Wayne State University (WSU)
Public four-year university in Detroit, MI that costs an average of $11,212 a year after financial aid, admits 81% of applicants and graduates 60% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$11,212
Acceptance rate
81%
Graduation rate
60%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$59,525
PublicLarge city15,587 undergraduates
Cost of WSU
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $26,709 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $15,862 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $33,467 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $14,394 |
| Books and supplies | $1,360 |
| Average net price after aid | $11,212 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $9,694 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $9,087 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $9,680 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $12,492 |
| $110,001+ | $18,584 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships (in-state students). Get your own estimate with WSU's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 81% |
|---|---|
| Average SAT | 1,156 |
| SAT reading (25th–75th percentile) | 540–640 |
| SAT math (25th–75th percentile) | 520–630 |
| ACT composite (25th–75th percentile) | 23–29 |
| Test scores | Considered but not required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 60% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 83% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $52,005 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $59,525 |
| Rank in Michigan (earnings) | 24th of 43 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $19,500 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $222 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 51% |
| Students with federal loans | 37% |
Majors and programs at WSU
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (83)
Certificate programs (7)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | — | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 7 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 2 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Nanotechnology | — | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs (3)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | — | — | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | — | — | — |
Master's degree programs (90)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 90 | $128,838 | $51,250 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 66 | $110,711 | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 99 | $108,086 | $78,630 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 604 | $104,170 | $41,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 88 | $100,236 | — |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | 28 | $100,058 | $94,555 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 47 | $96,775 | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 31 | $89,303 | — |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 40 | $75,064 | $41,942 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 47 | $70,236 | $33,907 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 25 | $69,011 | $44,680 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 43 | $68,563 | $41,000 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 56 | $66,588 | $68,025 |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 28 | $66,502 | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 117 | $65,324 | $39,000 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 76 | $63,407 | $48,000 |
| Public Health | 104 | $62,899 | $39,231 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 83 | $62,518 | $36,810 |
| Social Work | 405 | $55,052 | $41,000 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 30 | $54,994 | — |
| Public Administration | 25 | $54,752 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 89 | $51,128 | $30,750 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 27 | $50,941 | — |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 114 | $47,964 | $66,316 |
| Library Science and Administration | 246 | $47,445 | $37,933 |
| Anthropology | 23 | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 9 | — | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 4 | — | — |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | — | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 9 | — | — |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | 56 | — | $45,410 |
| Biology | 8 | — | — |
| Biotechnology | — | — | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 3 | — | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 14 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 22 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 13 | — | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 6 | — | — |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 5 | — | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 3 | — | — |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | — | — | — |
| Data Analytics | — | — | — |
| Data Processing | 1 | — | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 12 | — | — |
| Dispute Resolution | — | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 28 | — | — |
| Economics | 24 | — | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 3 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 43 | — | — |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | 12 | — | — |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 3 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 35 | — | — |
| Engineering, Other | 26 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 23 | — | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 6 | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 1 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 11 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 7 | — | — |
| Genetics | 6 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 2 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 | — | — |
| History | 11 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 7 | — | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 54 | — | — |
| Information Science/Studies | 8 | — | — |
| International Business | — | — | — |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 35 | — | $41,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | — | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 16 | — | — |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 4 | — | — |
| Materials Sciences | 8 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 7 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 2 | — | — |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | — | — |
| Music | 9 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 3 | — | — |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 6 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 10 | — | — |
| Physics | 11 | — | — |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 10 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 12 | — | — |
| Psychology | 15 | — | — |
| Sociology | 6 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 2 | — | — |
| Statistics | 6 | — | — |
| Systems Engineering | — | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 20 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (50)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 12 | $101,844 | $116,095 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 7 | $100,574 | $78,274 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 21 | $81,096 | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | — | $78,054 | $90,700 |
| Anthropology | 2 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 2 | — | — |
| Biology | 11 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 16 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 5 | — | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 3 | — | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 5 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 51 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 8 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 2 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 16 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 13 | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 3 | — | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 16 | — | — |
| Economics | 9 | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 25 | — | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | 3 | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 6 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 11 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 10 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 3 | — | — |
| Genetics | 5 | — | — |
| Gerontology | — | — | — |
| History | 4 | — | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 17 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 5 | — | — |
| Materials Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 6 | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 17 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | — | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | — | — | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 5 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 3 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 2 | — | — |
| Physics | 15 | — | — |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 11 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 7 | — | — |
| Psychology | 33 | — | — |
| Public Health | — | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Social Work | 8 | — | — |
| Sociology | 4 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 1 | — | — |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 5 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 11 | — | — |
Professional degree programs (9)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | 236 | $79,518 | $61,500 |
| Medicine | 526 | $62,585 | $179,777 |
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | 4 | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | — | — | — |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 171 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | — | — | — |
| Public Health | — | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 106 | — | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 77 | — | — |
Graduate certificate programs (42)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | 17 | $98,421 | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 46 | $85,942 | $41,000 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 32 | $67,706 | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 19 | $60,181 | — |
| Library Science and Administration | 56 | $45,457 | $43,350 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 3 | — | — |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | — | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 4 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 27 | — | — |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | 2 | — | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 10 | — | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 1 | — | — |
| Economics | 4 | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | — | — | — |
| Engineering | — | — | — |
| Engineering, Other | 2 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 1 | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 1 | — | — |
| Gerontology | 9 | — | — |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | — | — | — |
| History | 4 | — | — |
| Information Science/Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | — | — | — |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 1 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | — | — | — |
| Museology/Museum Studies | 3 | — | — |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | — | — | — |
| Philosophy | — | — | — |
| Polymer/Plastics Engineering | — | — | — |
| Public Administration | 17 | — | — |
| Public Health | 11 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 2 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 1 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 4 | — | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | — | — | — |
| Social Work | 3 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 1 | — | — |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 1 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 1 | — | — |
| Systems Engineering | — | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 3 | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | 6 | — | — |
Similar colleges in Michigan
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley State University | Allendale | $16,495 | 83% | $60,120 |
| Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo | $13,902 | 85% | $57,828 |
| Oakland University | Rochester Hills | $11,815 | 88% | $63,565 |
| Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti | $16,628 | 80% | $55,390 |
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant | $17,201 | 90% | $59,879 |
| Ferris State University | Big Rapids | $8,402 | 91% | $60,457 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | $14,362 | 16% | $92,832 |
| Northern Michigan University | Marquette | $12,759 | 84% | $51,936 |
About WSU
| Type | Public four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | Detroit, MI |
| Setting | Large city |
| Undergraduates | 15,587 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 14 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Higher Learning Commission |
| Website | wayne.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is WSU's acceptance rate?
Wayne State University admits 81% of applicants. Admitted students average 1,156 on the SAT.
How much does WSU cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $26,709 a year (tuition and fees: $15,862 in-state, $33,467 out-of-state). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $11,212 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $9,694.
How much do WSU graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $59,525 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 24th of 43 similar colleges in Michigan. The best-paid bachelor's program is electrical, electronics, and communications engineering ($87,651 a year after graduation).
What is WSU's graduation rate?
60% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 83% of first-year students return for a second year.