TheUniversity of Michigan (UMich,U-M, orMichigan) is apublicresearch university inAnn 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 theAssociation of American Universities.
The university has the largest student population in Michigan, enrolling more than 52,000 students, including more than 30,000 undergraduates and 18,000 postgraduates. UMich is classified as an "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" by theCarnegie Classification.[12] It consists of 19 schools and colleges, offering more than 280 degree programs.[13][14] The university isaccredited by theHigher Learning Commission. In 2021, it ranked third among American universities inresearch expenditures according to theNational Science Foundation.
The campus, comparable in scale to a midsize city, spans 3,177 acres (12.86 km2). It encompassesMichigan Stadium, which is thelargest stadium in the United States, as well as theWestern Hemisphere, and ranksthird globally. The University of Michigan's athletic teams, including 13 men's teams and 14 women's teams competing in intercollegiate sports, are collectively known as theWolverines. They compete inNCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of theBig Ten Conference. Between 1900 and 2022, athletes from the university earned a total of 185 medals at theOlympic Games, including 86 gold.[15]
The colony came under the control of the Americans with the signing of theTreaty of Paris in 1783. The strong demand for education among the frontier population led to various attempts to establish a New England-style college.[19] Notably, in 1802, the inhabitants petitioned Congress for a township of land to establish an academy,[18] and in 1806,Gabriel Richard, who presided over the Christian schools in Detroit,[16] petitioned for land to found a college.[20][21] These preliminary endeavor yielded negligible results.[22] Consequently, it was not until 1817 that theTerritorial government, at the instigation of JudgeAugustus B. Woodward[23] and with the support of PresidentThomas Jefferson,[24] passed "an Act to establish theCatholepistemiad, orUniversity of Michigania" within theTerritory of Michigan that the university came into being. The act was enacted on August 26, 1817,[25][26] with Richard appointed as vice president andJohn Monteith as president, and it included thirteen professorships, or didaxiim. The legislative act was signed by acting governor and secretaryWilliam Woodbridge, presiding judge Augustus B. Woodward of the Territorial Supreme Court, and judgeJohn Griffin.[27]
First Annual Report of theUniversity of Michigania, authored by its first presidentJohn Monteith, November 16, 1818
The term "Catholepistemiad," a neologism derived from a blend of Greek and Latin roots, can be loosely translated as "School of Universal Knowledge".[28] The corporation was modeled after theImperial University of France, an entity established byNapoleon I a decade prior,[29][30] and included an array of schools and libraries under a single administration,[31] with the authority to establish additional schools across the territory.[30] It was not until Michigan became a state in 1837 that the corporation focused solely on higher education.[29] In September 1817, the university received a subscription from theZion Masonic Lodge. Of the total amount subscribed to start the university two-thirds came from Zion Lodge and its members.[32][33]
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, aLancasterian school, taught byLemuel Shattuck, and a classical academy were operational.[34] Additional schools were established inMonroe andMackinaw by the end of September 1817.[35] In 1821, by a new enactment, the university itself was created as a "body politic and corporate",[36] maintaining its corporate status through various modifications to its charter.[35] The new act placed the corporation under the control of a board of trustees.[37] Monteith, no longer president, joined the board, and Richard served on the board until his death in 1832.[38] The trustees continued to manage the schools and classical academy, but established no new schools.[39] By 1827, all schools had closed, and the Detroit schoolhouse was leased to private teachers.[39]
Alexander J. Davis's original designs for the university featured the Gothic Revival style. He is generally credited with coining the term "Collegiate Gothic"
In 1837, following Michigan's admission to the Union, its constitution enabled the appointive regents to oversee university operations directly alongside professors, without the need for a president.[29] The regents met inAnn Arbor and accepted the town's proposal for the university to relocate,[40][41] based on a 40 acres (16 ha) grant from theTreaty of Fort Meigs[42][43] onHenry Rumsey's farmland.[44]Alexander Jackson Davis devised the original campus plan inGothic Revival style,[45] and the regents unanimously approved his proposal;[46] however, the plan was abandoned due to financial constraints resulting from thePanic of 1837.[47][48] In 1841,Mason Hall, the first campus building, was completed, followed by the construction ofSouth College, an identical building to the south, in 1849, leaving a gap for a future grand centerpiece.[46]
Asa Gray was appointed the first professor following the university's move to Ann Arbor in 1837,[50][51][52][53][54] alongside early faculty membersDouglass Houghton andAndrew Ten Brook.[54][55] 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.[56][57] In the first commencement of 1845, eleven graduates, includingJudson Dwight Collins, were awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree.[58] In subsequent years, the regents established branches across the state as preparatory schools for the university,[59] starting withPontiac and followed byKalamazoo,Detroit,Niles,Tecumseh,White Pigeon, andRomeo.[59] However, they struggled to enroll students and some merged with local colleges.[59]Kalamazoo College was the Kalamazoo Branch of the University of Michigan from 1840 to 1850.[59] Furthermore, the university struggled with issues due to its regents' dependence on the legislature from 1837 to 1850.[60][61] Despite several attempts to gain independence, progress was slow until the late 1840s, when regents gained leverage, supported by Michigan citizens.[60] 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.[60]
Henry Philip Tappan became the university's first president in 1852, with the ambition to shape the institution as a model for future universities. During his decade of service, he overhauled the curriculum,[62] expanded the library and museum collections,[62] established the law school,[29] and supervised the construction of theDetroit Observatory.[62] He secularized faculty appointments by prioritizing merit in selections,[62] breaking away from the retrograde tradition of regents distributing positions among Protestant denominations.[62] In 1855, Michigan became the second university in the country to issueBachelor of Science degrees.[63] 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.[64] Tappan's tenure also saw the creation of theMichigan Glee Club, the oldest student organization at the university, and the publication of the first student newspaper,The Peninsular Phoenix and Gazetteer, in 1857.[65] Despite these accomplishments, Tappan's 11-year presidency was marked by considerable tension.[62] His impartial stance on religion faced backlash during a time of heightened religious fervor.[62] Due to changes in the Board of Regents and discontent with his administration, he was forced to resign in 1863.[62]
Mason Hall, with a statue ofBenjamin Franklin in front. Photograph taken prior to 1870
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.[66] The campus was divided by conflicting views among students, faculty, and regents regarding Tappan's restoration, the homeopathy crisis, and theCivil War.[66] Haven's administration faced routine administrative difficulties and struggled to garner support for increased state aid, despite achieving modest gains.[66] The university, which had received a fixed $15,000 since 1869, still required additional funding.[66] Frustrated, Haven resigned in 1869 to become president ofNorthwestern, aMethodist institution, a move that sectarians viewed as a setback for secular colleges.[66] The presidency remained vacant from 1869 to 1871, with ProfessorHenry Simmons Frieze serving as acting president.[67] During this period, the university raised funds for University Hall, overhauled admissions with a diploma system, and introduced coeducation.[67] Women were first admitted in 1870,[68] althoughAlice Robinson Boise Wood was the first woman to attend classes in 1866.[69] 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.[70] 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.[71] Frieze, a champion of music education, also established theUniversity Musical Society.[67] By the late 1860s, the university had become one of the largest in the nation, alongside Harvard inCambridge.[72] However, it faced ongoing issues with student discipline, including class rushes, instances of hazing, and rowdiness in chapel.[73][67] Frieze attributed these problems to a lack of centralized faculty control.[67]
James Burrill Angell became president in 1871 and would remain in the post for nearly four decades.[74] His tenure would be remembered as the most successful in the university's history.[74] Tappan's reforms in the 1850s set the university on a path to becoming an elite institution, but it was Angell who completed that transformation.[74] Shortly after Angell's arrival,University Hall was completed at vast expense; it would remain the university's major academic building right up until the 1950s.[74] During his presidency, Angell restored campus discipline,[73][74] raised entrance and graduation requirements,[74] and persuaded the legislature to increase state aid.[74] Angell's tenure saw the addition of many extracurricular activities, including theintercollegiate football team.[74] Though a reformer, 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.[74] This approach enabled him to address knotty issues on campus, including the long-standing homeopathy problem.[74] Angell transformed the curriculum to focus on electives, expanding course offerings.[73] That led to a faculty of great minds in many fields, fromJohn Dewey in philosophy toFrederick George Novy in bacteriology.[75] In 1875, the university founded theCollege of Dental Surgery, followed by the establishment of theCollege of Pharmacy byAlbert B. Prescott in 1876. That year, the university awarded its firstDoctor of Philosophy degrees: toVictor C. Vaughan in chemistry and William E. Smith in zoology.[76][19] They were among the first doctoral degrees to be conferred in the nation.[76] The university remained the only institution in the state to grant PhD degrees until the late 1940s.[77]
"Stand up for America; devote your life to its cause; love your homes, and prove as worthy of our cherished free institutions as they are worthy of your allegiance and service. Let not the high standard of National Honor, raised by the fathers, be lowered by their sons. Let learning, liberty and law be exalted and enthroned."
Literary Class of 1880 (includesMary Henrietta Graham, the first African American woman graduate of the University of Michigan)
With his presidency, Angell focused the university on preparing a new generation of statesmen for public service.[74] Angell himself was frequently called upon by the White House for diplomatic missions.[74] In 1880, PresidentRutherford Hayes appointed him as Minister to China, where he successfully negotiated an immigration treaty that facilitated foreign student enrollment.[74] Later, in 1887, 1896, and 1897, PresidentGrover Cleveland appointed him to fisheries and waterways commissions.[74] That same year, PresidentWilliam McKinley named him Envoy Extraordinary to Turkey.[74] By the late 19th century, the university had gained an international reputation, in large part due to Angell's diplomatic efforts.[74] During this period, over eighty subjects of theEmperor of Japan were sent to Ann Arbor to study law as part of the opening of that empire to external influence.[79] The university also played a key role in developing thePhilippine education, legal, and public health systems during American colonization, largely due to the contributions of Michigan alumni likeDean Conant Worcester andGeorge A. Malcolm.[80] Angell retired in 1909, and seven years later, he died in thePresident's House, which had been his home for forty-five years.[74] His successor,Harry Burns Hutchins, who was once his student, would lead the university throughWorld War I and theGreat Influenza epidemic.[74]
In 1910,Harry Burns Hutchins assumed the presidency, becoming the first alumnus to hold that position.[81] He had spent seven years inIthaca, New York, where he was called byAndrew Dickson White andCharles Kendall Adams to establish theCornell Law School.[81] Hutchins then became the dean of the law school at his alma mater, where he introduced thecase method of instruction.[81] Hutchins was acting president when Angell was absent.[81] During his presidency, Hutchins established theGraduate School,[81] doubled enrollment,[81] and increased the faculty.[81] He secured more state aid and alumni support to fund the university's capital needs,[81] including the gothicLaw Quadrangle,[82]Martha Cook Building,[83]Hill Auditorium, andMichigan Union, which became campus landmarks. Hutchins enhanced the university health service,[81] but wartime distractions plagued his presidency. The influenza epidemic, which caused student deaths from poor care, deeply troubled him.[81] Well-liked by the regents who encouraged him to remain president, nonetheless, Hutchins retired in 1920.[81]
A 1907 postcard illustrated by F. Earl Christy that features a Michigan football theme
The 1920s at the university were marked by the brief tenures of two presidents,Marion LeRoy Burton andClarence Cook Little.[84] In 1920, when Burton assumed office, a conference on higher education took place at the university, resulting in the establishment of theAssociation of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.[85] Under his leadership, construction boomed on campus,[85] and enrollments increased,[85] propelled by the prosperous economy of theRoaring Twenties. He initiated the annual honors convocation,[85] introduced the deans' conference,[85] and increased university income.[85] The proposal for establishing a nonsectariandivinity school on campus came after strong advocacy fromCharles Foster Kent and received unanimous backing from nearby churches.[86] The school was short-lived and was quietly shelved in 1927.[86] Burton fell ill in 1924 and died in 1925.[85] In this emergency, President Emeritus Hutchins was called by the regents to assist, withAlfred Henry Lloyd serving as acting president until Little's arrival.[85] Clarence Cook Little was elected president in 1925,[87] advocating for individualized education[87] and reforming curricula, particularly for women.[87] 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.[87]
H.A. Kramers, second row, sixth left withJ. Robert Oppenheimer, second row, fourth left, in a photograph of the Summer Symposium on Theoretical Physics in 1931 at the University of Michigan
Following Little's resignation,Alexander Grant Ruthven, an alumnus, was elected president by unanimous vote.[88] He would lead the university through theGreat Depression andWorld War II.[88] Under Ruthven's leadership, the university administration became more decentralized with the creation of the university council, various divisions, and a system of committees.[88] For years, the university was a backwater in theoretical physics. Nonetheless, this changed under department headHarrison McAllister Randall, who brought theoristsSamuel Goudsmit,George Uhlenbeck, andOtto Laporte onto the faculty.[89] Goudsmit mentored famous students at the university, includingRobert Bacher andWu Ta-You, the Father of Chinese Physics, who in turn taughtZhu Guangya and two Nobel laureates,Chen Ning Yang andTsung-Dao Lee. From 1928 to 1941, the Summer Symposium in Theoretical Physics featured renowned physicists likeNiels Bohr,Werner Heisenberg,Paul Dirac, andErwin Schrödinger, with at least fifteen attendees being Nobel laureates or future laureates.[90]Wolfgang Pauli held a visiting professorship at the university in 1931.[91]Stephen Timoshenko created the first U.S. bachelor's and doctoral programs in engineering mechanics when he was a faculty professor at the university. In 1948, shortly after World War II, the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project was established to honor the hundreds of lives lost from the university during the war.[92][29] Funded by numerous contributors, including theFord Motor Company, the Phoenix Project operated theFord Nuclear Reactor, which established the nation's first academic program in nuclear science and engineering.[93]
For most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Michigan stood as thesole university within the state, and its alumni often dominatedstate politics. However, by the mid-20th century, the landscape began to shift as new universities emerged, many of which were formertechnical schools, thereby threatening that status quo.[94] WhenHarlan Hatcher took office as president in 1951, he was entrusted with securing the university's preeminence among the nation and world's burgeoning research institutions. This marked the beginning of a phase of post-war development, during which Hatcher oversaw the construction of North Campus, the founding ofFlint Senior College, and the establishment of theDearborn Center, both of which have since evolved into full-fledged branch campuses.[95][96] Nonetheless, the tenures of Hatcher and his successor,Robben Wright Fleming, were marked by a sharp rise in campus activism, linked to theCivil Rights Movement and theanti-Vietnam War movement.[95] In 1963, a controversial set of admissions practices collectively known as 'affirmative action' was introduced.[97] It was a radical measure originated byHobart Taylor Jr., aimed at boosting Black student enrollment at elite universities.[97] Meanwhile, in 1964, a group of faculty hosted the nation's first "teach-in" against U.S. foreign policy inSoutheast Asia, attended by thousands of students.[98][99] Subsequentsit-ins by campus groups prompted administrative crackdowns, leading to more unrest across the campus.[95] Meanwhile, Hatcher controversially dismissed three professors for their refusal to cooperate withJoseph McCarthy'sHouse Un-American Activities Committee during his tenure.[100] Hatcher's successor,Robben Wright Fleming guided the university through a turbulent era of activism.[95] In 1969, a year into Fleming's tenure, a Marxist militant organization known as theWeather Underground was founded on campus.[101] This group, led by members of the Jesse James Gang, an offshoot of theStudents for a Democratic Society, employed militant tactics, including taking hostages.[95] A year later, a strike organized by theBlack Action Movement, another radical group, resulted in the university agreeing to several demands for minority support.[102] In 1971, theSpectrum Center was founded as the nation's oldest collegiateLGBT student center.[103] Meanwhile, support among students formarijuana legalization was gaining traction on campus, as evidenced by the annualHash Bash rally that began in 1972.[104] Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, campus unrest began to diminish the university's academic standing, which had been ranked among the top five in the nation.[94] That standing started to decline during Fleming's tenure. Campus unrest persisted duringHarold Tafler Shapiro's presidency, which began in 1980, fueled by controversies surrounding the university'snational defense initiatives and foreign investments.
A celebratory dinner for the university's matriculating PhD students in 2017
PresidentJames Duderstadt would succeed Shapiro and remain president until 1996.[105] He supported campus growth and fundraising initiatives. Duderstadt's successor,Lee Bollinger, conducted several major construction projects like the School of Social Work building[106] and the Tisch Hall, named in honor of alumnusPreston Robert Tisch.[107] In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two cases regarding the university's affirmative action admissions:Grutter v. Bollinger andGratz v. Bollinger. In 2002, the university elected its first female president,Mary Sue Coleman, by unanimous vote.[108][109] Throughout her presidency, Michigan's endowment saw continued growth, accompanied by a major fundraising drive known as "The Michigan Difference".[110] The Coleman's administration faced labor disputes with the university's labor unions, notably with the Lecturers' Employees Organization and the Graduate Employees Organization.[111] In the early 2000s, the university faced declining state funding, prompting suggestions for privatization.[112][113] Despite being a state institution de jure, it adopted private funding models.[114] A 2008 legislative panel further recommended converting it to a private institution due to its minimal ties to the state.[115]Mark Schlissel succeeded Coleman in 2014. Before his firing in 2022, Schlissel expanded financial aid offerings,[116] enhanced international engagement,[117] and raised student diversity.[118] He also led initiatives in biosciences[119] and the arts.[120] Schlissel's successor,Santa Ono, would serve a short and lackluster tenure amid thenational pro-Palestinian protests[121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129] before his immediate resignation.[130] The presidency has remained vacant since then, withDomenico Grasso serving as the interim president.[131]
The founding of the University of Michigan in the 19th century was influenced by the transatlanticRepublic of Letters, an intellectual community that spanned Europe and the Americas.[62] Key figures, such asHenry Philip Tappan, were instrumental in aligning the university with the ideals championed by the intellectual community, including liberty, reason, and scientific inquiry.[62] Alumni and faculty from Michigan, likeAndrew Dixon White, carried these ideals forward as they shaped other institutions.[132][133] Notably, Cornell alumniDavid Starr Jordan andJohn Casper Branner later introduced these concepts toStanford University in the late 19th century.[132] Early university leaders likeJames Burrill Angell contributed to establishing other universities by sharing their insights.[74] AlongsideCharles William Eliot of Harvard, Andrew D. White of Cornell, andNoah Porter of Yale, Angell was heavily involved in the early period ofJohns Hopkins University as an advisor to the trustees and recommendedDaniel Coit Gilman as the first president of the wealthy new foundation.[134]Clark Kerr, the first chancellor of theUniversity of California, Berkeley, referred to Michigan as the "mother of state universities."[94]
University of Chicago: Michigan alumnus Robert Ezra Park played a leading role in the development of theChicago School of sociology. The University of Chicago Laboratory School was founded in 1896 by John Dewey andCalvin Brainerd Cady, who were members of the Michigan faculty.
Cornell University:Andrew Dixon White andCharles Kendall Adams, the first and second presidents of Cornell, respectively, were members of the Michigan faculty. Cornell had itsLaw School founded by Michigan alumni Charles Kendall Adams andHarry 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.[133]
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: had itsMedia Lab co-founded by Michigan alumnusJerome 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 alumnusHenry 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.[138]
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 alumnaAlice Freeman Palmer, the president ofWellesley 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."[139]
A hand-colored lithograph depicting a view of the University of Michigan byRichard Rummell in 1907
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,[141] with a combined area of more than 37.48 million square feet (860 acres; 3.482 km2).[142] The Central and Athletic Campus areas are contiguous, while the North Campus area is separated from them, primarily by theHuron River.[143] The North Medical Campus area was developed on Plymouth Road, with several university-owned buildings for outpatient care, diagnostics, and outpatient surgery.[144]
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.[145]
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.[146] 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.[147] Another major off-campus facility is theMatthaei Botanical Gardens, which is located on the eastern outskirts of the City of Ann Arbor.[148]
TheOld Library (1881–1918), designed byHenry Van Brunt, had an addition built to the south in 1898. The portion constructed in 1883 was torn down in 1918.
The Central Campus today, however, bears little resemblance to its 19th-century appearance, as most of its original structures were demolished and rebuilt in the early 20th century.[161][162] The rebuilt structures are primarily the work ofAlbert Kahn, who served as the university's supervising architect during that period.[163] In 1909, RegentWilliam 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 inBay 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'sHill Auditorium (1913), adequately funded by Regent Arthur Hill, features extensive Sullivanesque ornamentation and excellent acoustic design, which was rare for that period.[159]
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 RenaissanceClements Library (1923), Classical GreekAngell Hall (1924), and Art DecoBurton 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.[159]
Other architects who contributed to the Central Campus includeSpier & 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; andPerkins, Fellows and Hamilton, who designed University High School (1924). TheMichigan Union (1919) and Michigan League (1929), completed by alumniIrving Kane Pond andAllen 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 byDonaldson and Meier. It was designated as theUniversity Museum of Art in 1946.[159]
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. TheMartha Cook Building (1915), completed byYork and Sawyer,Samuel Parsons, andGeorge A. Fuller in 1915, draws inspiration from England'sKnole House andAston Hall. It was one of the university’s early women’s residences. York and Sawyer also designed theLaw 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 anElizabethan-style lounge and a dining hall inspired by the chapels ofEaton. The Law Library's main reading room showcases craftsmanship from theRockefeller Church of New York. Hutchins Hall, designed by alumnusJames Baird, is named after Harry Burns Hutchins, the fourth president of the university. Following its completion, nearby buildings like the School of Education Building, byMalcomson and Higginbotham, and Emil Lorch's Architecture and Design Building adopted Gothic elements reflecting the style of the Law Quadrangle and Martha Cook Residence.[159]
Earl V. Moore Building (1964), designed byEero Saarinen
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.[165] ArchitectEero Saarinen devised the early master plan for the North Campus area and designed several of its buildings in the 1950s, including theEarl V. Moore School of Music Building.[166] The North Campus Diag features a bell tower calledLurie Tower, which contains a grand carillon.[167] The university's largest residence hall,Bursley Hall, is in the North Campus area.[162]
The University of Michigan Golf Course was designed by Scottish golf course architectAlister MacKenzie and opened in 1931
Ross Athletic Campus is the site for the university's athletic programs, including major sports facilities such asMichigan Stadium,Crisler Center, andYost Ice Arena. The campus area is also the site of the Buhr library storage facility, Revelli Hall, home of theMichigan Marching Band, the Institute for Continuing Legal Education,[170] and the Student Theatre Arts Complex, which provides shop and rehearsal space for student theatre groups.[171] The university's departments of public safety and transportation services offices are located on Ross Athletic Campus.[170]
The University of Michigan Golf Course is located south of Michigan Stadium. It was designed in the late 1920s byAlister MacKenzie, the designer ofAugusta National Golf Club inAugusta, Georgia, home of theMasters Tournament.[172] 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 magazineSports Illustrated in 2006.[173]
The University of Michigan's residential system can accommodate approximately 10,000 students.[174] The residence halls are located in three distinct geographic areas on campus: the Central Campus area, The Hill (between the Central Campus area and the main medical campus) and the North Campus area. The largest residence hall has a capacity of 1,270 students,[175] while the smallest accommodates 25 residents.[176]
William W. Cook Legal Research Building at the Law School, showing the emblem of the University of MichiganPhotograph of Michigan University Regents 75th Anniversary Celebration on June 27, 1912. Standing L-R: Frank B. Leland, John H. Grant, Shirley W. Smith, Harry O. Bulkey,William L. Clements,Lucius Lee Hubbard, Benjamin Hanchett, Junius E. Beal Seated L-R: Luther L. Wright,James B. Angell,Harry B. Hutchins, Walter M. Sawyer
The University of Michigan is governed by theBoard of Regents, established by the Organic Act of March 18, 1837. It consists of eight members, elected at large in biennial state elections for overlapping eight-year terms.[177][178][179] 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.[180] TheConstitution 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,[181] 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 theuniversity 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 inDearborn andFlint 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 presidency of the University of Michigan is currently vacant, withDomenico Grasso (PhD ‘87) serving as the interim president.[182] Following the immediate resignation ofSanta Ono,[183][184][185][186] the university's former president, theboard of regents named Grasso as the university’s interim president on May 8, 2025.[182] He will lead the university during the search for the next president.[182]Laurie McCauley has been serving as the 17th and current provost of the university since May 2022, and she was recommended by former president Santa Ono to serve a full term through June 30, 2027.[187]
The Central Student Government, housed in theMichigan Union, is the university'sstudent 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.[189]
Photograph of the senior parade on commencement day, circa 1903
Over the years, the Central Student Government has led voter registration drives,[190] revived Homecoming events,[191] changed a football seating policy,[192] and created a Student Advisory Council for Ann Arbor city affairs.[193] A longstanding goal of the Central Student Government has been to create a student-designated seat on the Board of Regents.[194] 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.[195] 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.[194] However, amending the composition of the Board of Regents would require a constitutional amendment in Michigan.[196]
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.[197] 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 MichiganResidence Halls Association, which contains the third most constituents after Central Student Government and LS&A Student Government.[198]
The William W. Cook Legal Research Library and other buildings comprising the Law Quadrangle were built during 1923–33 and then donated to the university byWilliam Wilson Cook. It was the university's most significant private gift at the time.
In the fiscal year 2022–23, theState of Michigan spent $333 million on the university, which represents 3.03% of its total operating revenues of $11 billion.[199] The university is the second-largest recipient of state appropriations for higher education in Michigan for 2022-23, trailingMichigan State University ($372 million).[200] The Office of Budget and Planning reports thatMichigan 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.[199] Research grants and contracts from theU.S. federal government contributed $1.15 billion to the Expendable Restricted Funds, accounting for 10.4% of the total budget.[199]
The university's current (FY 2022–23) operating budget has four major sources of funding:[199]
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.[199]
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 includeMichigan Medicine ($6.16 billion),intercollegiate athletics ($186 million),student housing ($160 million), and student publications.[199]
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 forscholarships andfellowships; salaries, benefits and research support for some faculty; and research, programs and academic centers.[199]
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.[199]
The university'sfinancial endowment, known as the "University Endowment Fund", comprises over 12,400 individual funds.[201] Each fund must be spent according to the donor's specifications.[201] Approximately 28% of the total endowment is allocated to support academic programs, while 22% is designated for student scholarships and fellowships.[201] 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.[201]
As of 2023[update], the university's endowment, valued at $17.9 billion, ranks as the tenth largest among all universities in the country.[202][203] The university ranks 86th in endowment per student.[202] Thelaw school's endowment, totaling over $500 million, has a significantly higher per-student value compared to that of its parent university.[204] It ranks as the eighth wealthiest law school in the nation in 2022.[204]
U.S. News & World Report rates Michigan "Most Selective",[214] andThe Princeton Review rates its admissions selectivity of 96 out of 99.[215] Admissions are characterized as "more selective, lower transfer-in" according to the Carnegie Classification.[216][217] 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.[217][218] 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 isneed-blind for domestic applicants.[219] It does not considerlegacy preferences.[220] 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'.[211][212] 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'.[211] Some applicants to Music, Theatre and Dance and some applicants to theCollege of Engineering may be interviewed.[211] A portfolio is required and considered for admission for Art, Architecture and theRoss School of Business.[211] Submission of standardized test scores is recommended but not compulsory.[221] 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, surpassingMichigan State University's former enrollment leadership.[222] 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.[223][224] 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.[223]
The university experienced an unexpected surge in student enrollment for the 2023 academic year, having admitted more students than it could support.[225] Thisover-yield situation has placed considerable strain on student housing affordability, heightened faculty members' workloads, and stretched resources thin.[225] The university is now embracing a steady-state admissions management strategy aimed at maintaining a stable class size.[225]
TheHorace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, the graduate school of the University of Michigan, received a total of 21,554 applications for admission into its doctoral programs for the 2024 admission year, encompassing the Summer and Fall terms.[226] The school extended offers of admission to 2,586 applicants, representing 12.00% of the applicant pool.[226] Subsequently, 1,102 of the offers were accepted, resulting in a yield rate of 42.61% for the academic year.[226] 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 ofBusiness 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.[226]
In August 1841, the university first published its admission requirements for incoming freshmen. These criteria placed a strong emphasis on proficiency inancient languages, particularlyLatin and Greek.[234] 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).[citation needed]
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.[235] This adjustment can be viewed as a prelude toscientific education, signaling a gradual shift from the classical curriculum to a more diverse and modern academic offering.[citation needed]
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 standardizedentrance examination was introduced, establishing a single set of qualifications for admission to all academic and professional departments.[236] The university administration at the time praised the implementation of this entrance examination, recognizing its contribution to enhancing the admission process.[235]
In 2003, two lawsuits involving U-M'saffirmative action admissions policy reached theU.S. Supreme Court (Grutter v. Bollinger andGratz v. Bollinger). U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush publicly opposed the policy before the court issued a ruling.[237] 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.[238] The debate continued because in November 2006, Michigan voters passedProposal 2, banning most affirmative action in university admissions. Under that law, race, gender, and national origin can no longer be considered in admissions.[239] 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 inSchuette 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.[239]
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).[210] The percentage of undergraduate students from the fall 2022 cohort returning in fall 2023 was 98.0% for full-time freshman students.[210]
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).[240]
An archway leading into the Law Quadrangle from South University Avenue
The university is listed among the leading suppliers of undergraduate and graduate alumni toSilicon Valley tech firms.[243] In 2015, the university ranked 6th on the list of top feeder schools forGoogle, which employed over 500 graduates at the time. The university ranked 10th on the list of top feeder schools forMeta.[244] Google and Meta remain the university's first and second top employers in 2024.[245]
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.[246]
TheU.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.[247] This figure exceeds both the midpoint for 4-year schools of $53,617 and theU.S. real median personal income of $40,460 for the year 2021 adjusted to 2022 dollars.[247][248] 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.[247]
According to data from the U.S. Department of Education,law tops the list of most valuablefirst 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.[247]Dentistry ($158,677),pharmacy ($142,224), andmedicine ($134,187) follow behind in that order.[247]
TheUniversity of Michigan library system comprises nineteen individual libraries with twenty-four separate collections—roughly 13.3 million volumes as of 2012.[249] The university was the original home of theJSTOR 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 withGoogle.[250] TheUniversity of Michigan Press is also a part of the library system.
Several academic journals are published at the university:
Several undergraduate journals are also published at the university, including theMichigan Journal of Political Science,Michigan Journal of History,University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Journal, theMichigan Journal of International Affairs, and theMichigan Journal of Asian Studies.
Kelsey Museum of Archeology has a collection of Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern artifacts.[252] Between 1972 and 1974, the museum was involved in the excavation of thearchaeological site ofDibsi Faraj in northernSyria.[253] The Kelsey Museum re-opened November 1, 2009, after a renovation and expansion.[254]
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.[255] UMMA presents special exhibitions and diverse educational programs featuring the visual, performing, film and literary arts that contextualize the gallery experience.[256]
The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History began in the mid-19th century and expanded greatly with the donation of 60,000 specimens byJoseph 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.[257]
The university places an emphasis on research and on attracting influential academics to join its faculty.[266] It is a large, four-year, residential research university accredited by theHigher Learning Commission.[216][267][268] 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, andSTEM fields as well as professional degrees in medicine, law, and dentistry.[216] The university has been included on the list ofPublic Ivies.[b][275]
The 2025-2026U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities report ranked the university 21st among world universities with a global score of 83.2.[276]
The 2024 edition of theCWUR 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.[277][278] This metric evaluates the number of faculty members who have received prestigious academic distinctions (10% weight).[277] 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).[277] 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).[277]
In the 2025QS World University Rankings, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor was ranked 44th in the world, its lowest position in 10 years, with an overall score of 79.[279][280]
Michigan was ranked 6th in the 2021U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs Rankings.[281] Michigan was ranked 3rd in the 2021U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Business Programs Rankings.[282] The 2020Princeton Review College Hopes & Worries Survey ranked Michigan as the No. 9 "Dream College" among students and the No. 7 "Dream College" among parents.[283]
The first measurement of themagnetic moment and spin of freeelectrons andpositrons was conducted byH. Richard Crane, an experimental physicist at the university.[293] The university operated theFord Nuclear Reactor from 1933 to 1955, during which it conducted extensive research related to nuclear energy. It currently hosts several major research centers focusing onoptics, reconfigurable manufacturing systems, andwireless integrated microsystems.
A pioneer in computing technology, the university designed and built theMichigan Terminal System, an early time-sharing computer operating system,[294][295][296] and was involved in the development of theNSFnet national backbone, which is regarded as the foundation upon which the global Internet was built.[297][298][299] In 2024, the university began collaborating withLos Alamos National Laboratory on high-performance computing and AI research.[300][301]
The university has been featured in multiple bibliometric rankings that assess its impact on academic publications throughcitation analysis. TheUniversity Ranking by Academic Performance for 2023–24 has positioned the university at 16th globally.[328] Additionally, in 2024, thePerformance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities ranked it 13th worldwide.[329] The university has a significant presence in theNature Index, ranking 6th nationally and 23rd globally among research institutions, with a share of 365.97 and a count of 1199 in 2022.[317] The university boasted 28 researchers who were recognized byClarivate as being highly cited in 2023.[313] In 2019, the university had 120 faculty members who were national academy members, placing it 10th among its peers in this metric.[287]
As of fall 2023, the Ann Arbor campus had 52,065 students enrolled: 33,730undergraduate students and 18,335graduate students. The total number of employees reached 53,831, which included 21,475 individuals working withMichigan Medicine, 6,114 supplemental staff, 7,820 faculty members, and 18,422 regular staff.[13][337] The largest college at the university was theCollege of Literature, Science, and the Arts with 21,973 students (42.2% of the total student body), followed by theCollege of Engineering (11,113; 21.3%) andRoss School of Business (4,433; 8.1%). All other colleges each hosted less than 5% of the total student population.[338]
Students come from all 50U.S. states and nearly 100 countries.[217] 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.[339] 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.[340]
As of October 2023, 53% of undergraduate students self-identified asWhite, 17% asAsian, 7% asHispanic, 4% asBlack, 5% as belonging to two or more races, and 5% as having an unknown racial composition. The remaining 8% of undergraduates were international students.[336]
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.[341] As of 2022, approximately 23% of in-state undergraduate students and 14% of out-of-state students received aPell Grant.[339]
Photograph of the University of Michigan Democratic Club in 1898. Back Row (L–R):Arthur Lacy, C. Thomas, J.M. Baily Front Row (L–R): F.K. Bowers, C.F. Kelley, C.D. Landis, JS. McElligott
By 2012, the university had 1,438 student organizations.[342] The student body is politically engaged; in one poll, 96% stated they intended to vote in the 2020 presidential 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.[343] With a history of student activism, some of the most visible groups include those dedicated to causes such ascivil rights andlabor rights, such as local chapters ofStudents for a Democratic Society and United Students Against Sweatshops. Conservative groups also organize, such as theYoung Americans for Freedom.[344]
There are also several engineering projects teams, including theUniversity of Michigan Solar Car Team, which has placed first in theNorth American Solar Challenge ten times and podium in theWorld Solar Challenge seven times[345] and the Wolverine Soft student-run game studio, which has released more than 15 video games onitch.io andSteam.[346] Michigan Interactive Investments,[347] the Tamid Israel Investment Group,[348] and the Michigan Economics Society[349] 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,[350]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,[351] and Ann Arbor Reaching Out.Intramural sports are popular, and there are recreation facilities for each of the three campuses.[352]
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.[353] The University Activities Center (UAC) is a student-run programming organization and is composed of 14 committees.[354] Each group involves students in the planning and execution of a variety of events both on and off campus.
TheMichigan Marching Band, composed of more than 350 students from almost all of U-M's schools,[355] is the university'smarching band. Over 125 years old (with a first performance in 1897),[356] the band performs at every home football game and travels to at least one away game a year. The student-run and ledUniversity of Michigan Pops Orchestra is another musical ensemble that attracts students from all academic backgrounds. It performs regularly in theMichigan Theater. TheUniversity of Michigan Men's Glee Club, founded in 1859 and thesecond oldest such group in the country, is a men's chorus with over 100 members.[357] Its eight-member subseta cappella group, theUniversity of Michigan Friars, which was founded in 1955, is the oldest currently runninga cappella group on campus.[358] The University of Michigan is also home to over twenty other a cappella groups, including Amazin' Blue, The Michigan G-Men, andCompulsive 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.[359] 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.[360] Amazin' Blue placed fourth at ICCA finals in 2017.
The University of Michigan also has over 380 cultural and ethnic student organizations on campus.[361] These range the Arab Student Association to Persian Student Association[362] to African Students Association[363] to even the Egyptian Student Association.[364]
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.[365] 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.[366]
National honor societies such asPhi Beta Kappa,Phi Kappa Phi, andTau Beta Pi have chapters at U-M.[367] 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".[367] 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.[367]
Phi Delta Phi, the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States
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 ofNative Americans.[368] Some factions on campus identified Michigauma as asecret society, but many disputed that characterization, as its member list has been published some years inThe Michigan Daily and theMichiganensian, 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.[369] 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 godVulcan. 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.
WCBN-FM (88.3 FM) is the student-runcollege radio station which plays infreeform 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. Acarrier current station, it was launched in 1953.[370]
Violent crime is rare on campus, though there have been a few notorious cases, includingTheodore Kaczynski's attempted murder of professorJames V. McConnell and research assistant Nicklaus Suino in 1985. In 2022,David DePape, the man convicted of attackingPaul Pelosi, who is the husband of former U.S. House SpeakerNancy Pelosi, targetedGayle Rubin, an associate professor of anthropology and women’s studies at the university.[371] DePape testified during his trial that he hoped to use Nancy and Paul Pelosi in an effort to get to Gayle Rubin.[371]
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." PresidentBarack Obama'sWhite House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault was organized for such investigations.[372] 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 doctorRobert Anderson who reportedly abused at least 950 university students, many of whom were athletes, from 1966 to 2003.[373] Several football players from that time say football coachBo Schembechler ignored and enabled the abuse and told players to "toughen up" after being molested.[374] Schembechler reportedly punched his then 10-year-old son Matthew after he reported abuse by Anderson.[375] Following the exposure of a similar history of abuse atOhio State University, male survivors of both Anderson at Michigan and Strauss at Ohio State spoke out to combat sexual abuse.[376] The University of Michigan settled with the survivors for $490 million.[377]
The university's athletics history dates back to the late 19th century, with thebaseball team founded in 1866, thefootball team established in 1879, and themen's tennis team originating in 1893. The university has 27 varsity intercollegiate sports, including 13 men's teams and 14 women's teams.[378]
In 1896, the university became a founding member of theIntercollegiate 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, by April 1907, just a decade later, the university was voted out of the conference for refusing to adhere to league rules. Following a nine-year absence, the university rejoined the conference in 1917.
In 1926,Harvard made an agreement to play football against Michigan, droppingPrinceton from its schedule due to past rough matches. Princeton perceived this move as a threat to the 'Big Three' relationship, fearing it would lose its status as a rival to Harvard and be relegated to a secondary class. By the 1930s, the 'Big Three' was restored and expanded into theIvy League in 1939.[379]
In 2023, during the NCAA's investigation intosign-stealing allegations against the football team's staff members, the university's board of regents considered the possibility of leaving the Big Ten conference due to dissatisfaction with the conference's handling of the investigation.[380][381]
TheRay Fisher Stadium, constructed in 1923, serves as the home venue for thebaseball team. TheAlumni Field at Carol Hutchins Stadium, formerly known as the Varsity Diamond, is the home field for the university'ssoftball team. TheYost Ice Arena, opened in 1923, is the home arena for themen's ice hockey team. TheCrisler 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. ThePhyllis 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.
Sheet music covers of the Michigan fight songs "Varsity" (left) and "The Victors" (right)
The Michigan fight song, "The Victors", was written by student Louis Elbel in 1898. The song was declared byJohn Philip Sousa to be "the greatest college fight song ever written."[391] 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. U.S. PresidentGerald Ford had it played by theUnited 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",[392] and the Michigan Marching Band performed a slow-tempo variation of the fight song athis funeral.[393] 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, adrum major.[394]
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.[395] 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.[396]
TheMichigan 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).[397][398] The team won the firstRose Bowl game in1902. the university had 40 consecutive winning seasons from 1968 to 2007, including consecutivebowl game appearances from 1975 to 2007.[399] The Wolverines have won a record 45 Big Ten championships. The program claims 12national championships,[400][401] most recently winning the2024 National Championship Game,[402] and has produced threeHeisman Trophy winners:Tom Harmon (1940),Desmond Howard (1991), andCharles Woodson (1997).[403] In 2025, the university made history by becoming the first institution in intercollegiate sports to have first-round draft picks in all five major professional sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS) within the same year.[404] Through the 2025 NFL draft, 421 Michigan football players have been selected into the NFL, with at least one every year since the inaugural draft.[405]
Themen's basketball team, which plays at the Crisler Center, has appeared in fiveFinal Fours and won thenational championship in 1989. The program also voluntarily vacated victories from its 1992–1993 and 1995–1999 seasons in whichillicit payments to players took place, as well as its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances.[407] 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 inOlympic events,[408] and as of 2021 its students and alumni have won155 Olympic medals.[409] Through the2012 Summer Olympics, 275 Michigan students and coaches had participated in the Olympics, winning medals in eachSummer 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 of185 Olympic medals: 85 golds, 48 silvers, and 52 bronzes.[410]
In 10 of the past 14 years concluding in 2009, the university has finished in the top five of theNACDA Director's Cup, a ranking compiled by theNational 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 between1993–2021 and has placed in the top six in nine of the last 10 seasons.[411]
This sectionmay betoo long to read and navigate comfortably. Considersplitting content into sub-articles,condensing it, or addingsubheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article'stalk page.(March 2025)
Several astronauts attended Michigan including the all-Michigan crews of bothGemini 4,[506] andApollo 15.[507] The university claims the only alumni association with a chapter on the Moon, established in 1971 when the crew ofApollo 15 placed a charter plaque for a new University of Michigan Alumni Association on the lunar surface.[436][507]
^Page 138 of this source incorrectly states that the date of the final negotiations in which Governor Low participated was October 8, 1869, but it is clear from the context and the endnotes to that page (which cite documents from 1867) that the reference to 1869 is a typo.
^Donnelly, Walter A.; Shaw, Wilfred B.; Gjelsness, Ruth W. (1958)."President's House".bentley.umich.edu/. University of Michigan Press.Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. RetrievedDecember 24, 2021.
^abDuderstadt, Anne. (January 1, 2006).The University of Michigan: A Photographic Saga (Millenium Project). University of Michigan Press.ASINB0017XZGIK.
^Brennan, T. Corey (n.d.)."WOOD, Alice Robinson Boise".Database of Classical Scholars. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. RetrievedMarch 13, 2020.When the question first came up in 1854 of admitting women to the University of Michigan,James Robinson Boise is the only professor on record to vote in its favor. A dozen years later, when his daughter Alice had graduated Ann Arbor High School, he is said to have been enraged that she could not continue at Michigan, and in September 1866 informally invited his daughter to join his Greek recitations at the university. Some of his colleagues followed suit.
^abLaipson, Peter (1995). "And the Walls Came Crumbling down: The Michigan School of Religion, 1920-1930".Michigan Historical Review.21 (2):93–123.doi:10.2307/20173523.JSTOR20173523.
^abJohnson, Matthew (July 2017). "Managing Racial Inclusion: The Origins and Early Implementation of Affirmative Action Admissions at the University of Michigan".Journal of Policy History.29 (3):462–489.doi:10.1017/S0898030617000197.S2CID157653014.
^Ann Arbor Map (Map). University of Michigan, MM&D. Archived fromthe original on April 13, 2013. RetrievedMarch 8, 2013.
^"Street Map to Rachel Upjohn Building". University of Michigan Health System.Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. RetrievedOctober 25, 2008.—The linked map shows the entire East Medical Campus.
^"Buses". University of Michigan.Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. RetrievedOctober 5, 2021.
^North Campus Map (Map). University of Michigan Division of Student Affairs. August 16, 2012. Archived fromthe original on April 13, 2013. RetrievedApril 8, 2013.
^abSouth Campus Map (Map). University of Michigan Division of Student Affairs. Archived fromthe original on April 13, 2013. RetrievedApril 8, 2013.
^"Student Theatre Arts Complex". University of Michigan Division of Student Affairs. August 16, 2012.Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. RetrievedApril 8, 2013.
^"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2024–2025"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedNovember 4, 2024.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^abcd"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2023–2024"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedApril 2, 2024.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^abcdef"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2022–2023"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedDecember 17, 2023.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^abc"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2021–2022"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedDecember 17, 2023.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^ab"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2020–2021"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedDecember 17, 2023.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^abc"Student Profile".Office of Undergraduate Admissions. University of Michigan.Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. RetrievedNovember 25, 2020.
^"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2013–2014"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2024.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2014–2015"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2024.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2015–2016"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2024.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2016–2017"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2024.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2017–2018"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedFebruary 1, 2024.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2018–2019"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedDecember 17, 2023.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^"University of Michigan Common Data Set 2019–2020"(PDF). University of Michigan Office of Budget and Planning. n.d. RetrievedDecember 17, 2023.For common datasets from 1998–present, see obp.umich.edu/campus-statistics/common-data-set/
^"About Us". The Kelsey Museum of Archeology at the University of Michigan. 2008. Archived fromthe original on January 7, 2009. RetrievedDecember 26, 2008.
^Harper, Richard P.; Wilkinson, Tony J. (1975). "Excavations at Dibsi Faraj, Northern Syria, 1972–1974: A Preliminary Note on the Site and Its Monuments with an Appendix".Dumbarton Oaks Papers.29:319–338.doi:10.2307/1291379.JSTOR1291379.
^Imran Syed (November 1, 2009)."Hoarding history". The Michigan Daily.Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. RetrievedNovember 4, 2021.
^"History". University of Michigan Exhibit Museum of Natural History. 2008. Archived fromthe original on February 10, 2008. RetrievedDecember 26, 2008.
^abLombardi, John V.; Abbey, Craig W.; Craig, Diane D. (2020)."The Top American Research Universities"(PDF).The Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance. Amherst and Gainesville: The Center for Measuring University Performance, UMass Amherst and University of Florida. RetrievedDecember 16, 2023.
^Lombardi, John V.; Abbey, Craig W.; Craig, Diane D. (2019)."The Top American Research Universities"(PDF).The Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance. Amherst and Gainesville: The Center for Measuring University Performance, UMass Amherst and University of Florida.Archived(PDF) from the original on September 3, 2021. RetrievedOctober 23, 2021.
^Lombardi, John V.; Abbey, Craig W.; Craig, Diane D. (2018)."The Top American Research Universities"(PDF).The Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance. Amherst and Gainesville: The Center for Measuring University Performance, UMass Amherst and University of Florida.Archived(PDF) from the original on August 5, 2021. RetrievedOctober 23, 2021.
^Forrest, Stephen R. (January 21, 2010).Annual Report on Research and Scholarship FY2009 Financial Summary(PDF). Ann Arbor: Office of the Vice President for Research. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on June 6, 2010. RetrievedMarch 12, 2020.University of Michigan expenditures in support of research, scholarship and creative activity reached a special milestone in Fiscal Year 2009—total expenditures for the year surpassed $1 billion, reaching $1,016,565,913.... The total is an increase of 9.4% over FY2008. Overall, the University's research portfolio remains one of the largest in the country....
^"Merit's History". Merit Network. Archived fromthe original on February 7, 2009. RetrievedSeptember 15, 2008.—A university press release called a demonstration of the network (with a connection between the university and Wayne State University) on December 14, 1971, as "a milestone in higher education" and an "historic event."
^Meiklejohn, Gordon N. (1994). "Commission on Influenza". In Woodward \pubislher = The Armed Forces Epidemiological Board, Theodore E. (ed.).Histories' of the Commissions.
^Block, Stan L.; Yogev, Ram; Hayden, Frederick G.; Ambrose, Christopher S.; Zeng, Wen; Walker, Robert E. (September 2008). "Shedding and immunogenicity of live attenuated influenza vaccine virus in subjects 5–49 years of age".Vaccine.26 (38):4940–4946.doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.07.013.PMID18662737.
^"About UROP". University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. Archived fromthe original on September 23, 2008. RetrievedAugust 28, 2010.
^Serwach, Joe (September 22, 2008)."URC fuels new industries".University of Michigan News Service.Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. RetrievedDecember 25, 2008.
^"About Our Facilities". UM Department of Recreational Sports. January 22, 2007. Archived fromthe original on February 9, 2008. RetrievedApril 28, 2007.
^"Welcome to Greek Life". Division of Student Affairs – Greek Life at the University of Michigan.Archived from the original on March 28, 2011. RetrievedAugust 29, 2010.
^Lombardi, John V.;Capaldi, Elizabeth D.; Reeves, Kristy R.; Gater, Denise S. (December 2004)."The Top American Research Universities"(PDF).The Lombardi Program on Measuring University Performance. Amherst and Gainesville: The Center for Measuring University Performance, UMass Amherst and University of Florida.Archived(PDF) from the original on April 11, 2019. RetrievedMarch 12, 2020.
^"Alumni". University of Michigan. Archived fromthe original on November 11, 2010. RetrievedSeptember 7, 2013.
^Schreiber, Penny."The Wallenberg Story". The Wallenberg Foundation (University of Michigan).Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 14, 2007.
Desprez, Mary Jo; Pehlke, Joy; Zichi, Joe (2025). "The University of Michigan's Well-Being Collective: Embedding the Capacity to Support Student Well-Being across Campus".About Campus: Enriching the Student Learning Experience.30 (3).Sage Publishing:12–21.doi:10.1177/10864822251334131.ISSN1086-4822.S2CID278371732.
_MET_DT369502.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
_Ausschnitt.jpg)
.jpg)
