Michigan's Assured Admission Pact: A 3.0 GPA Gets You Into 11 Universities
Michigan high school graduates with a 3.0 GPA are guaranteed admission to 11 of the state's 15 public universities. Here's which schools are included, which aren't, and the scholarship deadlines that come much sooner than you'd think.
College admissions can feel like a guessing game. In Michigan, a 3.0 GPA takes a lot of the guessing out. Under the Michigan Assured Admission Pact (MAAP), 11 of the state’s 15 public universities guarantee admission to Michigan high school graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
How it works
- The requirement: a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or above.
- You still have to apply. The guarantee only works if you submit an application to each school by its deadline.
- Tests are optional. All 15 Michigan public universities are test-optional.
- It only covers the fall right after you graduate from high school.
The 11 schools in the pact
| University | Average GPA of first-year students |
|---|---|
| U-M Dearborn | 3.70 |
| Saginaw Valley State | 3.55 |
| U-M Flint | 3.54 |
| Oakland | 3.50 |
| Central Michigan | 3.48 |
| Wayne State | 3.47 |
| Grand Valley State | 3.41 |
| Northern Michigan | 3.36 |
| Eastern Michigan | 3.35 |
| Ferris State | 3.35 |
| Lake Superior State | 3.21 |
Many of these schools enroll students with average GPAs well above 3.0. So for a student with a 3.0 or 3.1, the pact makes a real difference: it turns a school that might have been a reach into a sure thing.
The 4 schools that aren’t included
The state’s most selective public universities aren’t part of the pact:
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor): first-year average GPA of 3.92
- Michigan Tech: 3.84
- Michigan State: 3.72
- Western Michigan: 3.55
U-M, Michigan State, and Michigan Tech all have early action deadlines on November 1. Western Michigan’s early action deadline is December 1.
What the guarantee doesn’t cover
- Specific majors. The pact guarantees admission to the university, not to competitive programs like nursing or engineering, which can have extra requirements.
- Scholarships. Getting in is guaranteed, but scholarship money isn’t.
- Disciplinary history. Schools that review discipline or criminal records still do.
Watch the scholarship deadlines
This is the most important part. The pact schools use rolling admission, which means they accept applications over many months and you could apply as late as summer. But their scholarship deadlines come much sooner:
- Northern Michigan: Presidential Scholars Competition dates in late October and November 2
- Central Michigan: Centralis Honors Scholarship, November 2
- Saginaw Valley State: President’s Scholarship, December 1
- Wayne State: priority deadline December 1
- Grand Valley State and U-M Flint: merit scholarships, March 1
If you wait until spring to apply, you’ll still get in, but you may miss out on thousands of dollars.
Key takeaways
- A 3.0 guarantees you a spot at 11 Michigan public universities, as long as you apply on time.
- U-M, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, and Western Michigan aren’t part of it and have their own deadlines.
- Your major isn’t guaranteed. Check the requirements for competitive programs.
- Apply early for scholarships. Several scholarship deadlines fall in early November and December.
For every school’s deadlines, read CollegeIntel’s guide to the Michigan Assured Admission Pact. If you’re a Michigan student applying this year, check it soon, because some scholarship deadlines are only days away.