Ferris State University

Ferris State University is an institute of higher learning whose main campus is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, in Mecosta County, with a secondary campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and smaller programs located throughout the region.

Ferris State University consists of eight colleges: Allied Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Services, Optometry, Pharmacy, Technology, and Kendall College of Art and Design. Ferris grants doctorate degrees via its Optometry and Pharmacy colleges. Via a partnership arrangement, Ferris also grants Bachelor's degrees to graduates of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan College.

As of the Fall 2006 semester, a record 12,578 students were enrolled at Ferris State University, approximately 85% of whom attend class on the main campus in Big Rapids. The majority of the remainder are at its locations in downtown Grand Rapids: Kendall and the Applied Technology Center. The university's faculty-student ratio is 1:15, and all classes are taught by professional instructors, not graduate assistants.