National university
#3 Most affordable colleges with strong academics in MichiganWayne State University
Detroit, MI · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $12,766 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,250 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Campus tour - our campus - Wayne State University · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#35 of 690
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#79 of 681
- Best value colleges in the Midwest in America#28 of 177
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#111 of 682
- Best value colleges in America#119 of 674
- Best colleges for NCAA Division II athletes in America#59 of 292
In Michigan
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.58%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,156 · ACT 26
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$14,651
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $27,350 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 16,117 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 41% · Women 59% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 38% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 2% |
| Total students | 23,553 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $12,766 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $27,350 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,250 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 58% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 45% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 43% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 38% |
| First-year retention | 83% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $53,493 |
| Admission rate | 81% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $25 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,122 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 46% |
| Average SAT | 1156 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 540–640 |
| SAT math | 520–630 |
| ACT composite | 23–29 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Excellent · Top 20% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Medical assisting | |
| Mechanical engineering technology | |
| Electrical engineering technology | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Other health professions and related clinical sciences | |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | |
| Nursing | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Management information systems | |
| International business | |
| Allied health | |
| Finance | |
| Accounting | |
| Marketing | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Public administration | |
| Mathematics | |
| Economics | |
| Chemistry | |
| Funeral Service and Mortuary Science | |
| Political science | |
| Human resources | |
| Public relations | |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | |
| Foods, Nutrition, | |
| Secondary education | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Special education | |
| Communication studies | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Social work | |
| Sociology | |
| Public health | |
| Journalism | |
| Psychology | |
| Biology | |
| Music | |
| History | |
| Teacher education | |
| Anthropology | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| English | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Fine arts | |
| Linguistics | |
| Film and video | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied mathematics, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Business administration, Classics, Clinical and counseling psychology, Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Dance, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Electromechanical technology, Engineering (general), Entrepreneurship, Ethnic and gender studies, German, Industrial technology, Information science, Instructional design, International relations, Kinesiology and exercise science, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Other foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics, Other physical sciences, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Philosophy, Physics, Pre-law and legal studies, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Statistics.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Psychology | |
| Engineering | |
| Biology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 19% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 15% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,252 |
| Sports | NCAA Division II · Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 14 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 8%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 58%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $25,763IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 20% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)About 18 miles away · about 30 minutes by car |
| Town population | 638,530Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | DetroitIn or next to this city |
| Typical weather | 26°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Detroit City Airport, MI, about 5 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.08 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.14 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.17 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Wayne State University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 38% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Wayne State University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $12,766 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Wayne State University?
- Wayne State University admitted 81% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Wayne State University’s graduates do?
- 58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $53,493; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,250.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 172644
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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