ANN ARBOR — For the fourth consecutive year, the University of Michigan retains its title as the state’s largest university by total enrollment, setting an all-time record at the start of the current fall semester with 54,181 students. That represents a 1 percent increase over last year, when enrollment totaled 53,488 students in fall 2025.

The new figures put the University of Michigan ahead of Michigan State University, where enrollment declined by 2 percent this fall compared with last year, totaling 50,941 students, down from 51,838.

“Students will continue to look to the University of Michigan as they prepare for their futures because of the exceptional academic experience, wide range of opportunities, tremendous resources and engaged faculty the university offers,” said Adele C. Brumfield, U of M’s vice provost for enrollment management.

“These reasons — and many others — explain why the university continues to hold strong appeal despite the challenges facing higher education, with both new and returning student enrollment reaching record levels,” she added.

The university saw undergraduate enrollment increase by nearly 4.5 percent, rising from 35,358 students last year to 36,945 this year. First-year enrollment increased by 6 percent, from 8,178 to 8,659 students.

Meanwhile, the report noted a slight decline in graduate enrollment compared with last year.

Although the University of Michigan has been the state’s largest university by total enrollment since 2023, Michigan State continues to serve the largest number of students from Michigan.

In a press release, the East Lansing-based university said approximately 37,244 of its students are Michigan residents, representing all 83 counties in the state.

The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus has 27,742 in-state students this fall, according to its official university newspaper’s report on Monday. Last year marked the first time Michigan residents outnumbered international students and students from other U.S. states combined.

Wayne State University in Detroit is the Great Lakes State’s third-largest university, with approximately 23,600 students.

Michigan has a total of 15 public universities. The remaining universities rank by enrollment as follows:

4. Grand Valley State University in Allendale: 22,000 students.
5. Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo: 15,500.
6. Oakland University in Rochester Hills: 15,000.
7. Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant: 14,000.
8. Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti: 12,000.
9. Ferris State University in Big Rapids: 9,400.
10. University of Michigan-Dearborn: 8,000.
11. Michigan Technological University in Houghton: 7,500.
12. Northern Michigan University in Marquette: 7,300.
13. Saginaw Valley State University: 6,600.
14. University of Michigan-Flint: 6,100.
15. Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie: 1,400.