Campus buildings
1855: 3
2005: 660

Students enrolled
1855: 63
2005: 42,751

Campus size
1855: 667 acres
2005: 5,198 acres

Cost of tuition in 1855: Legislative action to establish the college was passed in 1855, but the first class did not enroll until 1857. There were no fees or room charges. Students worked 15-20 hours per week clearing land and preparing it for tilling, tending the animals and doing other manual labor. There was a charge for board and laundry.

In 1859, student fees were levied: 3 cents a day for "room and furniture" and 2 cents a day for class "attendance."

Cost of tuition in 2005 for undergraduate, in-state, residence hall students taking 12 credits:

$2,475 12-credit course load

$406 Matriculation fees

$21.75 Taxes

$2,729 Residence hall and meal plan charges

$5,631.75 Total per semester

By the numbers

15 Current academic colleges

20 University presidents

69 Countries involved in the Study Abroad program

6,000 Fire extinguishers on campus

5 Buildings consumed by fire before 1920

5 Names the university has had: Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1855, State Agricultural College in 1861, Michigan Agricultural College in 1909, Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in 1925, Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in 1955, Michigan State University in 1964)

83 Counties in Michigan students are from

50 States where students are from

125 Countries where students are from

Timeline

May 14, 1857 Classes begin

1861 First graduating class of 7 students

1870 First 10 women students admitted to MSU

1872 First greek society, Delta Tau Delta, established

1884 First football team

1913 MSU's football team beats the University of Michigan for the first time, 12-7

Jan. 1, 1954 MSU participates in first Rose Bowl tournament since joining the Big Ten

Notable commencement speakers:

1907 Theodore Roosevelt

1960 Harry S. Truman

1961 Gen. Douglas MacArthur

1965 Gerald Ford

1992 Bill Clinton

2002 Dick Cheney

2004 Condoleezza Rice

Famous alumni: NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson, former Detroit Tigers player Kirk Gibson, former Michigan Gov. John Engler, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, Teamsters President James Hoffa Jr., Director Sam Raimi, actor James Caan

Source: The State News