MSU Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield MSU facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. MSU's football team is nicknamed the Spartans, but their live mascot is a character named what? → Sparty
2. What is the minimum required ACT score at Michigan State? → 24-28
3. What percentage of MSU students typically participate in some form of community service? → Over 50%
4. Which NBA legend and MSU alumnus won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers? → Magic Johnson
5. MSU alumna Cynthia Cooper is famous for her role in exposing fraud at which company? → WorldCom
6. Which notable MSU college is considered the first agricultural college in the United States? → College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
7. The annual Homecoming Snake Dance is a tradition where students do what? → Wind through campus streets in a chain before the homecoming game
8. How much does attendance expense for in-state students typically cost? → $32,113
9. What is the name of MSU's popular club sports program that includes over 100 teams? → Recreational Sports and Fitness Services
10. Which MSU alumnus became a prominent U.S. Senator from Michigan? → Debbie Stabenow
11. MSU partnered with which automaker to advance electric vehicle battery research? → General Motors
12. Which institute at MSU is a leading center for the study of international development and focuses on reducing poverty globally? → MSU Center for Advanced Study of International Development (CASID)
13. What is the official motto of Michigan State University? → Advancing Knowledge, Transforming Lives
14. MSU's spring break service program, which sends students to volunteer nationally, is called? → MSU Alternative Spring Break
15. What is the name of MSU's supercomputing facility used for research? → HPCC (High Performance Computing Center)
16. Approximately how many undergraduate students are enrolled at MSU? → 38,000
17. What was the institution's official name immediately before it became Michigan State University in 1955? → Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science
18. What is the name of MSU's official fight song? → On the Banks of the Red Cedar
19. In which city is Michigan State University's main campus located? → East Lansing
20. MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine was the first what in the U.S.? → State-funded osteopathic medical school
21. What was Michigan State University's original name? → Agricultural College of the State of Michigan
22. How many credit hours must MSU undergraduates typically complete to earn a bachelor's degree? → 120
23. How many academic colleges does Michigan State University have? → 17
24. The nickname 'Spartans' for MSU's athletic teams was officially adopted in what year? → 1925
25. What is the name of MSU's student-run radio station that plays alternative and indie music? → IMPACT 89FM
26. What is the name of the residential college at MSU that offers an interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum and has its own faculty? → James Madison College
27. Which famous building on MSU's campus houses the Kresge Art Museum collection? → Broad Art Museum
28. The MSU Hash Bash is an annual event at which university, often confused with MSU? → University of Michigan
29. Which MSU alumnus won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism? → Jack Driscoll
30. The building that serves as MSU's central administration offices is called? → Hannah Administration Building