Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan
Founded in 1868, Wayne State University is a public urban research university in the heart of Detroit. Its Midtown campus places students among museums, hospitals, businesses, cultural institutions, neighborhoods, and employers that make the city an active part of the college experience.
Across 13 schools and colleges, Wayne State offers the breadth of a major university while maintaining a strong connection to the communities around it. Students learn from faculty engaged in research and professional practice, build experience through internships and service, and study alongside classmates from Detroit, across Michigan, and around the world.
Get to know Wayne State University
College Highlights
DETROIT AS A CLASSROOM
Wayne State students have unusual access to learning experiences that connect coursework with the city around them. Internships, clinical experiences, community-based projects, service learning, and partnerships with Detroit organizations give students ways to test what they are learning in real settings. The university’s location also opens doors to major health systems, cultural institutions, government offices, nonprofits, startups, and established employers throughout the region.
RESEARCH FROM THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program helps students from any major find faculty mentors, research projects, funding, and opportunities to present their work. Students can also take part in study abroad and other global learning experiences, extending that same hands-on approach beyond Detroit. Whether a student is conducting research, working with a community partner, or learning in another country, Wayne State offers multiple ways to turn academic interests into practical experience.
ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Nonresident aliens: 2%
Hispanic/Latino: 5%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 16%
White, non-Hispanic: 59%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 0%
Asian, non-Hispanic: 10%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 0%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 4%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 3%
BIG-UNIVERSITY RESOURCES, PERSONAL SUPPORT
Wayne State combines the scope of a major research university with programs designed to help students form smaller academic communities. Learning Communities bring students together around shared courses or interests, with peer mentors and faculty advisors helping them navigate academic life, explore majors, and build connections. That structure gives students a more personal point of entry into a large university.
FACULTY WHO BRING RESEARCH INTO THE CLASSROOM
Professors at Wayne State are active scholars, researchers, clinicians, artists, and professionals, and students benefit from learning in an environment where new knowledge is constantly being created. In many programs, faculty mentorship extends beyond lectures into research, creative work, laboratory experiences, and project-based courses. Students encounter an education shaped not only by established knowledge, but also by the questions faculty and students are still working to answer together.
A CAMPUS IN THE MIDDLE OF DETROIT
Wayne State’s campus is woven into Midtown Detroit, giving students access to a dense mix of arts, food, music, sports, health care, and cultural institutions just beyond the classroom. Campus life itself is equally active, with hundreds of student organizations covering academic interests, cultural communities, service, advocacy, recreation, professional development, and the arts.
FINDING COMMUNITY AT SCALE
Students can build connections through residence life, student organizations, Learning Communities, campus events, and Warrior athletics. Large university traditions and smaller communities exist side by side, giving students flexibility in how they get involved. That combination makes it possible to experience the energy of a major public university while still finding groups and spaces that feel personal.
CAREER PREPARATION IN A MAJOR EMPLOYMENT CENTER
Wayne State’s University Career Center supports students with career exploration, résumés, interviewing, internship and job searches, employer connections, and career fairs. Handshake and campus recruiting events connect students with organizations seeking interns and new graduates, while Detroit’s concentration of employers in health care, automotive, technology, education, business, government, and the nonprofit sector gives students a broad range of professional settings to explore.
EXPERIENCE THAT BUILDS TOWARD WHAT COMES NEXT
Research, internships, community engagement, clinical learning, and student leadership give Wayne State students opportunities to develop the skills employers and graduate programs value: communication, problem solving, collaboration, adaptability, and initiative. With a large alumni network and strong ties across Detroit and Southeast Michigan, students can graduate with both a university education and substantial experience navigating real professional and community environments.
FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 510 | 75th Percentile: 610
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 500 | 75th Percentile: 600
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 21 | 75th Percentile: 27
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 19 | 75th Percentile: 26
ACT English
25th Percentile: 20 | 75th Percentile: 27
Tuition & Cost
Tuition (in-state): $11,912
Tuition (out-of-state): $27,282
Fees: $1,605
Room & Board: $10,382
Contact Wayne State University
Contact Admissions
Campus Location
42 W. Warren Ave.
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 577-2424