The aim of this study was to evaluate how plane of milk replacer (MR; low vs. high) and rate of rumen fermentation of starch in calf starter (CS; slow vs. rapid) can alter growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen and hindgut fermentation in dairy calves. Holstein male calves (n = 48, 2–3 d of age at initiation of the study) were randomly assigned to one of 4 treatments according to 2 × 2 factorial design: low (LO; 0.749 kg/d) or high (HI; 1.498 kg/d) plane of MR, and slow (whole corn; W) or rapid (flaked corn; F) rate of rumen fermentability of starch in CS. Calves were weaned by reducing MR offered by 50% during wk 6. Intake of MR and CS were recorded daily, while BW was measured weekly. Rumen fluid and fecal matter were sampled at wk 5, 6, 7 and 8 for pH, short chain fatty acids, and starch. Nutrient digestibility was measured during wk 5 and 8. Data were analyzed using MIXED procedure of SAS. Calves fed HI-F had greater average daily gain (ADG; 0.71 kg/d) than calves fed LO-F (0.47 kg/d). Calves fed HI had greater (P ≤ 0.001) ADG than calves fed LO during wk 2, 3, 4 and 5, yet during wk 7 calves fed HI had lower (P ≤ 0.002) ADG compared with calves fed LO. There was an interaction (P = 0.03) between MR plane and type of starch for ADG during the pre-weaning period. Starter intake was greater (P ≤ 0.000) for calves fed LO compared with HI during wk 4, 5, 6 and 7. Rumen propionate was lower for HI-W compared with LO-W group (P = 0.013) at wk 5 and LO-W and HI-F groups (P = 0.017) at wk 6. During wk 5 and 8, calves fed LO had increased (P = 0.001) ADF and NDF digestibility compared with calves fed HI but had decreased and increased (P = 0.02) OM digestibility for wk 5 and 8, respectively, compared with HI fed calves. Treatment did not affect fecal starch, yet calves fed HI-W had lower (P = 0.001) fecal pH (6.6 ± 0.06) during wk 8 compared with other groups. Results show that the plane of MR and/or type of starch can affect ADG, fiber digestibility, ruminal SCFA production, and fecal pH.