Ferris State University: the heart of Big Rapids

Big Rapids is a college town, and the college is Ferris State University. Woodbridge Ferris — who later became Michigan’s governor and a U.S. senator — started it in 1884 as a small, practical school to train people for real jobs, back when the local pine forests were being logged out and the town needed a new economy. It grew into a full public university and took the Ferris State University name in 1987.

Today the campus spreads across the south side of town, with around 10,000 students and well-known programs in fields like pharmacy, optometry, criminal justice, and the trades. Ferris is the largest employer in the county, so the university shapes a lot about Big Rapids — the rental market near campus, the rhythm of the school year, game days for the Division II Bulldogs, and a steady stream of students, staff, and visitors through town.

If you’re buying here, it’s worth knowing how close a property is to campus: student-rental areas have a different feel (and tenant mix) than the quieter neighborhoods farther out.