Best LSA

Since 1841, the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) has been the heart of The Michigan Difference, educating young leaders through a rich liberal arts curriculum and creating new knowledge through world-class research and scholarship.

What does that mean exactly?

It means that we offer more than 100 degree programs in over 75 academic departments and programs. It means that we have one of the largest alumni networks in the world with 200, 000 living LSA graduates. It means we consistently have a first-year retention rate of over 95%. And it means that 90% of our seniors go on to enter the workforce or attend graduate school.

Every LSA program is among the best in the U.S.
More than 40 are among the top 10, and 5 programs are the best in their fields.

• In 2012, U-M was ranked 18th among the best universities in the world by The Times of London
• As the primary undergraduate college, LSA is the reason U.S. News & World Report ranks U-M as one of the top 10 universities for undergraduate teaching
• The 2011 Newsweek college rankings placed U-M 7th among schools graduating future politicians, 15th among schools for computer geeks, 16th for top schools among CEOs, 24th among most desirable urban schools, and 25th among the most gay-friendly schools

This isn’t just a classic liberal arts college.
Hands-on, practical learning and leadership opportunities are at the core of the LSA experience.

LSA professors are global leaders in their fields.
And they bring that expertise into the classroom, which is why U-M is consistently ranked as a top teaching university.

• LSA has had 10 MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowships since 1988, including two in 2011: Tiya Miles (Afroamerican & African Studies) and Melanie Sanford (Chemistry)
• In 1999, the Nobel Prize was awarded to Professor Emeritus Martinus Veltman (Physics)
• The College has had two Carnegie Foundation/CASE professors of the year since 2005: Brian Coppola in 2009 (Chemistry) and William “Buzz” Alexander in 2005 (English)