Private for-profit · Community college
Dorsey College
Madison Heights, Michigan · Large suburb
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $28,525
- Avg net price
- 54%
- Grad / completion
- $29,392
- Median earnings
Dorsey College is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in Madison Heights, Michigan (large suburb setting), enrolling 643 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Madison Heights, Michigan
Madison Heights is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The first city hall was at 26305 John R Road, the former township offices. On April 5, 1963, a new municipal building was dedicated which is on the present location at 300 West Thirteen Mile Road. Madison Heights is part of Oakland County's Automation Alley. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 14 miles to Detroit, MI
- To Great Lakes shore
- 15 miles
- Nearest airport
- 25 miles to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) · major hub
How Dorsey College compares
Higher than 42% · #52 of 96 in Michigan
Higher than 12%
Higher than 29% · #52 of 88 in Michigan
Cheaper than 10% · #87 cheapest of 94 in Michigan
Lower than 22%
Lower than 23%
Larger than 67%
Percentiles compare Dorsey College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Michigan.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women51780%
- Men12620%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White23%
- Black64%
- Hispanic0.8%
- Asian1.9%
- Other or multiracial11%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 643
- Student–faculty ratio
- 21 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 74%
- First-generation students
- 57%
- Students over 25
- 63%
- Median family income
- $11,499
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $46,953
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $16,990
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $0
- Total cost of attendance
- $34,227
- Average net price
- $28,525
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 54%
- First-year retention
- 51%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $21,514
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $29,392
- Median debt at graduation
- $13,000
- Students with federal loans
- 79%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 16%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (643 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 41% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,134. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 129 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $29,392
- Typical debt at graduation
- $13,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 44%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 28%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $3,213 (11%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 84°F
- Winter low
- 20°F
- Annual rain
- 29.9″
- Annual snow
- 36″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Detroit City AP, MI US station (9.4 mi from campus).
What Dorsey College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Dorsey College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Dorsey College side by side →
Dorsey College-Roseville
Roseville, Michigan · Large suburb · 15 mi to Detroit
- Students
- 437
- Tuition
- $17k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $29k
Dorsey College-Dearborn
Detroit, Michigan · Large city · 9 mi to Detroit
- Students
- 430
- Tuition
- $15k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
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Douglas J Aveda Institute
East Lansing, Michigan · Small city · 4 mi to Lansing
- Students
- 777
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $27k
Ross College-Grand Rapids North
Grand Rapids, Michigan · Large suburb · 5 mi to Grand Rapids
- Students
- 387
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
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Irene's Myomassology Institute
Southfield, Michigan · Small city · 16 mi to Detroit
- Students
- 285
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $27k
Dorsey College-Woodhaven
Woodhaven, Michigan · Large suburb · 16 mi to Detroit
- Students
- 223
- Tuition
- $17k
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $29k
Colleges near Dorsey College
Carnegie Institute
Troy, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 93 students
Ross Medical Education Center-Warren
Warren, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 237 students
Elevate Salon Institute
Royal Oak, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 197 students
Chamberlain University-Michigan
Troy, MI · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 629 students
Michigan College of Beauty-Troy
Troy, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 230 students
Motion Picture Institute
Troy, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 53 students
David Pressley School of Cosmetology
Royal Oak, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 225 students
Walsh College
Troy, MI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 445 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.