the original campus plan in Gothic Revival style,^[29] and the regents unanimously approved his proposal;^[30] however, the plan was abandoned due to financial constraints resulting from the Panic of 1837.^{[12]: 31 [31]} In 1841, Mason Hall, the first campus building, was completed, followed by the construction of South College, an identical building to the south, in 1849, leaving a gap for a future grand centerpiece.^[30]

Asa Gray was appointed the first professor following the university's move to Ann Arbor in 1837,^{[33][34][35][36][37]} alongside early faculty members Douglass Houghton and Andrew Ten Brook.^[37][38] The first classes in Ann Arbor were held in 1841, with six freshmen and a sophomore taught by two professors, Joseph Whiting and George Palmer Williams.^[39][40] In the first commencement of 1845, eleven graduates, including Judson Dwight Collins, were awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree.^[41] In subsequent years, the regents established branches across the state as preparatory schools for the university,^[42] starting with Pontiac and followed by Kalamazoo, Detroit, Niles, Tecumseh, White Pigeon, and Romeo.^[42] However, they struggled to enroll students and some merged with local colleges.^[42] Kalamazoo College was the Kalamazoo Branch of the University of Michigan from 1840 to 1850.^[42] Furthermore, the university struggled with issues due to its regents' dependence on the legislature from 1837 to 1850.^[12]: 40 Despite several attempts to gain independence, progress was slow until the late 1840s, when regents gained leverage, supported by Michigan citizens.^[12]: 40 This led to a revision of the organic act on April 8, 1851, which freed the university from legislative control, changed the regent position from appointed to elected, and established a president selected by the regents.^[12]: 40

Henry Philip Tappan became the university's first president in 1852, with the ambition to shape the institution as a model for future universities.^{[43]: 39–53} During his decade of service, he overhauled the curriculum,^{[43]: 39–53} secularized faculty appointments,^{[43]: 39–53} expanded the library and museum collections,^{[43]: 39–53} established the law school,^[14] and supervised the construction of the Detroit Observatory.^{[43]: 39–53} In 1855, Michigan became the second university in the country (after Harvard) to issue Bachelor of Science degrees.^[12]: 48 The following year, the country's first chemical laboratory was built on campus, specifically designed for chemistry education, providing additional space for classes and laboratories.^[44] Tappan's tenure also saw the creation of the Michigan Glee Club, the oldest student organization at the university.^[45] Despite these accomplishments, Tappan's 11-year presidency was marked by considerable tension.^{[43]: 39–53} His impartial stance on religion faced backlash during a time of heightened religious fervor.^{[43]: 39–53} Due to changes in the Board of Regents and discontent with his administration, he was forced to resign in 1863.^{[43]: 39–53}

In 1863, Erastus Otis Haven took office as president, having been a professor at the time and needing to prove his right for the presidency.^{[43]: 54–59} The campus was divided by conflicting views among students, faculty, and regents regarding Tappan's restoration, the homeopathy crisis, and the Civil War.^{[43]: 54–59} Haven's administration faced routine administrative difficulties and struggled to garner support for increased state aid, despite achieving modest gains.^{[43]: 54–59} The university, which had received a fixed $15,000 since 1869, still required additional funding.^{[43]: 54–59} Frustrated, Haven resigned in 1869 to become president of Northwestern, a Methodist institution, a move that sectarians viewed as a setback for secular colleges.^{[43]: 54–59} The presidency remained vacant from 1869 to 1871, with Professor Henry Simmons Frieze serving as acting president.^{[43]: 59–62} During this period, the university raised funds for University Hall, overhauled admissions with a diploma system, and introduced coeducation.^{[43]: 59–62} Women were first admitted in 1870,^[46] although Alice Robinson Boise Wood was the first woman to attend classes (without matriculating) in 1866–67.^[47] In 1870, Gabriel Franklin Hargo graduated from the law school as the second African American to graduate from a law school in the United States.^[48] In 1871, Sarah Killgore became the first woman to graduate from law school and be admitted to the bar of any state in the United States.^[49] A promoter of music education, Frieze oversaw the formation of the University Musical Society.^{[43]: 59–62} Student discipline remained problematic, with frequent class rushes and hazing.^{[43]: 59–62} Past efforts to curb these disorders had proven ineffective, which Frieze blamed on decentralized faculty control.^{[43]: 59–62}

James Burrill Angell became president in 1871 and would remain in the post for nearly four decades.^{[43]: 63–75} Shortly after his arrival, University Hall was completed and dedicated.^{[43]: 63–75} During his presidency, he broadened the curriculum,^[14] founded various professional schools,^{[43]: 63–75} resolved the long-standing homeopathy problem,^{[43]: 63–75} restored campus discipline,^{[43]: 63–75} raised entrance and graduation requirements,^{[43]: 63–75} and persuaded the legislature to increase state aid.^{[43]: 63–75} Angell's tenure saw the addition of many extracurricular activities, such as the intercollegiate football team and the marching band.^{[43]: 63–75} Angell was not authoritarian; he encouraged open debate and aimed for near-unanimous agreement before implementing changes, rather than pushing through with only a narrow majority.^{[43]: 63–75} In 1871-72, Charles Kendall Adams first introduced the German seminar method of study, marking its first use in America.^{[50][12]: 71} In 1875, the university established the College of Dental Surgery, and Albert B. Prescott established the College of Pharmacy in 1876. The degree of Bachelor of Philosophy was conferred for the first time in the university's history upon six students in 1870,^[12]: 79 while the degrees of Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy were first offered in 1875.^[12]: 88 During this period, John Dewey, Charles Horton Cooley, George Herbert Mead, and Robert Ezra Park first met at Michigan, where they would greatly influence each other.^[51] By the turn of the 19th century, the university was the second largest in the United States after Harvard.^[52]

With his presidency, Angell focused the university on preparing a new generation of secular leaders in public service.^{[43]: 63–75} Angell himself was frequently called upon by the White House for diplomatic missions.^{[43]: 63–75} In 1880, President Rutherford Hayes appointed him as Minister to China, where he successfully negotiated an immigration treaty that increased Chinese student enrollment.^{[43]: 63–75} Later, in 1887, 1896, and 1897, President Grover Cleveland appointed him to fisheries and waterways commissions.^{[43]: 63–75} That same year, President William McKinley named him Envoy Extraordinary to Turkey.^{[43]: 63–75} By the late 19th century, the university had gained an international reputation, partly due to Angell's diplomatic efforts.^{[43]: 63–75} During this period, over 80 subjects of the Emperor of Japan were sent to Ann Arbor to study law as part of the opening of that empire to external influence.^[54] The university was also involved in building the Philippine education, legal, and public health systems during the era of American colonization of the Philippines, thanks to the efforts of Michigan alumni, including Dean Conant Worcester and George A. Malcolm.^[55] Among the early students in the School of Medicine was Jose Celso Barbosa, who graduated as valedictorian in 1880, becoming the first Puerto Rican to earn a university degree in the United States.^[56] Ida Gray graduated from the School of Dentistry in June 1890, becoming the first African-American woman dentist in the United States.^[57] In the early 20th century, the university emerged as a preferred option for Jewish students pursuing secular education due to quotas on Jewish admissions at denominational colleges, and it has since become a haven for the Jewish-American academic community.^[58][59] Angell retired in 1909, and seven years later, he died in the President's House, which had been his home for forty-five years.^{[43]: 63–75} His successor, Harry Burns Hutchins, who was once his student, would lead the university through World War I and the Great Influenza epidemic.^{[43]: 63–75}

In 1910, Harry Burns Hutchins assumed the presidency, becoming the first alumnus to hold that position.^{[43]: 76–80} He had spent seven years in Ithaca, New York, where he was called by Andrew Dickson White and Charles Kendall Adams to establish the Cornell Law School.^{[43]: 76–80} Hutchins then became the dean of the law school at his alma mater, where he introduced the case method of instruction.^{[43]: 76–80} Hutchins was acting president when Angell was absent.^{[43]: 76–80} During his presidency, Hutchins established the Graduate School,^{[43]: 76–80} doubled enrollment,^{[43]: 76–80} and increased the faculty.^{[43]: 76–80} He secured more state aid and alumni support to fund the university's capital needs,^{[43]: 76–80} including the gothic Law Quadrangle,^[60] Martha Cook Building,^[61] Hill Auditorium, and Michigan Union, which became campus landmarks. Hutchins enhanced the university health service,^{[43]: 76–80} but wartime distractions plagued his presidency. The influenza epidemic, which caused student deaths from poor care, deeply troubled him.^{[43]: 76–80} Well-liked by the regents who encouraged him to remain president, nonetheless, Hutchins retired in 1920.^{[43]: 76–80}

The 1920s at the university were marked by the brief tenures of two presidents, Marion LeRoy Burton and Clarence Cook Little.^{[43]: 81–98} In 1920, when Burton assumed office, a conference on higher education took place at the university, resulting in the establishment of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.^{[43]: 81–88} Under his leadership, construction boomed on campus,^{[43]: 81–88} and enrollments increased,^{[43]: 81–88} propelled by the prosperous economy of the Roaring Twenties. He initiated the annual honors convocation,^{[43]: 81–88} introduced the deans' conference,^{[43]: 81–88} and increased university income.^{[43]: 81–88} He fell ill in 1924 and died in 1925.^{[43]: 81–88} In this emergency, President Emeritus Hutchins was called by the regents to assist, with Alfred Henry Lloyd serving as acting president until Little's arrival.^{[43]: 81–88} Clarence Cook Little was elected president in 1925,^{[43]: 88–98} advocating for individualized education^{[43]: 88–98} and reforming curricula, particularly for women.^{[43]: 88–98} Little proposed a curriculum division after two years to address knowledge gaps, leading to the University College proposal, which was ultimately abandoned after his resignation in 1929.^{[43]: 88–98}

Following Little's resignation, Alexander Grant Ruthven, an alumnus, was elected president by unanimous vote.^{[43]: 98–116} He would lead the university through the Great Depression and World War II.^{[43]: 98–116} Under Ruthven's leadership, the university administration became more decentralized with the creation of the university council, various divisions, and a system of committees.^{[43]: 98–116} During Harrison McAllister Randall's tenure as physics department head, the university's physics reputation grew. Many European physicists joined the faculty, including Samuel Goudsmit, George Uhlenbeck, and Gordon Sutherland. Wu Ta-You, who has been called the Father of Chinese Physics, studied under Goudsmit at the university. Wu's many students include Zhu Guangya, as well as two Chinese Nobel laureates: Chen Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee. From 1928 to 1941, the Summer Symposium in Theoretical Physics featured renowned physicists like Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Paul Dirac, and Erwin Schrödinger, with at least fifteen attendees being Nobel laureates or future laureates.^[62] Wolfgang Pauli held a visiting professorship at the university in 1931.^[63] Stephen Timoshenko created the first U.S. bachelor's and doctoral programs in engineering mechanics when he was a faculty professor at the university. Shortly after the war, in 1947, the regents formed a War Memorial Committee to honor students who died in World War II. By 1948, they established the Phoenix Project to explore peaceful atomic energy applications, leading to the nation's first academic program in nuclear science and engineering,^[64][14] funded by over 25,000 contributors, including the Ford Motor Company.^[65]

In 1951, Harlan Hatcher succeeded Ruthven and served as president until 1968, during which he oversaw developments including the construction of the North Campus, the establishment of Flint Senior College, and the Dearborn Center.^[66][67] The tenures of Hatcher and his successor, Robben Wright Fleming, were marked by a sharp rise in campus activism, highlighted by the increase in political dissent linked to the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.^[66] In 1964, a group of faculty hosted the nation's first "teach-in" against U.S. policy in Southeast Asia, attended by 2,500 students.^[68][69] Subsequent sit-ins by campus political groups led to administrative crackdowns, further escalating tensions and confrontational tactics among radicals, including a notable incident involving the Jesse James Gang, an offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society, hosting an on-campus military recruiter in hostage.^[66] Hatcher controversially dismissed three professors for their refusal to cooperate with Joseph McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee.^[70] Hatcher's successor, Robben Wright Fleming, an experienced negotiator, guided the university through a turbulent era of student protests and activism.^[66] Unlike some other universities, Michigan did not experience violent outbreaks during this period.^[66] Shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, the Black Action Movement organized an eight-day campus-wide strike at the university in 1970 to protest the lack of support for minorities on campus, successfully prompting the administration to meet several of their demands.^[71] In 1971, the Spectrum Center was founded as the nation's oldest collegiate LGBT student center, preceding the establishment of Penn's center.^[72] Meanwhile, support among students for marijuana legalization was gaining traction on campus, as highlighted by the annual Hash Bash rally that began in 1972.^[73] Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, campus unrest began to affect the university's academic standing, which had been ranked among the top five in the nation.^[74] This standing started to decline during Fleming's tenure. Campus unrest persisted during Harold Tafler Shapiro's presidency, which began in 1980, fueled by controversies surrounding the anti-missile Strategic Defense Initiative and investments in South Africa.

President James Duderstadt would succeed Shapiro and remain president until 1996.^[75] He facilitated achievements in the campus's physical growth and fundraising efforts. Duderstadt's successor, Lee Bollinger, conducted several major construction projects like the School of Social Work building^[76] and the Tisch Hall, named in honor of alumnus Preston Robert Tisch.^[77] In 2003, two lawsuits involving the university's affirmative action admissions policy reached the U.S. Supreme Court: Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger. In 2002, the university elected its first female president, Mary Sue Coleman, by unanimous vote.^[78][79] Throughout her presidency, Michigan's endowment saw continued growth, accompanied by a major fundraising drive known as "The Michigan Difference".^[80] The Coleman's administration faced labor disputes with the university's labor unions, notably with the Lecturers' Employees Organization and the Graduate Employees Organization.^[81] In the early 2000s, the university faced declining state funding, prompting suggestions for privatization.^[82][83] Despite being a state institution de jure, it adopted private funding models.^[84] A 2008 legislative panel further recommended converting it to a private institution due to its minimal ties to the state.^[85] Mark Schlissel succeeded Coleman in 2014. Before his firing in 2022, Schlissel expanded financial aid offerings,^[86] enhanced international engagement,^[87] and raised student diversity.^[88] He also led initiatives in biosciences^[89] and the arts.^[90] The university's 15th and current president, Santa Ono, was elected in 2022.

In April 2024, Michigan  students joined other campuses across the United States in protests and setting up encampments against the Israel–Hamas war and genocide of Palestinians  in Gaza.^[91][92] The protestors called for the University to divest from Israel.^[93][94]

In May 2024, the University of Michigan revoked the Martin Luther King, Jr. Spirit Award  honoring Salma Hamamy, a pro-Palestinian student,  who shared footage of Israeli drones summarily executing unarmed Palestinians. In response 65 MLK Spirit Award Recipients returned their awards.^[95][96]

In 2024 five Shanghai Jiao Tong University students who participated in an exchange program with the University of Michigan were charged with espionage related offenses after being caught during exerscises at Camp Grayling which included Taiwanese forces.^[97]

The founding of the University of Michigan in the 19th century was influenced by the transatlantic Republic of Letters, an intellectual community that spanned Europe and the Americas.^{[43]: 39–53} Key figures, such as Henry Philip Tappan, were instrumental in aligning the university with the ideals championed by the intellectual community, including liberty, reason, and scientific inquiry.^{[43]: 39–53} Alumni and faculty from Michigan, like Andrew Dixon White, carried these ideals forward as they shaped other institutions.^[98] Notably, Cornell alumni David Starr Jordan and John Casper Branner later introduced these concepts to Stanford University in the late 19th century.^[98] Early university leaders, such as James Burrill Angell, played a significant role in establishing other state universities by sharing their insights and experiences.^{[43]: 63–75} Consequently, Clark Kerr, the first chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, referred to Michigan as the "mother of state universities."^[99]

• University of California: had its early planning based upon the University of Michigan.^[100][101]
• University of Chicago: Michigan alumnus Robert Ezra Park played a leading role in the development of the Chicago School of sociology. The University of Chicago Laboratory School was founded in 1896 by John Dewey and Calvin Brainerd Cady, who were members of the Michigan faculty.
• Cornell University: Andrew Dixon White and Charles Kendall Adams, the first and second presidents of Cornell, respectively, were members of the Michigan faculty. Cornell had its Law School founded by Michigan alumni Charles Kendall Adams and Harry Burns Hutchins. Six of the fourteen past presidents of Cornell University have had connections to the University of Michigan. Edmund Ezra Day, the fifth president, was the founding dean of Michigan's business school. Frank H. T. Rhodes, the ninth president, spent three years as vice president of academic affairs at Michigan. Martha E. Pollack, the fourteenth president, served as provost at Michigan from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, Jeffrey S. Lehman received his graduate degrees from Michigan.
• Harvard University: Michigan alumnus Edwin Francis Gay was the founding dean of the Harvard Business School from 1908 to 1919,^[102] instrumental in the school's planning.
• Johns Hopkins University: had its pharmacology department established by John Jacob Abel, an alumnus of Michigan.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: had its Media Lab co-founded by Michigan alumnus Jerome Wiesner. Nicholas Negroponte, the co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Media Lab, has held a visiting professorship at the University of Michigan.
• Northwestern University: Michigan alumnus Henry Wade Rogers was instrumental in transforming Northwestern from a small cluster of colleges into a major, nationally recognized university. His wife, Emma Winner Rogers, founded the Northwestern University Settlement Association.^[103]
• Syracuse University: Alexander Winchell and Erastus O. Haven, the first and second chancellors of Syracuse University, respectively, were members of the Michigan faculty.
• University of Washington: Charles Odegaard, who served as president of the University of Washington from 1958 to 1973 and is credited with elevating its academic standing, was previously the dean of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
• Wellesley College: Michigan alumna Alice Freeman Palmer, the President of Wellesley College from 1881 to 1887, "transformed the fledgling school from one devoted to Christian domesticity into one of the nation's premier colleges for women."^[104]
• Yale University: had its residential college system co-organized by James Rowland Angell, a graduate of Michigan.^[105] Michigan alumnus Henry Wade Rogers introduced the "case system" and the college degree requirement into the Yale Law School.

The University of Michigan's campus in Ann Arbor is divided into four main areas: the Central Campus area, the North Campus area, the North Medical Campus area, and Ross Athletic Campus area. The campus areas include more than 500 major buildings,^[106] with a combined area of more than 37.48 million square feet (860 acres; 3.482 km²).^[107] The Central and Athletic Campus areas are contiguous, while the North Campus area is separated from them, primarily by the Huron River.^[108] The North Medical Campus area was developed on Plymouth Road, with several university-owned buildings for outpatient care, diagnostics, and outpatient surgery.^[109]

All four campus areas are connected by bus services, the majority of which connect the North and Central campus areas. There is a shuttle service connecting the University Hospital, which lies between North and Central campus areas, with other medical facilities throughout northeastern Ann Arbor.^[110]

There is leased space in buildings scattered throughout the city, many occupied by organizations affiliated with the University of Michigan Health System. In addition to the University of Michigan Golf Course on Ross Athletic Campus, the university operates a second golf course on Geddes Road called Radrick Farms Golf Course.^[111] The university also operates a large office building called Wolverine Tower in southern Ann Arbor. The Inglis House is an off-campus facility, which the university has owned since the 1950s. The Inglis House is a 10,000-square-foot (930 m²) mansion used to hold various social events, including meetings of the Board of Regents, and to host visiting dignitaries.^[112] Another major off-campus facility is the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, which is located on the eastern outskirts of the City of Ann Arbor.^[113]

The original Central Campus spanned 40 acres (16 ha), bordered by North University Avenue, South University Avenue, East University Avenue, and State Street. The master plan was developed by Alexander Jackson Davis. The first structures built included four Greek Revival faculty residences in 1840,^{[114][115][116][117]} as well as Mason Hall (1841–1950)^[118] and South College (1849–1950),^[119] which functioned as both academic spaces and dormitories. Only one of the original faculty residences remains today; it has been renovated in the Italianate style to serve as the President's House,^[117] making it the oldest building on campus.^[28] The Chemical Laboratory,^[120] built by Albert Jordan in 1856 and operational until 1980, was notable for housing the nation's first instructional chemistry lab. After the completion of the Old Medical Building (1850–1914)^[121] and the Law Building (1863–1950),^[122] an open space known as The Diag began to take shape. Among the prominent structures on the original Central Campus was University Hall (1872–1950),^[123] designed by alumnus Edwin Shannon Jennison.^[124]

The Central Campus today, however, bears little resemblance to its 19th-century appearance, as most of its structures were constructed in the early 20th century.^[125][126] These structures are predominantly the works of Albert Kahn, the university's supervising architect during that period.^[127] In 1909, Regent William L. Clements became chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee, leading to Albert Kahn's growing influence in the University's architectural development. Clements, impressed by Kahn's work on his industrial projects and residence in Bay City, awarded him multiple university commissions and appointed him as the university's supervising architect. The West Engineering Hall (1910), Natural Science Building (1915), and General Library (1920) were all designed by Kahn. During a period of limited construction funding, these structures exhibited a simple design with minimal ornamentation. However, Kahn's Hill Auditorium (1913), adequately funded by Regent Arthur Hill, features extensive Sullivanesque ornamentation and excellent acoustic design, which was rare for that period.^[124]

Beginning in 1920, the university received greater funding for construction projects, thanks to President Burton's fiscal persuasiveness with the legislature, propelled by a prosperous economy. This allowed campus buildings to be constructed in a grand manner. Kahn's Italian Renaissance Clements Library (1923), Classical Greek Angell Hall (1924), and Art Deco Burton Memorial Tower (1936) all feature unusual and costly materials and are considered some of his most elegant university buildings. The last of Kahn's university commissions was the Ruthven Museums Building (1928), designed in the Renaissance style.^[124]

Other architects who contributed to the Central Campus include Spier & Rohns, who designed Tappan Hall (1894) and the West Medical Building (1904); Smith, Hinchman and Grylls, the architects of the Chemistry Building (1910) and East Engineering Building; and Perkins, Fellows and Hamilton, who designed University High School (1924). The Michigan Union (1919) and Michigan League (1929), completed by alumni Irving Kane Pond and Allen Bartlit Pond, house the university's various student organizations. Alumni Memorial Hall, funded by contributions from alumni in memory of the University's Civil War dead, was completed by Donaldson and Meier. It was designated as the University Museum of Art in 1946.^[124]

The area just south of The Diag is predominantly Gothic in character, contrasting with the classical designs prevalent in many of Kahn's university buildings. The Martha Cook Building (1915), completed by York and Sawyer, Samuel Parsons, and George A. Fuller in 1915, draws inspiration from England's Knole House and Aston Hall. It was one of the university’s early women’s residences. York and Sawyer also designed the Law Quadrangle, which features a flagstone courtyard by landscape architect Jacob Van Heiningan. The Lawyers' Club, part of the quadrangle, includes a clubhouse, dining hall, and dormitory, modeled after English clubs with an Elizabethan-style lounge and a dining hall inspired by the chapels of Eaton. The Law Library's main reading room showcases craftsmanship from the Rockefeller Church of New York. Following its completion, nearby buildings like the School of Education Building, by Malcomson and Higginbotham, and Emil Lorch's Architecture and Design Building adopted Gothic elements reflecting the style of the Law Quadrangle and Martha Cook Residence.^[124]

The Central Campus is the location of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Most of the graduate and professional schools, including the Law School, Ross School of Business, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and the School of Dentistry, are on Central Campus. Two main libraries, Hatcher Graduate Library and Shapiro Undergraduate Library, as well as the university's many museums, are also on Central Campus.^[128]

The North Campus area built independently from the city on a large plot of farmland—approximately 800 acres (3.2 km²)—that the university bought in 1952.^[129] Architect Eero Saarinen devised the early master plan for the North Campus area and designed several of its buildings in the 1950s, including the Earl V. Moore School of Music Building.^[130] The North Campus Diag features a bell tower called Lurie Tower, which contains a grand carillon.^[131] The university's largest residence hall, Bursley Hall, is in the North Campus area.^[126]

The North Campus houses the College of Engineering, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, the Stamps School of Art & Design, the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and an annex of the School of Information.^[132] The campus area is served by Duderstadt Center, which houses the Art, Architecture and Engineering Library. Duderstadt Center also contains multiple computer labs, video editing studios, electronic music studios, an audio studio, a video studio, multimedia workspaces, and a 3D virtual reality room.^[133] Other libraries located on North Campus include the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and the Bentley Historical Library.

Ross Athletic Campus is the site for the university's athletic programs, including major sports facilities such as Michigan Stadium, Crisler Center, and Yost Ice Arena. The campus area is also the site of the Buhr library storage facility, Revelli Hall, home of the Michigan Marching Band, the Institute for Continuing Legal Education,^[134] and the Student Theatre Arts Complex, which provides shop and rehearsal space for student theatre groups.^[135] The university's departments of public safety and transportation services offices are located on Ross Athletic Campus.^[134]

The University of Michigan Golf Course is located south of Michigan Stadium. It was designed in the late 1920s by Alister MacKenzie, the designer of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, home of the Masters Tournament.^[136] The course opened to the public in 1931 and has one of "the best holes ever designed by Augusta National architect Alister MacKenzie" according to the magazine Sports Illustrated in 2006.^[137]

The University of Michigan is governed by the Board of Regents, established by the Organic Act of March 18, 1837. It consists of eight members, elected at large in biennial state elections^[138] for overlapping eight-year terms.^[139][140] Before the Office of President was established in 1850, the University of Michigan was directly managed by the appointed regents, with a rotating group of professors responsible for carrying out day-to-day administrative duties.^[141] The Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1850 restructured the university's administration. It established the Office of the President and transitioned the Board of Regents to an elected body. The state constitution granted the Board of Regents the power to appoint a non-voting presiding president to lead their meetings,^[142] effectively elevating the board to the level of a constitutional corporation independent of the state administration and making the University of Michigan the first public institution of higher education in the country so organized. As of 2021–22, the Board of Regents is chaired by Jordan B. Acker (B.A. '06).

The Board of Regents delegates its power to the university president who serves as the chief executive officer responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the university, that is, the main campus in Ann Arbor. The president retains authority over the branch campuses in Dearborn and Flint but is not directly involved in their day-to-day management. Instead, two separate chancellors are appointed by the president to serve as chief executive officers overseeing each branch campus. All presidents are appointed by the Board of Regents to serve five-year terms, at the board's discretion, and there are no term limits for university presidents. The board has the authority to either terminate the president's tenure or extend it for an additional term.

The university's current president is Santa Ono, formerly the president of the University of British Columbia in Canada. After an extensive presidential search conducted by the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller, the board announced its selection of Santa Ono as the university's 15th President on July 13, 2022.^[143][144] Ono assumed office on October 14, 2022, succeeding the outgoing president Mark Schlissel.^[145][146] Ono is the first Asian American president of the university, as well as the second to have been born in Canada, since the 10th president, Harold Tafler Shapiro. Laurie McCauley has been serving as the 17th and current provost of the university since May 2022, and she was recommended by the president to serve a full term through June 30, 2027.^[147]

The President's House, located at 815 South University Avenue on the Ann Arbor campus, is the official residence and office of the University President. Constructed in 1840, the three-story Italianate President's House is the oldest surviving building on the Ann Arbor campus and a University of Michigan Central Campus Historic District contributing property.^[148]

The Central Student Government, housed in the Michigan Union, is the university's student government. As a 501(c)(3) independent organization, it represents students from all colleges and schools, manages student funds on campus, and has representatives from each academic unit. The Central Student Government is separate from the University of Michigan administration.^[149]

Over the years, the Central Student Government has led voter registration drives,^[150] revived Homecoming events,^[151] changed a football seating policy,^[152] and created a Student Advisory Council for Ann Arbor city affairs.^[153] A longstanding goal of the Central Student Government has been to create a student-designated seat on the Board of Regents.^[154] In 2000 and 2002, students Nick Waun, Scott Trudeau, Matt Petering, and Susan Fawcett ran for the Board of Regents on the statewide ballot as third-party nominees, though none were successful.^[155] A 1998 poll by the State of Michigan concluded that a majority of voters would approve adding a student regent position if put to a vote.^[154] However, amending the composition of the Board of Regents would require a constitutional amendment in Michigan.^[156]

In addition to the Central Student Government, each college and school at the University of Michigan has its own independent student governance body. Undergraduate students in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts are represented by the LS&A Student Government.^[157] Engineering Student Government manages undergraduate student government affairs for the College of Engineering. Graduate students enrolled in the Rackham Graduate School are represented by the Rackham Student Government, and law students are represented by the Law School Student Senate as is each other college with its own respective government. In addition, the students who live in the residence halls are represented by the University of Michigan Residence Halls Association, which contains the third most constituents after Central Student Government and LS&A Student Government.^[158]

In the fiscal year 2022–23, the State of Michigan spent $333 million on the university, which represents 3.03% of its total operating revenues of $11 billion.^[159] The university is the second-largest recipient of state appropriations for higher education in Michigan for 2022-23, trailing Michigan State University ($372 million).^[160] The Office of Budget and Planning reports that Michigan Medicine's auxiliary activities are the largest funding source, contributing $6.05 billion to the Auxiliary Funds, which accounts for 55.1% of the total operating budget. Student tuition and fees contributed $1.95 billion to the General Fund, accounting for 11% of the total budget.^[159] Research grants and contracts from the U.S. federal government contributed $1.15 billion to the Expendable Restricted Funds, accounting for 10.4% of the total budget.^[159]

The university's current (FY 2022–23) operating budget has four major sources of funding:^[159]

• General Fund money, which accounts for 25.4% of the operating budget, is derived from various sources: student tuition and fees ($1.95 billion or 75.2%), state support ($333 million or 12.8%), sponsored research ($301 million or 11.6%), and other revenue ($8 million or 0.3%). It covers the costs of teaching, student services, facilities, and administrative support. The state's annual contribution to the school's operating budget was 3.03% in 2023 and does not cover intercollegiate athletics, housing, or Michigan Medicine.^[159]
• Auxiliary Funds, which account for 58.2% of the operating budget, are sourced from self-supporting units and do not receive taxpayer or tuition support. These include Michigan Medicine ($6.16 billion), intercollegiate athletics ($186 million), student housing ($160 million), and student publications.^[159]
• Expendable Restricted Funds, which account for 14.2% of the operating budget, are from providers who designate how their money is spent. Funding comes from research grants and contracts, endowment payout ($305 million), and private gifts ($157 million). It pays for scholarships and fellowships; salaries, benefits and research support for some faculty; and research, programs and academic centers.^[159]
• Designated Funds, which account for 2.2% of the operating budget, come from fees charged for and spent on experiential learning, programs, conferences, performance venues, and executive and continuing education.^[159]

The university's financial endowment, known as the "University Endowment Fund", comprises over 12,400 individual funds.^[161] Each fund must be spent according to the donor's specifications.^[161] Approximately 28% of the total endowment is allocated to support academic programs, while 22% is designated for student scholarships and fellowships.^[161] Approximately 19% of the endowment was allocated to Michigan Medicine and can only be used to support research, patient care, or other purposes specified by donors.^[161]

As of 2023^[update], the university's endowment, valued at $17.9 billion, ranks as the tenth largest among all universities in the country.^[162][163] The university ranks 86th in endowment per student.^[162] The law school's endowment, totaling over $500 million, has a significantly higher per-student value compared to that of its parent university.^[164] It ranks as the eighth wealthiest law school in the nation in 2022.^[164]

There are thirteen undergraduate schools and colleges.^[165] By enrollment, the three largest undergraduate units are the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, the College of Engineering, and the Ross School of Business.^[166] At the graduate level, the Rackham School of Graduate Studies serves as the central administrative unit of graduate education at the university.^[167] There are 18 graduate schools and colleges. Professional degrees are conferred by the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the School of Nursing, the School of Dentistry, the Law School, the Medical School, and the College of Pharmacy.^[166] Michigan Medicine, the university's health system, comprises the university's three hospitals, dozens of outpatient clinics, and many centers for medical care, research, and education.

College/school	Year founded[168]	Enrollment (FA 2023)	General Fund Budget ($, 2022–23)[159]	Budget per student ($, 2022–23)[159]
A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning	1906	737	25,707,200	34,881
School of Dentistry	1875	670	41,055,284	61,277
College of Engineering	1854	11,113	276,845,246	24,912
School for Environment and Sustainability	1927	516	28,034,976	54,331
School of Information	1969	1,760	50,147,537	28,493
School of Kinesiology	1984	1,312	22,088,845	16,836
Law School	1859	1,017	57,495,856	56,535
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts	1841	21,973	522,704,411	23,788
Marsal Family School of Education	1921	371	19,058,427	51,370
Medical School	1921	1,677	124,714,812	74,368
School of Music, Theatre & Dance	1880	1,134	43,101,134	38,008
School of Nursing	1893	1,183	31,644,687	26,750
College of Pharmacy	1876	561	22,056,888	39,317
School of Public Health	1941	1,162	49,478,265	42,580
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy	1914	362	17,191,821	47,491
Stephen M. Ross School of Business	1924	4,433	137,479,144	31,013
School of Social Work	1951	940	31,557,111	33,571
Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design	1974	740	18,111,495	24,475
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor*	–	52,065	2,590,485,130	49,755
*included other standalone units

First-time fall freshman statistics of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
	2024[169]	2023[170]	2022[171]	2021[172]	2020[173]	2019[174]
Applicants	98,310	87,605	84,289	79,743	65,021	64,972
Admits	15,373	15,714	14,914	16,071	16,974	14,883
Admit rate	15.64%	17.94%	17.69%	20.15%	26.11%	22.91%
Enrolled	7,278	7,462	7,050	7,290	6,879	6,830
Yield	47.34%	47.49%	47.27%	45.36%	40.53%	45.89%
SAT range	1360-1530	1350–1530	1350–1530	1360–1530	1340–1520	1340–1530
ACT range	31-34	31–34	31–34	31–35	31–34	31–34

U.S. News & World Report rates Michigan "Most Selective"^[175] and The Princeton Review rates its admissions selectivity of 96 out of 99.^[176] Admissions are characterized as "more selective, lower transfer-in" according to the Carnegie Classification.^[177][178] Michigan received over 83,000 applications for a place in the 2021–22 freshman class, making it one of the most applied-to universities in the United States.^[178][179] Of those students accepted to Michigan's Class of 2027, 7,050 chose to attend.

Admission is based on academic prowess, extracurricular activities, and personal qualities. The university's admission process is need-blind for domestic applicants.^[180] Admissions officials consider a student's standardized test scores, application essay and letters of recommendation to be important academic factors, with emphasis on an applicant's academic record and GPA, while ranking an applicant's high school class rank as 'not considered'.^[171][172] In terms of non-academic materials as of 2022, Michigan ranks character/personal qualities and whether the applicant is a first-generation university applicant as 'important' in making first-time, first-year admission decisions, while ranking extracurricular activities, talent/ability, geographical residence, state residency, volunteer work, work experience and level of applicant's interest as 'considered'.^[171] Some applicants to Music, Theatre and Dance and some applicants to the College of Engineering may be interviewed.^[171] A portfolio is required and considered for admission for Art, Architecture and the Ross School of Business.^[171] Submission of standardized test scores is recommended but not compulsory.^[181] Of the 52% of enrolled freshmen in 2023 who submitted SAT scores; the middle 50 percent Composite scores were 1350–1530. Of the 18% of the incoming freshman class who submitted ACT scores; the middle 50 percent Composite score was between 31 and 34.

Since the fall of 2021, the university has had the largest number of students in the state, surpassing Michigan State University's former enrollment leadership.^[182] Given the state's shrinking pool of college-age students, there is public concern that the university's expansion could harm smaller schools by drawing away good students.^[183][184] Some of the state's regional public universities and smaller private colleges have already seen significant declines in enrollment, while others face difficulties in maintaining enrollment figures without lowering admission standards.^[183]

The university experienced an unexpected surge in student enrollment for the 2023 academic year, having admitted more students than it could support.^[185] This over-yield situation has placed considerable strain on student housing affordability, heightened faculty members' workloads, and stretched resources thin.^[185] The university is now embracing a steady-state admissions management strategy aimed at maintaining a stable class size.^[185]

Doctoral program statistics of the Rackham Graduate School
	2023[186]	2022[186]	2021[186]	2020[186]	2019[186]
Applicants	19,098	17,547	18,820	17,061	16,079
Offers	2,816	2,480	2,349	2,326	2,479
Selectivity	14.75%	14.13%	12.48%	13.63%	15.42%
Matriculations	1,233	981	1,013	945	1,078
Yield	43.79%	39.56%	43.12%	40.63%	43.49%

The Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, the graduate school of the University of Michigan, received a total of 19,098 applications for admission into its doctoral programs for the 2023 admission year, encompassing the Summer and Fall terms.^[186] The school extended offers of admission to 2,816 applicants, representing 14.75% of the applicant pool.^[186] Subsequently, 1,233 of the offers were accepted, resulting in a yield rate of 43.79% for the academic year.^[186] Applicants may submit multiple applications to different doctoral programs and receive multiple offers, but can only matriculate into one program at a time. Doctoral programs that are not administered by Rackham are not included in the statistics.

The selectivity of admissions to doctoral programs varies considerably among different disciplines, with certain highly competitive fields exhibiting acceptance rates in the single digits. For instance, in 2023, the field of Business Administration admitted only 5.2% of its 519 applicants. Similarly, the field of Sociology had a selectivity rate of 5.01%, selecting from a pool of 439 applicants. The field of Psychology was even more competitive, with a selectivity rate of 4.1% out of 805 applicants. Other traditionally highly competitive fields include Philosophy, Public Policy & Economics, Political Science, and Robotics.^[186]

Enrollment in University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (2013–2024)

Academic Year	Undergraduates	Graduate	Total Enrollment
2013–2014[187]	28,283	15,427	43,710
2014–2015[188]	28,395	15,230	43,625
2015–2016[189]	28,312	15,339	43,651
2016–2017[190]	28,964	15,754	44,718
2017–2018[191]	29,821	16,181	46,002
2018–2019[192]	30,318	16,398	46,716
2019–2020[174]	31,266	16,824	48,090
2020–2021[173]	31,329	16,578	47,907
2021–2022[172]	32,282	17,996	50,278
2022–2023[171]	32,695	18,530	51,225
2023–2024[170]	33,730	18,335	52,065

In August 1841, the university first published its admission requirements for incoming freshmen. These criteria placed a strong emphasis on proficiency in ancient languages, particularly Latin and Greek.^[12]: 33 Prospective students faced an examination process that assessed their knowledge across various subjects, including arithmetic, algebra, English grammar, geography, Latin literature (Virgil and Cicero's Select Orations), Greek literature (Jacob's or Felton's Greek Reader), Latin grammar (Andrews and Stoddard's), and Greek grammar (Sophocles's).

A decade later, the university made a significant change to its admission policy. In 1851, it introduced a more flexible approach by waiving the ancient language requirement for students not pursuing the traditional collegiate course and allowing admission without examination in classical languages for these students.^[12]: 44 This adjustment can be viewed as a prelude to scientific education, signaling a gradual shift from the classical curriculum to a more diverse and modern academic offering.

In the early days of the university, the admission requirements varied across different departments, and most admissions were based on referrals. However, in 1863, a standardized entrance examination was introduced, establishing a single set of qualifications for admission to all academic and professional departments.^[12]: 79 The university administration at the time praised the implementation of this entrance examination, recognizing its contribution to enhancing the admission process.^[12]: 44 This entrance examination played a crucial role in the admission process throughout the 19th century until the introduction of nationwide standardized tests.

In 2003, two lawsuits involving U-M's affirmative action admissions policy reached the U.S. Supreme Court (Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger). President George W. Bush publicly opposed the policy before the court issued a ruling.^[193] The court found that race may be considered as a factor in university admissions in all public universities and private universities that accept federal funding, but it ruled that a point system was unconstitutional. In the first case, the court upheld the Law School admissions policy, while in the second it ruled against the university's undergraduate admissions policy.^{[citation needed]} The debate continued because in November 2006, Michigan voters passed Proposal 2, banning most affirmative action in university admissions. Under that law, race, gender, and national origin can no longer be considered in admissions.^[194] U-M and other organizations were granted a stay from implementation of the law soon after that referendum. This allowed time for proponents of affirmative action to decide legal and constitutional options in response to the initiative results. In April 2014, the Supreme Court ruled in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action that Proposal 2 did not violate the U.S. Constitution. The admissions office states that it will attempt to achieve a diverse student body by looking at other factors, such as whether the student attended a disadvantaged school, and the level of education of the student's parents.^[194]

Among all first-time freshmen students who enrolled at the university in fall 2017, 82.0% graduated within four years (by August 31, 2021); 10.2% graduated in more than four years but in five years or less (after August 31, 2021 and by August 31, 2022); 1.1% graduated in more than five years but in six years or less (after August 31, 2022 and by August 31, 2023).^[170] The percentage of undergraduate students from the fall 2022 cohort returning in fall 2023 was 98.0% for full-time freshman students.^[170]

The university offers 133 undergraduate majors & degrees across the College of Engineering (18), College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (77), College of Pharmacy (1), Ford School of Public Policy (1), LSA Residential College (3), Marsal Family School of Education (3), Ross School of Business (1), School of Dentistry (1), School of Information (2), School of Kinesiology (3), School of Music, Theatre & Dance (16), School of Nursing (1), School of Public Health (2), Stamps School of Art & Design (2), and Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning (2). The most popular undergraduate majors, by 2021 graduates, were computer and information sciences (874), business administration and management (610), economics (542), behavioral neuroscience (319), mechanical engineering (316), experimental psychology (312).^[195]

The Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies offers more than 180 graduate degree programs in collaboration with fourteen other schools and colleges. Nineteen graduate and professional degree programs, including the juris doctor, master of business administration, doctor of dental surgery, master of engineering, doctor of engineering, doctor of medicine, and doctor of pharmacy, are offered exclusively by the schools and colleges; Rackham does not oversee their administration. The university conferred 4,951 graduate degrees, and 709 first professional degrees in 2011–2012.^[196][197]

The university is listed among the leading suppliers of undergraduate and graduate alumni to Silicon Valley tech firms.^[198] In 2015, the university ranked 6th on the list of top feeder schools for Google, which employed over 500 graduates at the time. The university ranked 10th on the list of top feeder schools for Meta.^[199] Google and Meta remain the university's first and second top employers in 2024.^[200]

The university has ranked 3rd overall in investment banking analyst placements, according to data from Terrain Analytics.^[201] This ranking is based on 216 total hires of graduates from 2008 to 2023 who secured positions within the United States, including 74 placements at elite firms such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Evercore, and Centerview Partners.^[201] The ranking adjusts to 8th place when accounting for the size of the undergraduate population.^[201] The university also ranked 3rd overall in recruiting for undergraduate management consulting jobs, with 102 graduates from 2014-2020 securing positions at the Big Three firms: McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.^[202]

In 2022, Michigan Ross ranked 11th among all business schools in the United States according to Poets & Quants, with its MBA graduates earning an average starting base salary of $165,000 and an average sign-on bonus of $30,000.^[203]

In academia, the university ranks among the five most common institutions for doctoral training, alongside UC Berkeley, Harvard, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Stanford. Together, these universities have trained one in eight tenure-track faculty members currently serving at institutions of higher learning across the nation.^[204]

The U.S. Department of Education reports that as of June 2024, federally aided students who attended University of Michigan-Ann Arbor had a median annual income of $83,648 (based on 2020-2021 earnings adjusted to 2022 dollars) five years after graduation.^[205] This figure exceeds both the midpoint for 4-year schools of $53,617 and the U.S. real median personal income of $40,460 for the year 2021 adjusted to 2022 dollars.^[205][206] Federally aided bachelor's graduates from the university's largest program, computer and information science, which had over 950 students in the 2020-21 cohort, had a median annual income of $153,297 five years after graduation.^[205]

According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, law tops the list of most valuable first professional degrees offered by the university when ranked by earnings potential in 2022, with its federally aided students earning a median salary of $197,273 five years after graduation.^[205] Dentistry ($158,677), pharmacy ($142,224), and medicine ($134,187) follow behind in that order.^[205]

The fields of business administration ($140,827), economics ($108,627), mathematics ($107,395), and statistics ($105,494) are among the bachelor's degree programs with the highest earning potential offered by the university.^[205] In 2022, the university's federally aided students in these programs were earning median salaries exceeding the $100,000 threshold five years after graduation.^[205] Additionally, various engineering disciplines such as computer engineering ($123,120), aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering ($113,025), industrial engineering ($109,239), electrical, electronics and communications engineering ($109,107), mechanical engineering ($101,514), chemical engineering ($100,000) are among the top-earning majors.^[205] Computer sciences ($153,297) and information science ($125,257) also fall into this high-earning category.^[205]

The University of Michigan library system comprises nineteen individual libraries with twenty-four separate collections—roughly 13.3 million volumes as of 2012.^[207] The university was the original home of the JSTOR database, which contains about 750,000 digitized pages from the entire pre-1990 backfile of ten journals of history and economics, and has initiated a book digitization program in collaboration with Google.^[208] The University of Michigan Press is also a part of the library system.

Several academic journals are published at the university:

• The Law School publishes Michigan Law Review and six other law journals: The Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law, University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Michigan Journal of Race & Law, Michigan Telecommunications and Technology Law Review, Michigan Journal of International Law, and Michigan Journal of Gender and Law.^[209]
• The Ross School of Business publishes the Michigan Journal of Business.
• Several undergraduate journals are also published at the university, including the Michigan Journal of Political Science, Michigan Journal of History, University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Journal, the Michigan Journal of International Affairs, and the Michigan Journal of Asian Studies.

Academic rankings
National
Forbes[210]	29
U.S. News & World Report[211]	21 (tie)
Washington Monthly[212]	18
WSJ/College Pulse[213]	22
Global
QS[214]	44
THE[215]	22 (tie)
U.S. News & World Report[216]	19 (tie)

The University of Michigan is a large, four-year, residential research university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.^{[177][217][218]} The four-year, full-time undergraduate program comprises the majority of enrollments and emphasizes instruction in the arts, sciences, and professions with a high level of coexistence between graduate and undergraduate programs. The university has "very high" research activity and the comprehensive graduate program offers doctoral degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields as well as professional degrees in medicine, law, and dentistry.^[177] The university has been included on Richard Moll's list of Public Ivies.^[219]

The 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges report ranked the university 3rd among public universities in the United States.^[220] Michigan was ranked 6th in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs Rankings.^[221] Michigan was ranked 3rd in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Business Programs Rankings.^[222] The 2020 Princeton Review College Hopes & Worries Survey ranked Michigan as the No. 9 "Dream College" among students and the No. 7 "Dream College" among parents.^[223]

National Institution Rankings
Institution		Rank	Year	Change (Y/Y)	Source[224][225]
Undergraduate
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor	Best National Universities	21	2024		U.S. News
	Dream College Among Students	5	2024	4	Princeton Review
	Dream College Among Parents	6	2024	2	Princeton Review
	Undergraduate Research/ Creative Projects	=5	–		U.S. News
Stephen M. Ross School of Business	Undergraduate Business	4	–		U.S. News
College of Engineering	Undergraduate Engineering	=5	–		U.S. News
School of Nursing	Bachelor of Science in Nursing	=7	–		U.S. News
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts	Undergraduate Psychology	=3	–		U.S. News
Graduate
College of Engineering	Best Engineering Schools	=9	2024	2	U.S. News
	Aerospace Engineering	6	2024	1	U.S. News
	Biomedical Engineering	=10	2024	1	U.S. News
	Chemical Engineering	=7	2024		U.S. News
	Civil Engineering	=5	2024		U.S. News
	Computer Engineering	=6	2024	1	U.S. News
	Electrical Engineering	=7	2024	3	U.S. News
	Environmental Engineering	=2	2024		U.S. News
	Industrial Engineering	2	2024		U.S. News
	Materials Engineering	=8	2024	1	U.S. News
	Mechanical Engineering	=6	2024	1	U.S. News
	Nuclear Engineering	1	2024		U.S. News
School for Environment and Sustainability	Best Colleges for Environmental Science in America	7	2025		Niche
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy	Best Public Affairs Programs	=4	2024		U.S. News
	Political Science	=4	2021		U.S. News
School of Information	Best Library and Information Studies Programs	=6	2021		U.S. News
School of Kinesiology	Best Colleges for Kinesiology and Physical Therapy in America	4	2025		Niche
Marsal Family School of Education	Best Education Schools	=3	2024	2	U.S. News
School of Public Health	Best Public Health Schools	=5	2024		U.S. News
	Biostatistics	4	2022		U.S. News
	Health Care Management	=3	2023		U.S. News
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts	Biological Sciences	=23	2022		U.S. News
	Chemistry	=14	2023		U.S. News
	Clinical Psychology (Doctorate)	=10	2020		U.S. News
	Earth Sciences	=9	2023		U.S. News
	Economics	=12	2022		U.S. News
	English	=8	2021		U.S. News
	History	=2	2021		U.S. News
	Mathematics	11	2023		U.S. News
	Physics	=13	2023		U.S. News
	Psychology	=3	2022		U.S. News
	Sociology	=2	2021		U.S. News
	Statistics	=7	2022		U.S. News
School of Music, Theatre & Dance	Best Colleges for Music in America	15	2025		Niche
School of Social Work	Best Schools for Social Work	1	2024		U.S. News
Stamps School of Art & Design	Best Art Schools	=8	2020		U.S. News
Stephen M. Ross School of Business	Best B-Schools	8	2024–25	1	Bloomberg Businessweek
	Best Business Schools	=12	2024	4	U.S. News
	Part-time MBA	6	2024	1	U.S. News
Professional
School of Dentistry	Top Colleges for Dental Studies in America	3	2025		Niche
Law School	Best Law Schools	=9	2024	1	U.S. News
Medical School	Best Medical Schools: Research	Unranked[a]	2024		U.S. News
	Best Medical Schools: Primary Care	Unranked[a]	2024		U.S. News
School of Nursing	Best Nursing Schools: Master's	7	2024	1	U.S. News
	Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice	=8	2024	2	U.S. News
	Midwifery	=6	2024	4	U.S. News
College of Pharmacy	Best Pharmacy Schools	=2	2024	1	U.S. News
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning	Best Colleges for Architecture In America	28	2025		Niche
Other
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor	Top Public Schools	3	2025		U.S. News
	Public Universities	1	2022		THE
	Top 25 Public Colleges	4	2023		Forbes
	Top Public Universities In America	2	2025		Niche

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor was ranked 26th among world universities in 2023 by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, based on the number of alumni or staff as Nobel laureates and Fields Medalists, the number of highly cited researchers, the number of papers published in Nature and Science, the number of papers indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index, and the per capita academic performance of the institution.

The 2024 edition of the CWUR Rankings ranked the university 13th nationally and 16th globally, with an overall score of 89.1, taking into account all four areas evaluated by CWUR: education, employability, faculty, and research.^[226][227] The university excels in research (ranked 9th globally), measured by the total number of research papers (10% weight), the number of research papers appearing in top-tier journals (10% weight), the number of research papers appearing in highly-influential journals (10% weight), and the number of highly-cited research papers (10% weight).^[226] However, its ranking in the faculty category is relatively lower at 63rd globally. This metric evaluates the number of faculty members who have received prestigious academic distinctions (10% weight).^[226] The university's employability ranking is 42nd globally, based on the professional success of the university's alumni, measured relative to the institution's size (25% weight).^[226] In the education category, the university is ranked 35th globally. This metric assesses the academic success of the university's alumni, measured relative to the institution's size (25% weight).^[226]

In the 2025 QS World University Rankings, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor was ranked 44nd in the world, its lowest position in 10 years, with an overall score of 79.^[228][229] The university excels in academic reputation (97.9), international research network (95.8), employment outcomes (94.5), and employer reputation (92.1), indicating a strong academic standing and industry recognition. However, it lags in areas like international faculty ratio (65.5), sustainability (62.2), citations per faculty (47.6), and international students ratio (39.2). The faculty-student ratio (80.3) is decent but could be improved.^[228]

World University Rankings
Institution		Rank	Year	Change (Y/Y)	Change (5 Yr.)	Source[230]
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor	Academic Ranking of World Universities	26	2023	2	6	ShanghaiRanking
	Best Global Universities	19	2022–23			U.S. News
	Top Global Universities	44	2025	11	23	QS
	World University Rankings	23	2024		2	THE
	World Reputation Rankings	18	2023		3	THE
	World University Rankings	16	2024			CWUR

World Rankings by Subject
Institution		Rank	Year	Change (Y/Y)	Source
School of Dentistry	Dentistry & Oral Sciences	1	2023		ShanghaiRanking
College of Engineering
	Aerospace Engineering	6	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Automation & Control	12	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Biomedical Engineering	36	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Biotechnology	51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Chemical Engineering	94	–		U.S. News
		101–150	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Civil Engineering	46	–		U.S. News
		51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Computer Science	18	–		U.S. News
		41	–		THE
	Computer Science & Engineering	51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Electrical and Electronic Engineering	105	–		U.S. News
		51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Energy and Fuels	76	–		U.S. News
	Energy Science & Engineering	76–100	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Engineering	21	–		U.S. News
		19	–		THE
	Environmental Science & Engineering	51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Instruments Science & Technology	201–300	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Materials Science	44	–		U.S. News
	Materials Science & Engineering	46	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Mechanical Engineering	36	–		U.S. News
		76–100	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Metallurgical Engineering	34	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Nanoscience and Nanotechnology	87	–		U.S. News
		101–150	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Optics	57	–		U.S. News
	Remote Sensing	51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Space Science	25	–		U.S. News
	Telecommunication Engineering	201–300	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Transportation Science & Technology	14	2023		ShanghaiRanking
School for Environment and Sustainability	Environment/Ecology	35	–		U.S. News
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy	Political Sciences	9	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Public Administration	101–150	2023		ShanghaiRanking
School of Information	Library & Information Science	42	2023		ShanghaiRanking
Law School	Law	9	2023		ShanghaiRanking
		26	–		THE
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
	Agricultural Sciences	201–300	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Arts & Humanities	10			U.S. News
		18	–		THE
	Atmospheric Science	51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Biological Sciences	44	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Biology & Biochemistry	17	–		U.S. News
	Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology	56	–		U.S. News
	Chemistry	46	–		U.S. News
		76–100	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Communication	6	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Condensed Matter Physics	85	–		U.S. News
	Earth Sciences	51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Ecology	51–75	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Economics	23	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Geography	151–200	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Geosciences	67	–		U.S. News
	Human Biological Sciences	44	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Life sciences	29	–		THE
	Mathematics	21	–		U.S. News
		30	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Oceanography	101–150	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Physical Chemistry	84	–		U.S. News
	Physical sciences	23	–		THE
	Physics	25	–		U.S. News
		24	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Plant and Animal Science	93	–		U.S. News
	Psychiatry/Psychology	13	–		U.S. News
	Psychology	11	–		THE
		11	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Social sciences	9	–		THE
	Sociology	4	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Statistics	16	2023		ShanghaiRanking
Marsal Family School of Education	Education	8	–		THE
		1	2023		ShanghaiRanking
Medical School
	Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems	18	–		U.S. News
	Cell Biology	26	–		U.S. News
	Clinical Medicine	12	–		U.S. News
		36	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Clinical and Health	21	–		THE
	Endocrinology and Metabolism	23	–		U.S. News
	Gastroenterology and Hepatology	22	–		U.S. News
	Immunology	31	–		U.S. News
	Infectious Diseases	12	–		U.S. News
	Medical Technology	31	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Microbiology	43	–		U.S. News
	Molecular Biology & Genetics	15	–		U.S. News
	Neuroscience & Behavior	40	–		U.S. News
	Oncology	15	–		U.S. News
	Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging	37	–		U.S. News
	Surgery	11	–		U.S. News
School of Nursing	Nursing	32	2023		ShanghaiRanking
College of Pharmacy	Pharmacology & Toxicology	27	–		U.S. News
	Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences	42	2023		ShanghaiRanking
School of Public Health
	Public, Environmental and Occupational Health	22	–		U.S. News
	Public Health	12	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Social Sciences & Public Health	6	–		U.S. News
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
	Business Administration	50	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Economics & Business	13	–		U.S. News
		20	–		THE
	Global MBA	26	2023	2	Financial Times
	Finance	34	2023		ShanghaiRanking
	Management	7	2023		ShanghaiRanking

R&D statistics, by year

	National Science Foundation		Nature Index
	Total R&D expenditures ($000)	National rank	Share*	National rank	Global rank
2023	–	–	380.50[231]	4	21
2022	1,770,708[232]	4	372.55[233]	6	23
2021	1,639,645[232]	3	338.53[234]	6	24
2020	1,673,862[232]	2	398.65[235]	4	16
2019	1,675,805[232]	2	343.97[236]	5	19
2018	1,600,869[232]	2	344.07[237]	6	19
2017	1,530,139[232]	2	336.04[238]	5	16
*Time frame: January 1 - December 31

			Clarivate (Web of Science)	National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
	Total faculty*	Research faculty**	Highly Cited Researchers	National Academy members	National rank
2023	8,189[8]	657[8]	28[239]	–	–
2022	7,954[8]	697[8]	32[239]	–	–
2021	7,719[8]	868[8]	27[239]	–	–
2020	7,667[8]	854[8]	29[239]	–	–
2019	7,664[8]	898[8]	37[239]	120[240]	10
2018	7,570[8]	907[8]	38[239]	118[241]	9
2017	7,329[8]	891[8]	20[239]	113[242]	12
2016	7,225[8]	892[8]	25[239]	108[243]	13
2015	7,056[8]	872[8]	25[239]	106[244]	13
*Regular Instructional//Research/Librarinan/Curator/Archivist, Supplemental Instructional/Research, Emeritus/a **Starting in Fall 2022, this figure excludes librarian/curator/archivist appointments

The University of Michigan is one of the twelve founding members (in the year 1900) of the Association of American Universities. The university manages one of the largest annual collegiate research budgets of any university in the United States. According to the National Science Foundation, the university spent $1.639 billion on research and development in 2021, ranking it 3rd in the nation.^[245] This figure totaled over $1 billion in 2009.^[246] The Medical School spent the most at over $445 million, while the College of Engineering was second at more than $160 million.^[246] The university has a significant presence in the Nature Index, ranking 6th nationally and 23rd globally among research institutions, with a share of 365.97 and a count of 1199 in 2022.^[233]

In 2023, the university's research faculty headcount was 657, not including librarian, curator, and archivist appointments which were no longer counted in this figure starting from Fall 2022.^[8] The university boasted 28 researchers who were recognized by Clarivate as being highly cited in 2023.^[239] In 2019, the university had 120 faculty members who were national academy members, placing it 10th among its peers in this metric.^[240] Research.com recognized 439 researchers affiliated with the university in their 2023 ranking of top scientists worldwide.^[247] This classification is based on the D-index (discipline H-index), with individuals surpassing a predetermined threshold—typically set at 30 or 40—within their respective scientific disciplines.^[247]

• Bubble chamber – Donald A. Glaser initiated experiments at the university in the early 1950s that resulted in the invention of the bubble chamber.^[248]
• First measurement of magnetic moment and spin of free electrons and positrons – was conducted by experimental physicist H. Richard Crane at the university.^[249]

• Internet – the NSFnet national backbone, an initiative supported by the National Science Foundation and overseen by Douglas Van Houweling while he was serving as chief information officer at the university, was the foundation upon which the global Internet was built.^[250]
• Michigan Terminal System – is an early time-sharing computer operating system developed at the university, was the first system outside of IBM to use the 360/67's virtual memory features.^[251] In the mid-1960s university's researchers worked with IBM to develop a new virtual memory architectural model^[252] that model became part of IBM's Model 360/67 mainframe computer (the 360/67 was initially dubbed the 360/65M where the "M" stood for Michigan).^[253]

• Polio vaccine – the discovery and development of the polio vaccine was largely guided by Thomas Francis Jr., an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan. Jonas Salk, one of Francis' research associates at the university, played a key role in the research and testing that resulted in the creation of polio vaccine.^[254]
• Influenza vaccine – developed at the university by Thomas Francis Jr..^[254]
• Live attenuated influenza vaccine – developed at the School of Public Health by Hunein Maassab.^[255]

• Klein–Goldberger model – is an enhanced macroeconomic model developed by Lawrence Klein and Arthur Goldberger at the university.^[256]
• Donabedian model – is a conceptual model that provides a framework for examining health services and evaluating quality of health care, developed by Avedis Donabedian at the university in 1966.^[257]
• University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index – is a survey published monthly by the University of Michigan that measures consumer confidence towards the U.S. economy. The consumer confidence measures were devised in the late 1940s by Professor George Katona at the university.
• Correlates of War – is an accumulation of scientific knowledge about war. It was started in 1963 at the university by Professor J. David Singer.^[258][259]

The university is also home to major research centers in optics, reconfigurable manufacturing systems, wireless integrated microsystems, and social sciences. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the Life Sciences Institute are located at the university. The university is a major contributor to the medical field with the EKG^[260] and the gastroscope.^[261]

The University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, the nation's longest-standing laboratory for interdisciplinary research in the social sciences,^[262] is home to the Survey Research Center, Research Center for Group Dynamics, Center for Political Studies, Population Studies Center, and Inter-Consortium for Political and Social Research. Undergraduate students are able to participate in various research projects through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) as well as the UROP/Creative-Programs.^[263]

In 2009, the university signed an agreement to purchase a facility formerly owned by Pfizer. The acquisition includes over 170 acres (0.69 km²) of property, and 30 major buildings comprising roughly 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m²) of wet laboratory space, and 400,000 square feet (37,000 m²) of administrative space. At the time of the agreement, the university's intentions for the space were not fully articulated, but the expectation was that the new space would allow the university to ramp up its research and ultimately employ in excess of 2,000 people.^[264]

The university's 13,000-acre (53 km²) biological station in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan is one of only 47 Biosphere Reserves in the United States.^[265] In May 2021, the university announced plans to cut carbon emissions from its campuses. The plan covers all of its operations and goals include removing emissions from direct, on-campus sources by 2040.^[266]

The American National Election Studies, formally established by a National Science Foundation grant in 1977, has been based at the University of Michigan since its origin and, since 2005, has been run in partnership with Stanford University. As of 2017, the principal investigators are Ted Brader and Vincent Hutchings of the University of Michigan and Shanto Iyengar of Stanford University.

In the late 1960s the university, together with Michigan State University and Wayne State University, founded the Merit Network, one of the first university computer networks.^[267] The Merit Network was then and remains today administratively hosted by the university. In 1987, they led a proposal to upgrade and expand the National Science Foundation Network backbone from 56,000 to 1.5 million, and later to 45 million bits per second.^[268]

In 2006, the university joined with Michigan State University and Wayne State University to create the University Research Corridor.^[269] The three universities are connected via the high-speed Michigan LambdaRail (MiLR) data network, providing 10 Gbit/s links between their campuses and other major network hubs.^[270]

Undergraduate student body composition
as of August 2024

Race/Ethnicity[271]	Total
White	51%	51
Asian	18%	18
Hispanic	8%	8
Black	4%	4
American Indian/Alaska Native	0%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0%
Two or more races	5%	5
Unknown	5%	5
Foreign national	8%	8
Socio-Economic Diversity[271]
Students receiving a Pell grant intended for low-income students	18%	18

As of October 2023, the university had an enrollment of 52,065 students: 33,730 undergraduate students and 18,335 graduate students^[272][273] The largest college at the university was the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts with 21,973 students (42.2% of the total student body), followed by the College of Engineering (11,113; 21.3%) and Ross School of Business (4,433; 8.1%). All other colleges each hosted less than 5% of the total student population.^[274]

Students come from all 50 U.S. states and nearly 100 countries.^[178] As of 2022, 52% of undergraduate students were Michigan residents, while 43% came from other states. The remainder of the undergraduate student body was composed of international students.^[275] Of the total student body, 43,253 (83.1%) were U.S. citizens or permanent residents and 8,812 (16.9%) were international students as of November 2023.^[276]

In terms of race, as of October 2023 the undergraduate student body was approximately 53% White, 17% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 4% Black, 5% from two or more races, and 5% from an unknown racial composition. The remaining 8% of undergraduates were international students.^[271]

According to a 2017 report by the New York Times, the median family income of a student at Michigan was $154,000. 66% of students came from families within the top 20% in terms of income.^[277] As of 2022, approximately 23% of in-state undergraduate students and 14% of out-of-state students received a Pell Grant.^[275]

The University of Michigan's campus housing system can accommodate approximately 10,000 students.^[278] The residence halls are located in three distinct geographic areas on campus: Central Campus, Hill Area (between Central Campus and the University of Michigan Medical Center) and North Campus. Family housing is located on North Campus and mainly serves graduate students. The largest residence hall has a capacity of 1,270 students,^[279] while the smallest accommodates 25 residents.^[280] A majority of upper-division and graduate students live in off-campus apartments, houses, and cooperatives, with the largest concentrations in the Central and South Campus areas.

By 2012, the university had 1,438 student organizations.^[281] The student body is politically engaged, though, with 96% stating they intended to vote in the 2020 election. It is largely progressive, with 43% identifying as very liberal, 33% as somewhat liberal, and 13% moderate. 11% identified as conservative or very conservative.^[282] With a history of student activism, some of the most visible groups include those dedicated to causes such as civil rights and labor rights, such as local chapters of Students for a Democratic Society and United Students Against Sweatshops. Conservative groups also organize, such as the Young Americans for Freedom.^[283]

There are also several engineering projects teams, including the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, which has placed first in the North American Solar Challenge six times and third in the World Solar Challenge four times.^[284] Michigan Interactive Investments,^[285] the TAMID Israel Investment Group, and the Michigan Economics Society^[286] are also affiliated with the university.

The university also showcases many community service organizations and charitable projects, including Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children, Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan,^[287] The Detroit Partnership, Relay For Life, U-M Stars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, InnoWorks at the University of Michigan, SERVE, Letters to Success, PROVIDES, Circle K, Habitat for Humanity,^[288] and Ann Arbor Reaching Out. Intramural sports are popular, and there are recreation facilities for each of the three campuses.^[289]

The Michigan Union and Michigan League are student activity centers located on Central Campus; Pierpont Commons is on North Campus. The Michigan Union houses a majority of student groups, including the student government. The William Monroe Trotter House, located east of Central Campus, is a multicultural student center operated by the university's Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs.^[290] The University Activities Center (UAC) is a student-run programming organization and is composed of 14 committees.^[291] Each group involves students in the planning and execution of a variety of events both on and off campus.

The Michigan Marching Band, composed of more than 350 students from almost all of U-M's schools,^[292] is the university's marching band. Over 125 years old (with a first performance in 1897),^[293] the band performs at every home football game and travels to at least one away game a year. The student-run and led University of Michigan Pops Orchestra is another musical ensemble that attracts students from all academic backgrounds. It performs regularly in the Michigan Theater. The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club, founded in 1859 and the second oldest such group in the country, is a men's chorus with over 100 members.^[294] Its eight-member subset a cappella group, the University of Michigan Friars, which was founded in 1955, is the oldest currently running a cappella group on campus.^[295] The University of Michigan is also home to over twenty other a cappella groups, including Amazin' Blue, The Michigan G-Men, and Compulsive Lyres, all of which have competed at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) finals in New York City. Compulsive Lyres are the first and only group from Michigan to claim an ICCA title, having won in 2002.^[296] The Michigan G-Men are one of only six groups in the country to compete at ICCA finals four times, one of only two TTBB ensembles to do so, and placed third at the competition in 2015.^[297] Amazin' Blue placed fourth at ICCA finals in 2017.

The University of Michigan also has over 380 cultural and ethnic student organizations on campus.^[298] These range the Arab Student Association to Persian Student Association^[299] to African Students Association^[300] to even the Egyptian Student Association.^[301]

Fraternities and sororities play a role in the university's social life; approximately seven percent of undergraduate men and 16% of undergraduate women are active in the Greek system.^[302] Four different Greek councils—the Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Panhellenic Association—represent most Greek organizations. Each council has a different recruitment process.^[303]

National honor societies such as Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Tau Beta Pi have chapters at U-M.^[304] Degrees "with Highest Distinction" are recommended to students who rank in the top 3% of their class, "with High Distinction" to the next 7%, and "with Distinction" to the next 15%. Students earning a minimum overall GPA of 3.4 who have demonstrated high academic achievement and capacity for independent work may be recommended for a degree "with Highest Honors", "with High Honors", or "with Honors".^[304] Those students who earn all A's for two or more consecutive terms in a calendar year are recognized as James B. Angell Scholars and are invited to attend the annual Honors Convocation, an event which recognizes undergraduate students with distinguished academic achievements.^[304]

The University of Michigan hosts three secret societies: Michigauma, Adara, and the Vulcans. Michigauma and Adara were once under the umbrella group "The Tower Society", the name referring to their historical locations in the Michigan Union tower. Michigauma was all-male while Adara was all-female, although both later became co-ed.

• Michigauma, more recently known as the Order of Angell, was formed in 1902 by a group of seniors in coordination with University president James Burrill Angell. The group disbanded itself in 2021 due to public concerns about elitism and the society's history. The group was granted a lease for the top floor of the Michigan Union tower in 1932, which they referred to as the "tomb", but the society vacated the space in 2000. Until more recent reforms, the group's rituals were inspired by the culture of Native Americans.^[305] Some factions on campus identified Michigauma as a secret society, but many disputed that characterization, as its member list has been published some years in The Michigan Daily and the Michiganensian, and online since 2006 reforms.
• Adara, known as Phoenix, was formed in the late 1970s by women leaders on campus and disbanded itself in 2021 amid campus criticisms of secret societies.^[306] In the early 1980s they joined the tower society and occupied the sixth floor of the tower just below Michigamua.
• Vulcans, occupied the fifth floor of the Union tower though were not formally a part of the tower society. They draw their heritage from the Roman god Vulcan. The group which used to do its tapping publicly is known for its long black robes and for its financial contributions of the College of Engineering.

The student newspaper is The Michigan Daily, founded in 1890 and editorially and financially independent of the university. The Daily is published five days a week during academic year, and weekly from May to August. The yearbook is the Michiganensian, founded in 1896. Other student publications at the university include the conservative The Michigan Review and the progressive Michigan Independent. The humor publication Gargoyle Humor Magazine is also published by Michigan students.

WCBN-FM (88.3 FM) is the student-run college radio station which plays in freeform format. WOLV-TV is the student-run television station that is primarily shown on the university's cable television system. WJJX was previously the school's student-run radio station. A carrier current station, it was launched in 1953.^[307]

Violent crime is rare on the campus though a few of the cases have been notorious including Theodore Kaczynski's attempted murder of professor James V. McConnell and research assistant Nicklaus Suino in 1985. Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, graduated from Michigan with his PhD in 1967.

A radical left-wing militant organization Weather Underground was founded at the university in 1969.^[308] It was later designated a domestic terrorist group by the FBI.^[309]

In 2014, the University of Michigan was named one of 55 higher education institutions under investigation by the Office of Civil Rights "for possible violations of federal law over the handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints." President Barack Obama's White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault was organized for such investigations.^[310] Seven years later, in 2021, the university attracted national attention when a report commissioned by the university was released that detailed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against doctor Robert Anderson who reportedly abused at least 950 university students, many of whom were athletes, from 1966 to 2003.^[311] Several football players from that time say football coach Bo Schembechler ignored and enabled the abuse and told players to "toughen up" after being molested.^[312] Schembechler reportedly punched his then 10-year-old son Matthew after he reported abuse by Anderson.^[313] Following the exposure of a similar history of abuse at Ohio State University, male survivors of both Anderson at Michigan and Strauss at Ohio State spoke out to combat sexual abuse.^[314] The University of Michigan settled with the survivors for $490 million.^[315]

The university's athletics history dates back to the late 19th century, with the baseball team founded in 1866, the football team established in 1879, and the men's tennis team originating in 1893. The university currently boasts 29 varsity intercollegiate sports, including 14 men's teams and 15 women's teams.^[316] Since January 2016, Warde Manuel has served as the 12th athletics director.

In 1896, the university became a founding member of the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, which later evolved into the Western Conference (1896–1899) and eventually became known as the Big Ten Conference (since 1950). However, it was voted out of the conference in April 1907. Following a nine-year absence, the university rejoined the conference in 1917. Since its reinstatement, the university's intercollegiate sports teams, known as the "Wolverines," have participated in the Big Ten Conference in most sports, with the exception of the women's water polo team, which competes in the Collegiate Water Polo Association. The teams compete at the NCAA Division I level in all sports, including Division I FBS in football. The teams share the nickname "Wolverines" with several other collegiate athletic teams in the country, such as the Utah Valley Wolverines, the Grove City Wolverines, and the Morris Brown Wolverines.

In 1909-10, college football faced a safety crisis as injuries spiked despite earlier reforms. The presidents of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton attempted to implement moderate changes to improve player safety and prevent government intervention. However, their efforts were met with resistance from the rules committee and the newly formed Intercollegiate Athletic Association.^[317] In 1926 Harvard entered into an agreement to play football against the University of Michigan instead of Princeton, threatening the 'Big Three' relationship due to previous rough games with Princeton. By the 1930s, the 'Big Three' was restored and expanded into the Ivy League in 1939.^[318]

The Ray Fisher Stadium, constructed in 1923, serves as the home venue for the baseball team. The Alumni Field at Carol Hutchins Stadium, formerly known as the Varsity Diamond, is the home field for the university's softball team. The Yost Ice Arena, opened in 1923, is the home arena for the men's ice hockey team. The Crisler Center, opened in 1967 and previously known as the University Events Building and Crisler Arena, serves as the home venue for the men's and women's basketball teams as well as the women's gymnastics team. The Phyllis Ocker Field, constructed in 1995 and built partially on the site of Regents Field, is the home venue for the university's field hockey teams.

Michigan Stadium, opened in 1927, serves as the home venue for the football team. With an official capacity of 107,601, the stadium is the third-largest sports stadium in the world.^[319][320] The extra seat in the stadium's capacity is said to be "reserved" for former head coach Fritz Crisler.^[321] Prior to the construction of Michigan Stadium in 1927, the football team played their home games at Regents Field. In 1902, Dexter M. Ferry donated land adjacent to Regents Field, and the entire complex was renamed Ferry Field. Ferry Field served as the home stadium for the football team until the opening of Michigan Stadium. Today, Ferry Field serves as a tailgating space for Michigan Stadium during football games.

The Michigan fight song, "The Victors", was written by student Louis Elbel in 1898. The song was declared by John Philip Sousa to be "the greatest college fight song ever written."^[322] The song refers to the teams as being "the Champions of the West". At the time, the Big Ten Conference was known as the Western Conference.

Although mainly used at sporting events, the Michigan fight song is often heard at other events as well. President Gerald Ford had it played by the United States Marine Band as his entrance anthem during his term as president from 1974 to 1977, in preference over the more traditional "Hail to the Chief",^[323] and the Michigan Marching Band performed a slow-tempo variation of the fight song at his funeral.^[324] The fight song is also sung during graduation commencement ceremonies. The university's alma mater song is "The Yellow and Blue". A common rally cry is "Let's Go Blue!" which has a complementary short musical arrangement written by former students Joseph Carl, a sousaphonist, and Albert Ahronheim, a drum major.^[325]

Before "The Victors" was officially the university's fight song, the song "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" was considered to be the school song.^[326] After Michigan temporarily withdrew from the Western Conference in 1907, a new Michigan fight song, "Varsity", was written in 1911 because the line "champions of the West" was no longer appropriate.^[327]

The Michigan football program ranks first in NCAA history in total wins (1,004 through the end of the 2023 season) and tied for 1st among FBS schools in winning percentage (.734).^[328][329] The team won the first Rose Bowl game in 1902. the university had 40 consecutive winning seasons from 1968 to 2007, including consecutive bowl game appearances from 1975 to 2007.^[330] The Wolverines have won a record 45 Big Ten championships. The program claims 12 national championships,^[331][332] most recently the 2023 National Championship,^[333] and has produced three Heisman Trophy winners: Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson.^[334]

The men's ice hockey team, which plays at Yost Ice Arena, has won nine national championships.^[335]

The men's basketball team, which plays at the Crisler Center, has appeared in five Final Fours and won the national championship in 1989. The program also voluntarily vacated victories from its 1992–1993 and 1995–1999 seasons in which illicit payments to players took place, as well as its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances.^[336] The men's basketball team has most recently won back-to-back Big Ten Tournament Championships.

More than 250 Michigan athletes or coaches have participated in Olympic events,^[337] and as of 2021 its students and alumni have won 155 Olympic medals.^[338] Through the 2012 Summer Olympics, 275 Michigan students and coaches had participated in the Olympics, winning medals in each Summer Olympic Games except 1896, and winning gold medals in all but four Olympiads. the university's students/student-coaches (e.g., notably, Michael Phelps) have won a total of 185 Olympic medals: 85 golds, 48 silvers, and 52 bronzes.^[339]

In 10 of the past 14 years concluding in 2009, the university has finished in the top five of the NACDA Director's Cup, a ranking compiled by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to tabulate the success of universities in competitive sports. The university has finished in the top 10 of the Directors' Cup standings in 21 of the award's 29 seasons between 1993–2021 and has placed in the top six in nine of the last 10 seasons.^[340]

The university is also home to several public and research museums including but not limited to the University Museum of Art, University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, Detroit Observatory, Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry, and the LSA Museum of Anthropological Archaeology.

Kelsey Museum of Archeology has a collection of Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern artifacts.^[341] Between 1972 and 1974, the museum was involved in the excavation of the archaeological site of Dibsi Faraj in northern Syria.^[342] The Kelsey Museum re-opened November 1, 2009, after a renovation and expansion.^[343]

The collection of the University of Michigan Museum of Art include nearly 19,000 objects that span cultures, eras, and media and include European, American, Middle Eastern, Asian, and African art, as well as changing exhibits. The Museum of Art re-opened in 2009 after a three-year renovation and expansion.^[344] UMMA presents special exhibitions and diverse educational programs featuring the visual, performing, film and literary arts that contextualize the gallery experience.^[345]

The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History began in the mid-19th century and expanded greatly with the donation of 60,000 specimens by Joseph Beal Steere in the 1870s. The building also houses three research museums: the Museum of Anthropology, Museum of Paleontology. Today, the collections are primarily housed and displayed in the Ruthven Museums Building which was completed in 1928.^[346]

The Zion Masonic Lodge funded the university's first academic building in the 1810s.^[347] Two-thirds of the total funding to establish the university was contributed by the Masonic lodge and its members.^[347] Since then, private donors have become an important source of funding for the university. Among the individuals who have made significant donations commemorated at the university are William Wilson Cook, Dexter Mason Ferry, the Ford family, the Nichols family, the Marsal Family, the Tisch Family, William Erastus Upjohn, John Stoughton Newberry, Clara Harrison Stranahan, William K. Brehm, William Morse Davidson, A. Alfred Taubman, Penny W. Stamps, and Ronald Weiser. The Zell Family Foundation, led by Sam and Helen Zell, has donated a total of $152 million to the university over the years.^[348][349] Stephen M. Ross made a $200 million donation to the business school and athletic campus in 2013.^[350] Ross made a separate $100 million contribution to the university in 2004.^[351] Charles Munger pledged $110 million in 2013 for a graduate residence and fellowships.^[352]

The university employs 7,954 faculty members,^[353] including 37 members of the National Academy of Sciences,^[354] 62 members of the National Academy of Medicine,^[355] 30 members of the National Academy of Engineering,^[356] 99 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,^[357] and 17 members of the American Philosophical Society.^[358][359] The university's current and former faculty includes thirteen Nobel laureates, eight Pulitzer Prize winners, 41 MacArthur Fellows, as well as eighteen AAAS fellows. Notable faculty members include Nobel Prize–winning physicists Martinus Veltman, Gérard Mourou, Martin Lewis Perl, Donald A. Glaser, Carl Wieman, and Charles H. Townes; mathematicians Raoul Bott, Samuel Eilenberg, Frederick Gehring; poets W. H. Auden, Joseph Brodsky, Robert Frost and Donald Hall; philosopher John Dewey; jurist Henry Billings Brown; Nobel laureate Lawrence R. Klein; Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Leslie Bassett; Nobel Prize–winning physiologists Charles B. Huggins, Peyton Rous, and Hamilton O. Smith; virologist Jonas Salk; Institute of Medicine members Francis Collins and Huda Akil; National Medal of Science recipient Elizabeth C. Crosby and MacArthur Fellowship recipients George Zweig, Karen Uhlenbeck, Amos Tversky, John Henry Holland, and Robert Axelrod. The faculty also includes transgender activist Lynn Conway, and A. Galip Ulsoy, co-inventor of the Reconfigurable Manufacturing System.

• 
  Joseph Brodsky
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  John Dewey
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  Charles H. Townes
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  Elizabeth C. Crosby
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  Francis Collins
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  Frederick Gehring

As of 2013,^[update] nine Michigan alumni have won the Nobel Prize.^[360] As of 2022,^[update] 35 of Michigan's matriculants have been awarded a Pulitzer Prize. By alumni count, Michigan ranks fifth as of 2018,^[update] among all schools whose alumni have won Pulitzers. The university is, as of 2020,^[update] associated one Mitchell Scholar.^[361] As of 2021, 30 Michigan students or alumni have been named Rhodes Scholars.^[362]

The university boasts several holders or candidates of the United States presidency, including Gerald Ford,^[363] the 38th President and the Republican Party's nominee for President in 1976; Thomas E. Dewey,^[364] who was the Republican Party's nominee for President in both 1944 and 1948; Arthur LeSueur, a Socialist candidate for President in 1916; Gilbert Hitchcock, a Democratic candidate in 1928; Arthur Vandenberg, a Republican presidential hopeful in 1948; and Ben Carson,^[365] a Republican candidate in 2016. John Worth Kern and Burton K. Wheeler both ran for the vice presidency, with Kern representing the Democratic Party alongside William Jennings Bryan in 1908, and Wheeler as a Progressive Party's nominee with Robert La Follette Sr. in 1924.

Among the 23 former governors of Michigan who hold formal college degrees, 10 are graduates of the university. (Woodbridge N. Ferris only attended for a year) As of 2021, the university has matriculated 63 U.S. governors or lieutenant governors, including former Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder,^[366] first female lieutenant governor of Missouri Harriett Woods, and former Governor of California Culbert Olson.^[367] More than 250 Michigan graduates have served as legislators as either a United States Senator (47 graduates) or as a Congressional representative (over 215 graduates), including former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt,^[368] U.S. Representative Justin Amash.^[369] Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan,^[370] former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot,^[371] and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan^[372] are also Michigan graduates.

Michigan graduates have held a range of cabinet-level positions, including United States Secretary of State (William Rufus Day^[373]); United States Secretary of the Treasury (George M. Humphrey^[374]); United States Attorney General (Harry Micajah Daugherty^[375]); United States Secretary of the Interior (Kenneth Lee Salazar^[376]); United States Secretary of Agriculture (Clinton Anderson,^[377] Julius Sterling Morton,^[378] Arthur M. Hyde,^[379] and Dan Glickman^[380]); United States Secretary of Commerce (Roy D. Chapin^[381] and Robert P. Lamont^[382]); United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (Tom Price^[383]); and Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget (Rob Portman^[384]). Multiple alumni served in the judicial branch of the U.S. government, including William Rufus Day,^[373] Frank Murphy,^[385] and George Sutherland,^[386] all of whom served as Supreme Court justices. As of 2019, the university has placed onto various State Supreme Courts over 125 graduates, 40 of whom served as Chief Justice.

Foreign alumni include the Prime Minister of Singapore (Lawrence Wong^[387]); the current ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi^[388]); the 51st Prime Minister of Italy (Lamberto Dini); the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda 1994–2004 (Lester Bird); the 47th President of Costa Rica (Luis Guillermo Solís); the Prime Minister of Peru 1993–1994 (Alfonso Bustamante); the Prime Minister of Jordan 2012–2016 (Abdullah Ensour^[389]); the 13th President of Pakistan (Arif Alvi^[390]); Chief Secretary of Hong Kong 2007–2011 (Henry Tang Ying-yen^[391]); Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea 2017–2018 (Kim Dong-yeon); Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria in the government of Boyko Borisov (Simeon Djankov); Deputy Prime Minister of Madagascar 1997–1998 (Herizo Razafimahaleo). British Members of Parliament Terry Davis and Howard Flight are also Michigan graduates. As of 2022, Michigan has matriculated 64 Ambassadors who served as Ambassador in more than 72 countries.

Many alumni have made significant contributions to the fields of engineering and technology, including "father of information theory" Claude Shannon;^[392] Turing Award winners Edgar Codd, Stephen Cook, Frances E. Allen, and Michael Stonebraker; and National Academy of Engineering member Clarence "Kelly" Johnson.^[393] The university produced numerous developers and original authors of widely recognized software programs, such as Thomas Knoll^[394] (original author of Adobe Photoshop); Mike Engelhardt^[395] (original author of LTspice); Niels Provos^[396] (creator of Bcrypt); and Sid Meier^[397] (creator of video games series Civilization).

Michigan alumni have founded or cofounded companies such as Alphabet Inc. (Larry Page^[398]), Stryker Corporation (Homer Stryker^[399]), Loews Corporation (Preston Robert Tisch^[400]), Merrill Lynch (Charles Edward Merrill^[401]), Science Applications International Corporation (J. Robert Beyster^[402]), Rocket Mortgage (Gary Gilbert^[403]), Domino's Pizza, Inc. (Tom Monaghan^[404]), H&R Block (Henry W. Bloch^[405]), Related Companies (Stephen M. Ross^[406]), Admiral Group (Henry Engelhardt^[407]), Five Guys Enterprises (Jerry Murrell^[408] ), Leo Burnett Company (Leo Burnett^[409]), Dart Container Corporation (William A. Dart^[410]), Groupon (Eric Lefkofsky^[411] and Brad Keywell^[412]), EQ Office (Samuel Zell^[413]), Saba Capital (Boaz Weinstein^[414]), Barracuda Networks (Dean Drako^[415]), Munger, Tolles & Olson (Charlie Munger^[416] and Ronald L. Olson^[417]), Club Quarters (Ralph Bahna^[418]), Taubman Company (A. Alfred Taubman^[419]), and Skype (Niklas Zennström^[420]).

The university counts several patriarchs of influential business dynasties, including George Getty of the renowned Getty family. The university also boasts a number of graduates from affluent families, including heirs and heiresses to major fortunes, such as Josiah K. Lilly Jr. (heir to Eli Lilly and Company); Charles Rudolph Walgreen Jr.^[421] (heir to Walgreens); John Gideon Searle (heir to G. D. Searle); Doug Meijer^[422] and Hank Meijer^[423] (heirs to Meijer); Christopher Ilitch (heir to Ilitch Holdings, Inc.); and Kenneth B. Dart (heir to Dart Container Corporation). Raoul Wallenberg, a member of the prominent Wallenberg family, one of the wealthiest family in the world, studied at the university in 1931.^[424]

As of May 2024, about 2.8% of all Fortune 1000 executives with MBAs are alumni from Michigan Ross, ranking it as the 6th highest among all business schools in the United States.^[425][426] Alumni have led several companies, including Berkshire Hathaway (Charlie Munger^[416]), Ford (James Hackett^[427]), General Motors (Roger Smith, Frederick Henderson, and Richard C. Gerstenberg^[428]), State Farm Insurance (Jon Farney^[429]), Citigroup (John C. Dugan^[430]), Tencent (Martin Lau^[431]), The Boeing Company (Edgar Gott^[432]), Wells Fargo (Timothy J. Sloan^[433]), Allstate Corp. (Thomas J. Wilson^[426]), American Airlines (Robert Isom^[426]), PNC Financial Services (William S. Demchak^[434]), General Mills (Stephen Sanger^[435]), Turkish Airlines (Temel Kotil^[436]), International Paper (John V. Faraci^[437]), KB Financial Group (Euh Yoon-dae^[438]), Chrysler Group LLC (C. Robert Kidder^[439]), BorgWarner Inc. (Timothy M. Manganello^[440]), Bunzl (Michael Roney^[441]), Celanese (David N. Weidman^[442]), JetBlue (Dave Barger^[443]), Restaurant Brands International (J. Patrick Doyle^[444]), and Bain Capital (Edward Conard^[445]).

Notable writers who attended U-M include playwright Arthur Miller,^[368] essayists Susan Orlean,^[368] Jia Tolentino,^[446] Sven Birkerts, journalists and editors Mike Wallace,^[368] Jonathan Chait of The New Republic, Indian author and columnist Anees Jung, Daniel Okrent,^[368] and Sandra Steingraber, food critics Ruth Reichl and Gael Greene, novelists Brett Ellen Block, Elizabeth Kostova, Marge Piercy,^[368] Brad Meltzer,^[368] Betty Smith,^[368] and Charles Major, screenwriter Judith Guest,^[368] Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Theodore Roethke, National Book Award winners Keith Waldrop and Jesmyn Ward, composer/author/puppeteer Forman Brown, Alireza Jafarzadeh (a Middle East analyst, author, and TV commentator), and memoirist and self-help book author Jerry Newport.

Musical graduates include operatic soprano Jessye Norman,^[368] singer Joe Dassin, multiple members of the bands Tally Hall and Vulfpeck, jazz guitarist Randy Napoleon, and Mannheim Steamroller founder Chip Davis.^[368] Well-known composers who are alumni include Frank Ticheli, Andrew Lippa, and the Oscar and Tony Award-winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Pop superstar Madonna^[368] and rock legend Iggy Pop^[368] attended but did not graduate.

In Hollywood, famous alumni include actors Michael Dunn,^[368] Darren Criss, James Earl Jones,^[368] and David Alan Grier;^[368] actresses Lucy Liu,^[368] Gilda Radner,^[368] and Selma Blair^[368] as well as television director Mark Cendrowski and filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan.^[368] Many Broadway and musical theatre actors, including Gavin Creel,^[368] Andrew Keenan-Bolger, his sister Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Taylor Louderman attended U-M for musical theatre. Emmy Award winner Sanjay Gupta attended both college and medical school at the university.^[447] Conservative pundit Ann Coulter is another U-M law school graduate (J.D. 1988).^[368]

U-M athletes have starred in Major League Baseball, the National Football League and National Basketball Association as well as in other professional sports. Notable among recent players is Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.^[368] Three players have won college football's Heisman Trophy, awarded to the player considered the best in the nation: Tom Harmon (1940), Desmond Howard (1991), and Charles Woodson (1997).^[334] Professional golfer John Schroeder and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps also attended the University of Michigan; the latter studied Sports Marketing and Management. Phelps also swam competitively for Club Wolverine, a swimming club associated with the university.^[448] Israeli Olympic swimmer Gal Cohen Groumi has also competed for the Wolverines. The Canada national team's Shelina Zadorsky played soccer at the University of Michigan.^[449]

National Hockey League players Marty Turco, Luke Hughes, Chris Summers, Max Pacioretty, Carl Hagelin, Dylan Larkin, Zach Hyman, Brendan Morrison,^[368] Jack Johnson, and Michael Cammalleri^[368] all played for U-M's ice hockey team. MLB Hall of Famers George Sisler and Barry Larkin also played baseball at the university.^[368] Several team owners have been alumni, including multiple-team owner Bill Davidson (NBA Detroit Pistons, NHL Tampa Bay Lightning, WNBA Detroit Shock, among others) and NFL owners Stephen M. Ross (Miami Dolphins), Preston Robert Tisch (New York Giants), and Ralph Wilson (Buffalo Bills).

Activists associated with the university include Weather Underground radical activist Bill Ayers,^[450] activist Tom Hayden,^[368] architect Charles Moore,^[451] Swedish hero of the Holocaust Raoul Wallenberg,^[452] Civil War General Benjamin D. Pritchard,^[453] and assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian.

Several astronauts attended Michigan including the all-U-M crews of both Gemini 4^[454] and Apollo 15.^[455] The university claims the only alumni association with a chapter on the Moon, established in 1971 when the crew of Apollo 15 placed a charter plaque for a new U-M Alumni Association on the lunar surface.^[368][455]