R1 ResearchPublicMedical

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan·Public, 4-year or above·Great Lakes·wayne.edu
6-yr Graduation
58%
-6.5pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
23,803
peer median 26,349
Avg net price
$12,766
-$4.6k vs R1 Research
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
16,981
16,981 candidates competed
Admitted
13,781
81.2% acceptance rate
Enrolled
3,085
22.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
58%-6.5pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
36%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
58%
Full-time retention
83%

Pell equity

11.8pp gap
Pell recipients
52%715 of 1369
Non-Pell (all)
64%1012 of 1586
Subsidized loan, no Pell
61%212 of 345
No Federal Aid
64%800 of 1241

Non-Pell students graduate at a 11.8-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 275 Title IV programs, 90 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 184 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
275
Passing
90
32.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.4% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.4%
-0.2pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

275programs
  • Passing90 · 32.7%
  • No Data184 · 66.9%
  • Failing1 · 0.4%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
3
Watch
4
Safe
83
No data
184

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

91
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.4%
$32,525 vs $32,989
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Graduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+4.6%
$60,674 vs $58,014
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+6.6%
$35,157 vs $32,989
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+8.8%
$63,124 vs $58,014
Linguistic Comparative and Related Language Studies and Services
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
+18.0%
$38,926 vs $32,989
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+19.0%
$39,271 vs $32,989
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+20.4%
$49,640 vs $41,236
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+24.1%
$72,004 vs $58,014

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

2
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.4%
−$464
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Graduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+4.6%
+$2,660

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

77
Medicine
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
149%
$158,333 debt · $106,280 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
129%
$81,120 debt · $62,891 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
97%
$84,097 debt · $86,415 earn
Library Science and Administration
Graduate Certificate · Library Science
92%
$49,400 debt · $53,742 earn
Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
90%
$116,885 debt · $130,642 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
87%
$30,401 debt · $35,157 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
76%
$30,000 debt · $39,271 earn
Library Science and Administration
Master's Degree · Library Science
75%
$41,000 debt · $54,979 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1915Next review Aug 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 26

Action history · 38

  1. Aug 2025Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  2. Jul 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Clinical doctoral program in Audiology
  3. Jun 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
  4. Aug 2024Warning or Equivalent-Factors Affecting Academic Quality
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
  5. May 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs · Nurse Anesthesia (ANEST) - Institutions and programs at the master's degree, post master's certificate or doctoral degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$11,090
$30–48k$10,721
$48–75k$12,068
$75–110k$14,828
$110k+$19,862

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$12,766
-$4,581vs R1 Research median $17,347
Federal loans
37.8%
In-state tuition
$15,190
Out-of-state
$32,037

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 8,823 students received $52.1M in Pell grants, alongside $167.4M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
8,823
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$52.1M
$52,095,378 total
Direct Loans
$167.4M
15,733 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

8k
’20
8k
’21
7k
’22
8k
’23
9k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$21.4M
5,033 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$21.7M
4,993 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$86.0M
3,773 loan awards
Parent PLUS$9.8M
625 loan awards
Grad PLUS$28.6M
1,309 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 6,220 borrowers who entered repayment, 99 (1.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.5%
-0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
6,220
Defaulted
99
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
7.2%
2017
6.8%
2018
5.1%
2019
1.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Wayne State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs194
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

5,059 total completions
01Business
1,34526.6%
02Health Professions
1,27625.2%
03Psychology
4007.9%
04Engineering
3827.6%
05Public Admin
3697.3%
06Computer Sciences
3496.9%
07Education
2895.7%
08Biological Sciences
2434.8%
09Social Sciences
2204.3%
10Parks/Recreation
1863.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
23,803
12-mo unduplicated
26,860
Undergraduate
17,985
Graduate
8,875

Gender split

Men
40%10,820
Women
60%16,040

Race / ethnicity composition

White
52.8%
Black
17.9%
Asian
14.1%
Hispanic
7.8%
Two or more
4.5%
Non-resident
2.2%
Unknown
0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
394
258 M · 136 W
Women athletes
34.5%
Athletic aid
$5.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$16.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.9M
$2.2M
Recruiting expense
$56K
$14K
Head-coach salaries
$101K
$76K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Football
118 M · —
$2.5M
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
— · 98 W
$694K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
28 M · 22 W
$1.2M
Baseball
36 M · —
$761K
Basketball
15 M · 15 W
$1.8M
Fencing
16 M · 9 W
$584K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.42
57 offenses · 23,553 students

3-year trend

2.972 yrs ago1.611 yr ago2.42Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
169
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
46
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
10

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
22
Burglary
12
Aggravated assault
8
Rape
5
Fondling
5
Robbery
4
Incest
1

By location

57total
  • On campus38
  • Non-campus5
  • Public property14

Includes 12 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
12
Dating violence
6
Stalking
19 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Ethnicity1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons22
Drugs625
Liquor2414

Residence-hall fires

  • Towers Residence Hall1 fire
    Hazardous product1 injured · 0 deathsDamage $0-$99
  • Anthony Wayne Drive Apts2 fires
    OtherDamage $25,000-$49,999
  • Anthony Wayne Drive Apts2 fires
    OtherDamage $10,000-$24,999

Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
14.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
1,479

Wayne State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Wayne State selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectWayne State University
58%—23,803$12,766R1 Research
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
93%15.6%52,855$13,138R1 Research
Michigan State University
81%84.8%52,089$19,680R1 Research
Ohio University-Main Campus
65%85.0%26,323$21,637R1 Research
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
53%90.7%22,450$15,014R1 Research
Kent State University at Kent
64%86.3%26,374$20,787R1 Research
Peer group median65%85.0%26,349$17,347

Institutions like Wayne State

Explore the federal data for institutions in Wayne State's comparison group.

IPEDS

Wayne State Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Research and Data Analytics
Reports to Division of Digital Strategy and Operational Excellence
Email
IRDAanalytics [at] lists.wayne.edu
Address
656 W. Kirby St., FAB 4070, Detroit, MI 48202

The Institutional Research & Data Analytics team supports data-informed strategic policy and decision making at WSU by providing accurate data and insightful analytics utilizing robust tools, technologies, and reporting methodologies. This office is the official source of institutional information for internal and external constituents.

Visit IR office page
Team
12 members
  • Carly Cirilli
    Assistant Vice President, Institutional Research and Data Analytics
  • Yining Li
    Institutional Research Analyst
  • Jason Singh
    Data Scientist, Associate
  • Jala Daniel
    Institutional Research Analyst
  • Dylan Kuriluk
    Data Engineer
  • Shuging Qi
    Lead Applications Tech Analyst
  • Wanda Gillespie
    Senior Business Intelligence Analyst
  • Susan Garabedian
    Lead Business Intelligence Analyst
  • James Morrissey
    Lead Institutional Research Analyst
  • Zenyu Sheng
    Lead Application Tech Analyst
  • Jeffrey Cheetam
    Lead Application Tech Analyst
  • Minh Ha
    Data Scientist

Common Data Set

Wayne State's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Student–faculty ratio
15 to 1
01

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students40
10-19 students80
20-29 students70
30-39 students30
40-49 students15
50-99 students5
100+ students1

50% of classes have under 20 students; 2% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
15 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
85%
Women faculty
56%

Key faculty indicators.

02

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,284
Admitted
645
Enrolled
327

1,284 transfer applicants → 645 admitted (50.2%) → 327 enrolled

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Wayne State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Wayne State.

What is the graduation rate at Wayne State University?

Wayne State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 58% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Wayne State University?

Wayne State University reports a total enrollment of 23,803 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Wayne State University?

The average net price at Wayne State University is $12,766 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Wayne State University?

Wayne State University's yield rate is 22.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Wayne State University located?

Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan 48202.

Who runs Institutional Research at Wayne State University?

Wayne State University's IR work is done by the Institutional Research and Data Analytics, which reports to Division of Digital Strategy and Operational Excellence.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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