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Michigan State University

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Great Research Environment, but Low Pay for PhD Students - Graduate Research Assistant Michigan State University Employee Review

3.0
Apr 20, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of research opportunities and academic events Friendly and supportive advisors (at least in my experience) Campus is peaceful and nice for studying Health insurance is pretty decent for students Good library and access to journals/resources

Cons

The stipend is really low – it's hard to get by, especially with rent and groceries Bureaucracy can be slow and frustrating Office space can be limited, depending on your department Work-life balance is tough, especially during teaching or grant seasons Not a lot of structured support for international students

Explore other reviews about Michigan State University

5.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Mostly fair bargaining agreements, strong benefits

Cons

Work conditions vary drastically by department and supervisor

4.0
Jun 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The HPC facilities (HPCC, ICER) offer excellent access for research affiliates colpaborating with university researchers, with Slurm job scheduling and a well-managed site-specific wiki.

Cons

Annual account renewal can be a bit bureacratically clunky at times, and the Research Affiliate may have to coordinate with multiple departments and the associated PI if a system update breaks part of a legacy system.

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