About

The University of Michigan has announced its most ambitious and innovative fundraising campaign to date, with a goal of raising $7 billion — the largest effort in its history and the largest known campaign goal of any public university.

Titled Look to Michigan, the campaign supports the Vision 2034 and Campus 2050 plans, announced earlier this year, to live out its mission of serving the public good by making an impact in four areas where Michigan is uniquely positioned to impact global challenges:

• Life-changing education — Elevating the educational landscape by providing solutions to the acute shortages of well-prepared educators, addressing resource disparities, and giving all learners the opportunity to succeed.
• Health and well-being — Tackling critical health challenges both locally and globally, improving affordability and access to quality health care, advocating for preventative health, and generating innovative discoveries that improve and save lives.
• Democracy, civic and global engagement — Reinvigorating community participation and critical thinking; expanding knowledge of democratic practices and principles; and strengthening local, national and international alliances.
• Sustainability and climate action — Mitigating climate change through research and education; empowering students, faculty, staff and community members to find equitable solutions; and collaborating with partners to create long-term change.

The university also is pursuing advances in core commitments and key university priorities:

• Supporting students with the resources and wraparound services they need to become tomorrow’s leaders.
• Engaging with the arts as a creative catalyst for learning and growth.
• Fostering inclusivity on its campuses so each member of the community has equitable opportunities to thrive.
• Increasing U-M’s impact through innovation, partnership and economic development.

“We know that the world is calling on us to answer the most urgent questions of our time — to be the defining public institution that inspires all that is possible,” President Santa J. Ono said.

“The deeply collaborative, universitywide priorities of Vision 2034 have been years in the making and set the stage for Michigan to be that institution. And the Look to Michigan campaign will bring this ambitious vision to life.”

The seventh such campaign undertaken by U-M, Look to Michigan also will raise funds to support the student experience, innovation and research, community engagement and partnerships, and building state-of-the-art facilities across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses, as well as Athletics and Michigan Medicine.

“Our leaders have charted a bold new vision for U-M that leverages our expertise across fields and excellence at scale, one that exemplifies our innovative strength and service to the common good,” said Tom Baird, vice president for development.

“All of which is made possible with the philanthropic support of our generous donors, who have helped sustain our great university for more than 200 years and will continue to help propel us forward in this exciting new chapter.”

The priorities of the Look to Michigan campaign were developed through a series of conversations among academic leaders, working groups from across the university, and philanthropic partners to take an innovative approach that empowers U-M and its donors to leverage the university’s excellence at scale, academic excellence and network of alumni and supporters to make the greatest impact possible on the world’s most pressing challenges.

The university has already received gifts totaling $3.3 billion during the silent phase of the campaign, before the public launch.

U-M’s most recent campaign — Victors for Michigan — ran from 2013-18 and raised $5.3 billion.

As a public, nonprofit institution, U-M relies on philanthropic gifts to deliver world-class education and research that would not be attainable relying solely on government funding and tuition. These gifts allow U-M to attract qualified students from all backgrounds, recruit outstanding faculty, fund innovative research, improve teaching methods, add creative programming, and build and maintain facilities.

The University of Michigan is the No. 22 university in the world and the No. 14 university in the United States, according to the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The list released Oct. 9 includes 2,092 universities across 115 countries and territories.

U-M remains one of only four public institutions in the United States to make the top 25. The others were the University of California, Berkeley (No. 8), the University of California, Los Angeles (No. 18) and the University of Washington (No. 25). 

U-M was No. 23 in the world and No. 14 in the U.S. in 2023.

According to Times Higher Education, the 2025 World University Rankings were compiled using an updated methodology that included 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators.  

The indicators measure an institution’s performance across five areas:

• Teaching (the learning environment) 29.5%
• Research environment (volume, income and reputation) 29%
• Research quality (citation impact, research strength, research excellence and research influence) 30%
• International outlook (staff, students and collaboration) 7.5%
• Industry (income and patents) 4%

The University of Michigan’s Campus Plan 2050 outlines significant changes to the Ann Arbor campus, featuring an innovation district, an on-campus hotel and conference center, an automated transit system, and renovations and updates to existing facilities.

The plan was released Sept. 30 and is available for public viewing.

“The university’s Campus Plan 2050 reflects our dedication to not only meeting today’s challenges, but also investing wisely in the necessities and opportunities of tomorrow,” said President Santa J. Ono.

“By aligning with Vision 2034, it positions the University of Michigan to achieve its vision of connecting and collaborating more deeply, of impacting the greatest challenges facing humanity and becoming the defining public university.”

Campus Plan 2050 and Vision 2034 — the university’s recently launched strategic vision — create a unique moment in the history of the University of Michigan. Both are first of their kind at U-M in terms of scope and how they work in tandem.

“This plan is designed to provide the university with the infrastructure it will need to achieve Vision 2034,” said Geoff Chatas, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

“By strategically aligning our financial resources with our priorities and mission, we have created an inspiring guide for the physical campus that will create dynamic opportunities for research and education in the years to come. We are excited to get started.”

At the core of Campus Plan 2050 is a commitment to sustainability. The initiative proposes innovative infrastructure solutions, including geo-exchange systems designed for efficient heating and cooling through ground-source heat pumps, as well as extensive building retrofits that enhance energy efficiency and sustainability, and efficiency upgrades to the transit system.

Developed through a yearlong process of campus engagement, Campus Plan 2050 reflects the diverse ideas and aspirations of the university community. The plan emphasizes a forward-thinking approach, identifying both near-term projects and potential sites for future expansion.

Highlights include:

A new and revitalized academic ecosystem

A new, dynamic, mixed-use district on North Campus would bring together academic units, startups, and industry and government partnerships in a vibrant ecosystem that could spur interdisciplinary collaboration, cutting-edge research and the translation of research applications.

This initiative also includes extensive upgrades to existing academic facilities, integrating them with state-of-the-art technology and sustainable infrastructure to meet modern standards of excellence.

By evolving U-M’s spaces to meet the diverse needs of its community, Campus Plan 2050 ensures that U-M remains a global leader in life-changing education and groundbreaking research.

Carbon neutrality, geo-exchange and solar energy

The plan would integrate geo-exchange heating and cooling systems with ground-source heat pumps throughout the campus, in alignment with universitywide efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

Additionally, the plan includes on-campus solar installations throughout the university, and incorporates ongoing efforts to install approximately 20 megawatts of solar-energy capacity on the Ann Arbor campus.

Hotel and conference center

A new on-campus hotel and conference center is envisioned as a venue for major national research and academic events, enhancing U-M’s role as a hub for knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

Located on near the North Campus Innovation District, it would add to the vibrancy of the mixed-use area.

Optimized transit network

This transportation concept features an automated transit system on an elevated guideway that would connect the North, Medical and Central campuses.

Together with a high-efficiency, high-capacity bus rapid transit system, the network would connect all five Ann Arbor campuses, including East Medical and the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus. These changes would reduce congestion and support the university’s carbon neutrality goals.

Athletics

Among potential changes at the Ross Athletic Campus is a pedestrian bridge that would bring fans across the railroad tracks from Ferry Field to Michigan Stadium. This pathway would lead to a new dedicated TV fan zone and lawn east of the stadium.

Housing

Ongoing efforts to expand on-campus housing include the Central Campus Residential Development currently under construction, with plans for further phases to accommodate the growing student body. Other housing options are possible as well.

Campus Plan 2050 is designed to evolve, providing a flexible framework to incorporate new ideas and technologies as they emerge. While it offers a coordinated planning view of the next 25 years, each individual project will undergo thorough evaluation to ensure alignment with the university’s strategic priorities.

The initiative aligns closely with Vision 2034, the university’s 10-year plan focused on transformative impact in key areas: Life-Changing Education, Human Health and Well-Being, Democracy, Civic and Global Engagement, and Climate Action, Sustainability, and Environmental Justice.

“As we look to the future, Campus Plan 2050 carefully considers new opportunities to enhance our academic environment,” said Laurie McCauley, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “This plan will fortify our commitment to life-changing education and interdisciplinary collaboration, helping us remain at the forefront of academic excellence and social impact.”

Ono launched Vision 2034 and Campus Plan 2050 soon after his arrival in October 2022. The initiatives were led by U-M’s executive vice presidents, Marschall Runge, McCauley and Chatas.

“Campus Plan 2050 paves the way for remarkable advancements in our medical enterprise, fostering cutting-edge research and clinical excellence,” said Runge, executive vice president for medical affairs, dean of the Medical School and chief executive officer of Michigan Medicine.

“By enhancing our facilities and integrating innovative transit solutions, this plan supports our mission to improve human health and wellbeing on a global scale.”