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Wayne State University: cost, admission and results

Wayne State University is a public college in Detroit, Michigan. It has about 15,587 undergraduate students. It admits 81% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $11,212 a year.

At a glance

  • 81%Admission rate
  • $11,212Net price a year
  • 60%Graduation rate
  • $59,525Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Detroit, Michigan 48202
Type
Public
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Large city
Undergraduate students
15,587
Graduate students
7,791
Students per teacher
14 to 1
Accredited by
Higher Learning Commission
Website
wayne.edu

Getting in

Wayne State University admits 81% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1156 out of 1600 (midpoints: 575 in reading and writing, 570 in maths). The midpoint ACT score is 25 out of 36.

What it costs

Tuition and fees, students from Michigan$15,862
Tuition and fees, students from elsewhere$33,467
Room and meals on campus$14,394
Books and supplies$1,360
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$26,709
Average net price after grants and scholarships$11,212

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 8% below the median net price of colleges in Michigan on this site ($12,147). International students are normally charged the out-of-state tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$9,694
$30,001 to $48,000$9,087
$48,001 to $75,000$9,680
$75,001 to $110,000$12,492
Above $110,000$18,584

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeMI medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year83%72%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)60%48%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$59,525$52,190$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$19,500$19,500$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Michigan and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

51% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 37% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 59% women and 41% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 4 of the 72 colleges in Michigan on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,650.

Other colleges in Michigan of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Wayne State University?

Wayne State University admits 81% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Wayne State University?

Published tuition and fees are $15,862 a year for students from Michigan and $33,467 for others. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Wayne State University?

60% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

All colleges in Michigan How to read these figures