Wayne State University

Overview

Rankings

• #15 Best MBA Programs in Michigan
• #16 Best Engineering Colleges in Michigan
• #17 Best Computer Science Colleges in Michigan
• #17 Best Data Science Colleges in Michigan
• #18 Best Business Colleges in Michigan
• #20 Best Education Colleges in Michigan
• #21 Best Bachelor's Programs in Michigan
• #21 Best Psychology Colleges in Michigan

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Wayne State University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Detroit, Michigan, Wayne State University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 81%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,156. The graduation rate is roughly 58%.

Acceptance Rate

81%

Retention Rate

83%

SAT Average

1156

ACT Midpoint

25

SAT Range

1060–1270

ACT Range

23–29

Full-Time Faculty

58%

Faculty Salary (mo)

$12,166

Student–Faculty Ratio

14:1

Diversity Index

0.66

First-Gen Students

38%

Applicants

14,002

Admitted

10,547

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26

The acceptance rate tells you how hard Wayne State University is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 21% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.

Yield Rate

21%

of admits enroll

Submitted SAT

36%

of enrolled freshmen

Submitted ACT

3%

of enrolled freshmen

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Wayne State University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Wayne State University is $32,037, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $12,766. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $11,090 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $21,250 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition

$15,190

Out-of-State

$32,037

Avg Net Price

$12,766

Median Debt

$21,250

Pell Grant Rate

46%

Federal Loan Rate

38%

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Wayne State University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Graduate Outcomes

Is Wayne State University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Wayne State University earn a median of $53,493, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry

$45,207

8 Years

$50,384

10 Years

$53,493

Debt-to-Earnings

0.4x

Earning > $25K

61%

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Wayne State University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Wayne State University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.45%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12.6% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $81,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate

2.45%

Bottom 20% → Top 20%

Success Rate

19.4%

If bottom 20% get in

From Bottom 20%

12.6%

Share of students

Parent Median Income

$111,138

today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Wayne State University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Wayne State University. Its economic connectedness score is 0.84, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias runs higher (0.27), suggesting students tend to form ties within their own economic group. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness

0.84

Cross-class friendships

Friending Bias

0.27

Lower = more inclusive

Volunteering Rate

6.9%

Support Ratio

0.94

Community support

Innovation & Knowledge Creation

Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education

Research Score

16/100

Times Higher Ed

Academic Influence

55/100

Citation impact (THE)

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income

$-44,735,000

Top Programs

The fields Wayne State University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

• Business & Marketing 22% $68,642 early-career
• Health Professions 15% $74,174 early-career
• Psychology 9% $36,618 early-career
• Computer Science & IT 6% $90,849 early-career
• Engineering 6% $94,429 early-career
• Biology & Biomedical 5% $31,312 early-career
• Social Sciences 5% $52,040 early-career
• Visual & Performing Arts 4% $36,879 early-career

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.