Quad

Head-to-head

Marshall
Ferris State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Marshall's yield is 13 pts higher than Ferris State's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Ferris State is more diverse (index 0.45 vs. 0.33)

    Diversity index
  3. 3

    Ferris State's grants cover 57% of its full price on average, vs. 47% at Marshall

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Ferris State grads earn $8.4K more ten years out than Marshall's ($54,735 vs. $46,354)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    Ferris State graduates 6 pts more of its students than Marshall (60% vs. 54%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    Marshall has 4 pts more Pell recipients than Ferris State (39% vs. 34%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Ferris State admits 91%, Marshall 96%; Marshall's yield is higher, at 28%.

Acceptance rate
Marshall96%
Ferris State91%
Quad's selectivity
  • MarshallOpen
  • Ferris StateOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
Marshall
940–1140
Ferris State
890–1120
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • MarshallGPA and tests very important48%
  • Ferris StateGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Ferris State is a bit larger than Marshall (8,106 vs. 7,266 undergrads); Marshall has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Marshall7.3K
Ferris State8.1K
Pell Grant share
Marshall39%
Ferris State34%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Marshall, and Business Administration and Management at Ferris State; Ferris State has 15 students per faculty member to Marshall's 16.

Students per faculty member
Marshall16 to 1
Ferris State15 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • MarshallBusiness/Commerce, General10%
  • Ferris StateBusiness Administration and Management, General10%

What each costs

Ferris State costs about $3.1K less a year than Marshall on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Marshall$14.9K
Ferris State$11.8K
Aid generosity
Marshall47%
Ferris State57%

What each pays off

Ferris State's former students earn more, a median $54.7K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Marshall$46.4K
Ferris State$54.7K
Graduation rate
Marshall54%
Ferris State60%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • MarshallGrowing+138%
  • Ferris StateGrowing+20%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;Marshall University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Marshall University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Marshall University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;Marshall University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2019;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why