Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan · Also known as WSU · Website
$53,493
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$53,493
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Wayne State University is a public 4-year college in Detroit, Michigan with 15,587 undergraduates and 7,791 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $12,766 a year (tuition and fees $15,190 in-state, $32,037 out-of-state). It admits 81% of applicants and 58% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $53,493 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,250 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$12,766
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$15,190
Out-of-state $32,037
Admission rate
81%
US median 78%
Completion rate
58%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,250
About $225 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$53,493
Rank 1,210 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $12,766
- Tuition in-state
- $15,190
- Tuition out-of-state
- $32,037
- Cost of attendance
- $27,350
- Students with a need-based grant
- 46%
- Students with federal loans
- 38%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,090
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $10,721
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $12,068
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $14,828
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $19,862
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $11,814 in 2015-16 to $15,190 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 81%
- Average SAT
- 1,156
- SAT reading, middle
- 575
- SAT math, middle
- 570
- ACT, middle
- 25
- Undergraduates
- 15,587
- Graduate students
- 7,791
- Part-time students
- 19%
- Women
- 59%
- Students per teacher
- 14
- Completion rate
- 58%
- Retention rate
- 83%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 283
- Endowment
- $602.4M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,210 of 5,094 US colleges and 29 of 145 in Michigan (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $12,766 | $17,194 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $15,190 | $15,221 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 81% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 58% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 83% | 70% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,250 | $13,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $45,207 | $32,840 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $53,493 | $36,115 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 38% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 70% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
283 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 338 | $23,250 | $29,255 | $52,435 | $50,706 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 328 | $36,424 | $93,398 | $116,326 | $103,485 |
| MedicineProfessional | Professional | 268 | $165,514 | $63,587 | $106,280 | $112,460 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 248 | $18,750 | $32,584 | $55,302 | $58,808 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 203 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 192 | $20,375 | $48,324 | $61,121 | $68,069 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 183 | $20,125 | $47,929 | $67,504 | $69,303 |
| Social WorkOnlineMaster's | Master's | 182 | $39,500 | $50,133 | $61,914 | $65,123 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 174 | $24,468 | $74,793 | $84,405 | $88,910 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 157 | $18,750 | $77,371 | $104,630 | $92,374 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 155 | $18,507 | $56,804 | $74,703 | $83,343 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 141 | $19,735 | $52,668 | $73,940 | $76,194 |
| Library Science and AdministrationOnlineMaster's | Master's | 124 | $38,546 | $45,679 | $54,979 | $56,301 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 122 | $25,500 | $39,132 | $56,423 | $55,378 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 117 | $19,384 | $21,716 | $50,811 | $57,214 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 104 | $61,466 | $70,500 | $96,763 | $107,773 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 102 | $21,542 | $59,352 | $80,630 | $83,290 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 98 | $23,000 | $39,774 | $56,152 | $51,790 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationProfessional | Professional | 95 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 91 | $30,953 | $47,939 | $48,506 | $47,382 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 89 | $22,250 | $30,345 | $61,466 | $63,293 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 85 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 85 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 73 | $13,750 | Withheld | $92,707 | $68,245 |
| Apparel and TextilesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $22,441 | $26,490 | $46,737 | $57,640 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Detroit and Michigan on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Michigan
- Homes: Homes for sale in Michigan
Questions and answers
How much does Wayne State University cost?
$12,766 a year is the average net price at Wayne State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $15,190 for in-state students and $32,037 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $27,350. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,090 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Wayne State University?
81% of applicants are admitted to Wayne State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,156 and the middle ACT score is 25. The median admission rate of colleges in Michigan is 81%.
How much do Wayne State University graduates earn?
$53,493 a year is the median pay of former Wayne State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($45,207 after 6 years). That ranks 1,210 of 5,094 US colleges and 29 of 145 in Michigan. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Engineering-Related Fields (Master's) at $128,271.
How much student debt do Wayne State University graduates have?
$21,250 is the median federal student loan debt of Wayne State University graduates, about $225 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 38% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Wayne State University?
58% of first-time, full-time students at Wayne State University finish within 6 years. 83% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Wayne State University?
Psychology, General (338 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (328 master's graduates), Medicine (268 professional graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 283 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.