Skip to content

Lake Superior State University (Sault Ste. Marie, Mi)


Providing A Superior Blend Of Liberal And Technical Studies In The Natural Setting Of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Lake Superior State University is a personal, small-town university that provides a superior blend of liberal and technical studies in the natural setting on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Lake Superior State University is a publicly funded, autonomous state university operated under the control of an eight-member board of trustees, who are appointed to eight-year terms by the governor.

Sault Ste. Marie (pronounced Soo Saint Marie and founded in 1668), in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where we share the international border with Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The two cities combine the advantages of a larger city with the safety and comfort of a smaller town. Between both, the population is about 100,000.

The 115-acre campus is situated on the site of the former U.S. Army’s Fort Brady, fourteen of LSSU’s buildings are listed on various historic registers, creating a unique campus environment. Also, the campus overlooks Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the St. Mary’s River, and the Soo Locks, the busiest locks in the world.

LSSU Mission Statement
We equip our graduates with the knowledge, practical skills, and inner strength to craft a life of meaningful employment, personal fulfillment, and generosity of self within an inclusive atmosphere, all while enhancing the quality of life of the Great Lakes region and the world.

LSSU Vision Statement
We believe in an innovation-driven, transformative education for all. We identify potential, enable success, drive social mobility, and develop students into professionally prepared graduates who excel locally, nationally and globally.

LSSU Core Values:

  • Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Student learning is our first priority and focuses on providing student/faculty interaction, learning, and research in current, relevant programs.
     
  • Opportunity: Students have a wide range of opportunities to grow academically, professionally, culturally and socially. Opportunities are provided via work-study assignments, student organizations, internships, community outreach and leadership.
     
  • Diversity: Students experience a campus community environment that is inclusive and welcoming.
     
  • Ethics and Values: The University promotes an environment that values freedom of expression, the pursuit of truth, honesty, openness, and courteous behavior where everyone is treated with respect.
     
  • Stewardship: LSSU provides a framework in which to leave the university and region financially and environmentally sound for future generations of LSSU students, alumni, and friends.

Institutional Learning Outcomes:

Formal Communication

  • Students will develop and clearly express complex ideas in written and oral presentations.

Use of Evidence

  • Students will identify the need for, gather, and accurately process the appropriate type, quality, and quantity of evidence to answer a complex question or solve a complex problem.

Analysis and Synthesis

  • Students will organize and synthesize evidence, ideas, or works of imagination to answer an open-ended question, draw a conclusion, achieve a goal, or create a substantial work of art.

Professional Responsibility

  • Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional ethics and intercultural competence when answering a question, solving a problem, or achieving a goal.

Academics & Student Body

  • Academic Calendar: Semester system – Fall and Spring. Summer session – May, June, and July.
  • Total enrollment: More than 2,100 undergraduates.
  • 88% Michigan residents with students from every county.
  • 8.3% Ontario residents.
  • 3.7% non-residents.
  • Class size: 74% have fewer than 30 people.

Aid & Scholarships

  • More than 90% of full-time students receive aid.
  • Scholarships ranging from $500 to $8,000 are available to high school graduates and Michigan community college graduates. Students must be admitted to LSSU by March 1 for consideration.
  • LSSU participates in most federal and state financial aid programs.

Athletics & Recreation

  • NCAA Division I ice hockey team has won five national championships (including two at the NAIA level) and competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). More than a dozen LSSU players have gone to play in the National Hockey League.
  • NCAA Division II teams compete in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference