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University of Michigan

The student guide to Ann Arbor, Michigan: where to eat, live and get help, what a year really costs, and the free stuff most students miss.

Michigan at a glance

34,177
undergrads
16%
of applicants admitted
97%
come back for year 2
94%
graduate
11 : 1
students per teacher
$92,832
typical pay 10 years in

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard.

What a year really costs

After grants and scholarships, by family income. Average: $14,362.

Under $30k $3,155
$30k–$48k $3,372
$48k–$75k $5,768
$75k–$110k $13,888
Over $110k $28,625
Tuition, in state
$18,346
Tuition, out of state
$63,962
Typical debt at graduation
$18,515
22% of students get a Pell Grant

Free stuff most students miss

Academics & admin

Sweetland Center for Writing

Free one-on-one peer tutoring, writing workshops, and courses to help students at any stage of the writing process.

Career

UCC Clothes Closet - free professional clothes

Three items per semester, free, and yours to keep.

Getting around

U-M Blue Bus

Free campus bus system with 12 routes connecting dorms, classrooms, and Michigan Medicine facilities. No fare or ID required.

Housing

Maize & Blue Cupboard

U-M's free food pantry for students. Shop fresh produce, groceries and staples at no cost, by appointment (sign up on the Cupboard's website).

Eat

Dining halls, quick bites and coffee on campus.

25 places
Dining hall
Wolverine Village Dining Hall
Dining hall

New Central Campus dining hall in Wolverine Village.

Wolverine Village, S Division St
South Quad Dining Hall
South Quad Dining Hall
Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall on Central Campus with diverse menu options for lunch and dinner.

600 E Madison St
Bursley Dining Hall
Bursley Dining Hall
Dining hall

North Campus dining hall with 8 mini-restaurants including Signature, vegetarian, halal, pizza, grill, stir-fry, deli, and desserts.

1931 Duffield
East Quad Dining Hall
East Quad Dining Hall
Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall near Ross School of Business. Only dining hall open for spring/summer meal plan holders.

701 E University Ave
Markley Dining Hall
Markley Dining Hall
Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall in the Hill neighborhood serving residence hall students with full meal service.

1503 Washington Heights
Mosher-Jordan Dining Hall
Mosher-Jordan Dining Hall
Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall on Central Campus with extended daily hours for residence hall students.

200 Observatory St

Where to live

Residence halls, apartments and help finding a place.

11 places
South Quadrangle
South Quadrangle
Residence hall

Central Campus residence hall opened in 1951, renovated in 2014 with 10 unique dining concepts, music practice rooms, and modern study spaces.

600 E Madison St
Central Campus Residence Halls
Central Campus Residence Halls
Residence hall

Cluster of residence halls in the heart of campus including South Quad, West Quad, East Quad, and smaller historic halls housing 3,000+ students.

Central Campus
East Quadrangle
East Quadrangle
Residence hall

Central Campus residence hall opened in 1941, renovated in 2013 with improved infrastructure, updated rooms and bathrooms, and an improved dining…

701 E University Ave
Maize & Blue Cupboard
Maize & Blue Cupboard
Basic needs

U-M's free food pantry for students. Shop fresh produce, groceries and staples at no cost, by appointment (sign up on the Cupboard's website).

Betsy Barbour Residence Hall (basement), 417 Maynard St
Hill Neighborhood Residence Halls
Hill Neighborhood Residence Halls
Residence hall

Five residence halls on Observatory Road housing ~2,500 students near the recreation center, Nichols Arboretum, and medical facilities.

Observatory Road area
West Quadrangle
West Quadrangle
Residence hall

Central Campus residence hall opened in 1940, renovated in 2015 with upgraded infrastructure, improved accessibility, and renovated student rooms.

541 Thompson St

Get around

Shuttles, parking and accessible rides.

6 ways

Majors that pay most at Michigan

Typical pay 4 years after graduating. Top 6 of 59 bachelor's majors with published pay.

Computer Science $172,904
Computer Software and Media Applications $162,114
Business Administration $144,654
Computer Engineering $142,071
Information Science/Studies $130,798
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies $128,291

Source: College Scorecard, field-of-study data.

Your Michigan checklist

5 things worth doing early

When you need help

5 things Michigan freshmen figure out too late

Watch the video
  1. 1 Backpacking a class does not enroll you

    The Registrar puts it about as plainly as it can be put: placing a class in your Backpack does not enroll you in that class — you still must register for it. Every term a few people find this out when the class is full.

  2. 2 Blue Bucks never expire. Dining Dollars do.

    Blue Bucks roll over year to year for as long as you are a student — but a balance under $25 is forfeited when you leave, so run it down rather than leaving twenty dollars behind. Dining Dollars are the opposite: they end with winter term. Spend those first.

  3. 3 Your Mcard rides every bus in Ann Arbor

    Two separate things, both real. U-M Transit runs 12 campus routes that are open and free to the general public — no ID, no fare, anyone can board. And through MRide, students get unlimited access to TheRide's fixed-route city buses, any day of the week, any time of day.

  4. 4 Free calculators, iClickers and the New York Times

    Central Student Government rents TI-84 and TI-30X calculators and iClickers for free out of suite 3011 of the Michigan Union. They go fast — this fall the iClickers and scientific calculators were gone within days of rentals opening, so check the page before you buy anything. CSG also gives you free New York Times and Wall Street Journal access for as long as you are enrolled.

  5. 5 Upload every syllabus to Gus on day one

    Four or five syllabi, each with its own deadline table in its own format, is exactly the kind of thing that gets lost by week three. Upload them to Gus and every due date lands in one calendar.

One more thing

The one we cut: the free 2 a.m. ride home

U-M runs a late-night Ride Home service that picks up at the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. It was the strongest tip that did not fit in a five-item video.

U-M — SafeRide and late-night transit

Gus is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the University of Michigan. Tips checked against Michigan's own pages in September 2026. Campus info last updated October 2026. Stats from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Something out of date? hello@meetgus.app · All campus guides