Public · Community college
Wayne County Community College District
Detroit, Michigan · Large city
- 19%
- Transfer rate
- $7,656
- Avg net price
- 22%
- Grad / completion
- $29,079
- Median earnings
Wayne County Community College District is a public associate-granting institution in Detroit, Michigan (large city setting), enrolling 7,423 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Paleo-Indians inhabited areas near Detroit as early as 11,000 years ago including the culture referred to as the Mound Builders. By the 17th century, the region was inhabited by Huron, Odawa, Potawatomi, and Iroquois peoples. The most heavily represented sectors are manufacturing (particularly automotive), finance, technology, and health care. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 1 mile to Detroit, MI
- To Great Lakes shore
- 2 miles
- Nearest airport
- 17 miles to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) · major hub
How Wayne County Community College District compares
Higher than 6% · #86 of 96 in Michigan
Higher than 15%
Higher than 28% · #60 of 88 in Michigan
Cheaper than 80% · #26 cheapest of 94 in Michigan
Lower than 27%
Lower than 9%
Larger than 94%
Percentiles compare Wayne County Community College District 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
- Women4,53861%
- Men2,88539%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White23%
- Black64%
- Hispanic2.3%
- Asian0.7%
- Other or multiracial11%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 7,423
- Student–faculty ratio
- 26 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 32%
- First-generation students
- 54%
- Students over 25
- 41%
- Median family income
- $10,130
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $85,095
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $3,112
- Out-of-state tuition
- $4,067
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $2,500
- Total cost of attendance
- $15,401
- Average net price
- $7,656
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
- 22%
- First-year retention
- 54%
- Transferred to another college
- 19%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $21,336
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $29,079
- Median debt at graduation
- $12,062
- Students with federal loans
- 8%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 12%
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
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 70 (45 men · 25 women)
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%.
Varsity sports (4)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 6 campuses (12,137 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.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
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: 6% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,948. 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 287 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)
- $29,079
- Typical debt at graduation
- $12,062
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 41%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 34%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.1 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 $3,463 (12%) 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
- 30.8″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Detroit City AP, MI US station (6.1 mi from campus).
What Wayne County Community College District 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 Wayne County Community College District
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Wayne County Community College District side by side →
Mott Community College
Flint, Michigan · Small city · 49 mi to Lansing
- Students
- 5,251
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $33k
Jackson College
Jackson, Michigan · Fringe rural · 40 mi to Lansing
- Students
- 3,422
- Tuition
- $7k
- Transfer
- 33%
- Earnings
- $37k
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia · Small city · 21 mi to Macon
- Students
- 6,174
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $31k
Oakland Community College
Auburn Hills, Michigan · Large suburb · 24 mi to Detroit
- Students
- 12,748
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $37k
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids, Michigan · Midsize city · < 1 mi to Grand Rapids
- Students
- 10,698
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 20%
- Earnings
- $38k
Lake Michigan College
Benton Harbor, Michigan · Fringe rural · 30 mi to South Bend
- Students
- 2,105
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $34k
Colleges near Wayne County Community College District
Ecumenical Theological Seminary
Detroit, MI · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 11 students
DSDT
Detroit, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 132 students
Dymond Designs Beauty School
Detroit, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 28 students
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI · Public · Bachelor's · 15,587 students
College for Creative Studies
Detroit, MI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,230 students
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Detroit, MI · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 178 students
P&A Scholars Beauty School
Detroit, MI · Private for-profit · Certificate · 90 students
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,438 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.













