Data shows that students paid $12,026 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $403 more than the previous school year.
Among the 23 institutions providing full disclosure in the county, the College for Creative Studies stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $49,435. Dorsey College-Wayne followed with an average of $31,680 per year. Wayne County Community College District students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $3,271.
At the time, at least $74 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Wayne County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $24.7 million.
Currently there are 24 higher education institutions in Wayne County, including L'esprit Academy, University of Detroit Mercy, and Detroit Business Institute-Downriver.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 24 institutions in Wayne County, Ecumenical Theological Seminary did not provide detailed data on tuition fees.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | 940 | $8,978,705 | $9,552 | 296 | $1,784,903 | $6,030 |
| P&A Scholars Beauty School | 17 | $105,725 | $6,219 | 17 | $102,165 | $6,010 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Taylor | 36 | $204,195 | $5,672 | 39 | $417,799 | $10,713 |
| L'esprit Academy | 64 | $439,280 | $6,864 | 64 | $767,234 | $11,988 |
| Henry Ford College | 909 | $7,641,943 | $8,407 | 234 | $1,109,201 | $4,740 |
| Dorsey College-Dearborn | 112 | $816,274 | $7,288 | 105 | $1,289,230 | $12,278 |
| Dorsey College-Wayne | 47 | $312,036 | $6,639 | 46 | $725,586 | $15,774 |
| College for Creative Studies | 248 | $6,691,689 | $26,983 | 174 | $1,447,372 | $8,318 |
| Madonna University | 241 | $4,797,495 | $19,907 | 159 | $1,147,921 | $7,220 |
| Detroit Business Institute-Downriver | 5 | $41,366 | $8,273 | 6 | $36,470 | $6,078 |
| Dorsey School of Beauty | 196 | $1,365,652 | $6,968 | 281 | $2,622,871 | $9,334 |
| University of Detroit Mercy | 490 | $10,892,740 | $22,230 | 181 | $1,291,185 | $7,134 |
| Metro Detroit Barber College | 19 | $122,584 | $6,452 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design-Hair Lab Detroit Barber School | 15 | $79,859 | $5,324 | 15 | $101,000 | $6,733 |
| Ross Medical Education Center-Canton | 60 | $265,722 | $4,429 | 63 | $688,609 | $10,930 |
| The Michigan Barber School | 26 | $173,270 | $6,664 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| DSDT | 55 | $419,517 | $7,628 | 54 | $498,603 | $9,233 |
| Dorsey College-Woodhaven | 35 | $196,379 | $5,611 | 38 | $501,823 | $13,206 |
| Sacred Heart Major Seminary | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| MIAT College of Technology | 345 | $2,513,542 | $7,286 | 420 | $4,509,181 | $10,736 |
| Wayne State University | 2,335 | $25,362,380 | $10,862 | 833 | $5,277,885 | $6,336 |
| Ecumenical Theological Seminary | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Schoolcraft Community College District | 369 | $1,390,213 | $3,768 | 35 | $164,560 | $4,702 |
| Wayne County Community College District | 182 | $1,144,135 | $6,286 | 35 | $213,460 | $6,099 |
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