McGregor Memorial Conference Center · Photo: Matt Joseph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Detroit
Detroit is home to six colleges, with about 39,000 students on campus
Wayne State University (20,601 students on campus) and Wayne County Community College District (10,687) are inside the city. About 5% of Detroit’s residents are enrolled in college, below Michigan (6%).
From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Detroit. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
16
68,821 students on campus
Nearest college
0.7 mi
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Residents in college
5%
Below MI (6%)
Nearest community college
4.6 mi
Wayne County Community College District · $3,112 tuition
Nearest public university
2.4 mi
Wayne State · $15,190 in-state
Median household income
$40K
prices below start here
What stands out about college in Detroit
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.
What it costs
What would your family pay?
The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.
Family income
Starts at $30–48k, where Detroit’s median household income ($39,938) falls.
The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Detroit: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
Wayne State University58% graduate$53k earnings$21k typical debt
Wayne County Community College District22% graduate$29k earnings$12k typical debt
Macomb Community College18% graduate$42k earnings$6k typical debt
Henry Ford College17% graduate$35k earnings$14k typical debt
University of Michigan-Dearborn58% graduate$60k earnings$22k typical debt
University of Detroit Mercy67% graduate$71k earnings$23k typical debt
Lawrence Technological University61% graduate$69k earnings$27k typical debt
College for Creative Studies71% graduate$45k earnings$26k typical debt
Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Dorsey College-Dearborn (7); Dorsey College (7); Chamberlain University-Michigan (15); Dorsey College-Roseville (7).
Majors
What students study in Detroit
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Detroit’s 6 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Health professions 16%Business 14%Liberal arts 13%Engineering 7%Computer science 6%Psychology 5%Everything else 39%
Biggest programs
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesWayne County Community College District · 1,143 graduates a year
$39k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralWayne State University · 338 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Public HealthWayne State University · 248 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
International BusinessWayne State University · 212 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingUniversity of Detroit Mercy · 208 graduates a year
$82k4 yrs out
Human Resources Management and ServicesWayne State University · 192 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
MarketingWayne State University · 183 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingWayne State University · 174 graduates a year
$84k4 yrs out
College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.
Questions about college in Detroit
Is Detroit a college town?
No. About 5 of every 100 Detroit residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Michigan (6). The largest campus in the city, Wayne State University, has 20,601 students on campus.
What colleges are in Detroit?
Wayne State University, Wayne County Community College District, the University of Detroit Mercy, College for Creative Studies and 2 more are inside the city.
What is the closest community college to Detroit, and what does it cost?
Wayne County Community College District in Detroit, 4.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,112 a year for Michigan residents; the federal net price, $7,656, counts housing and food at full cost.
How much does Wayne State University cost if we live in Michigan?
Tuition and fees are $15,190 a year in-state and $32,037 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $11,090 (under $30,000 income) to $19,862 (over $110,000), housing and food included.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Detroit. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →
McGregor Memorial Conference Center · Photo: Matt Joseph · CC BY-SA 4.0