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.

PublicMidsize · 7,423 undergradsLarge cityNJCAA Division IICold wintersSnowy

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

Graduation rate22%

Higher than 6% · #86 of 96 in Michigan

First-year retention54%

Higher than 15%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$29,079

Higher than 28% · #60 of 88 in Michigan

Average net price$7,656

Cheaper than 80% · #26 cheapest of 94 in Michigan

Median debt at graduation$12,062

Lower than 27%

Student–faculty ratio26 : 1

Lower than 9%

Undergraduate enrollment7,423

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

7,423undergrads
  • 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)

All students
22%
Low-income (Pell)
3%
First-generation
3%

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)

Basketball30
Cross Country22
Bowling14
Golf4

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.

2.7reported offenses a year
1.0 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
1.7
Fondling
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.3

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.

< $30k
$7,641
$30–48k
$7,139
$48–75k
$8,058
$75–110k
$10,306
$110k+
$14,026

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.

6%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$2,948
average award, among those who get one

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.

Solid value

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.

Women
$28,002
Men
$31,465

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

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.83.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Detroit City AP, MI US station (6.1 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near Wayne County Community College District

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.