Wayne State University
Wayne State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Wayne State University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Online MBA in Human Resources
- #1 Most Affordable Online MBA Programs
- #1 Michigan's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #2 Best Online MBA in Supply Chain Management
- #2 Best Online MBA in Accounting Degree Programs
- #2 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #3 Best Online MBA in Entrepreneurship
- #3 Best Colleges in Michigan
- #3 Online Finance MBAs
- #3 Online Master’s in Human Resources
- #3 Best Research Universities in Michigan 2026
- #3 Online Master’s in Sports Management
- #3 Best Online MBAs Michigan
- #3 Online Bachelor’s in Social Work
- #3 Michigan's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #3 Best Grad Schools in Michigan 2026
- #3 Best Online MBA in Business Analytics
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #3 Best Public Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #7 Online Master's in Accounting
- #7 Most Affordable Accredited Online Schools
- #8 Online Master’s in Criminal Justice
- #9 Online Master’s in Education
- #14 Online MBAs
- #25 Best Online Master's Programs
- #36 Best Public Colleges
About Wayne State University
According to Wikipedia, Wayne State University is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 24,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Wayne State University, along with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, compose the University Research Corridor of Michigan. Wayne State is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
Wayne State University's Online Degrees
MBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Accounting systems
- Entrepreneurship and innovation
- Digital/Business Analytics
- Finance
- Financial accounting
- Healthcare Supply Chain Management
- Global supply chain management
- Human resources
- Information systems management
- International business
- Required Credits: 117
- Format: Fully online
BS in Mortuary Science
- Required Credits: 56
- Completion Time: 1-2 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Library and Information Science
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
Wayne State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,190 | 81% | 83% | 60% | 1165 | 26 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Wayne State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $15,862 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,694 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,087 |
| 48K - 75K | $9,680 |
| 75K - 110K | $12,492 |
| 110K+ | $18,584 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Wayne State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Wayne State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $59,525 a year, and 90% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Wayne State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 28,051 | 18,699 | 9,352 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Wayne State University?
Wayne State University is located at 42 W. Warren Ave., Detroit, MI 48202.
How Safe is Wayne State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Wayne State University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Detroit has a violent crime rate of 1.78% and a property crime rate of 4.39%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Wayne State University Known For?
Wayne State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Social Work
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Chemistry
- Literature
- Law
- Communications
- Computer Science
- Business
- Psychology
- Engineering
- Anthropology
- Education
- History
- Sociology
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Physics
- Economics
Wayne State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Wayne State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Wayne State University ranks #9 in the U.S. and #15 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWayne State University ranks #12 in the U.S. and #13 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWayne State University ranks #38 in the U.S. and #92 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWayne State University ranks #41 in the U.S. and #127 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWayne State University ranks #55 in the U.S. and #215 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWayne State University ranks #71 in the U.S. and #187 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWayne State University ranks #81 in the U.S. and #240 worldwide for influence in Law.
Wayne State University ranks #87 in the U.S. and #281 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWayne State University ranks #88 in the U.S. and #291 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWayne State University ranks #92 in the U.S. and #234 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWayne State University ranks #95 in the U.S. and #188 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWayne State University ranks #98 in the U.S. and #364 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWayne State University ranks #101 in the U.S. and #272 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWayne State University ranks #102 in the U.S. and #337 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWayne State University ranks #102 in the U.S. and #264 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWayne State University ranks #118 in the U.S. and #385 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWayne State University ranks #120 in the U.S. and #453 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWayne State University ranks #121 in the U.S. and #399 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWayne State University ranks #125 in the U.S. and #491 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWayne State University ranks #127 in the U.S. and #480 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWayne State University ranks #127 in the U.S. and #197 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWayne State University ranks #141 in the U.S. and #557 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWayne State University ranks #151 in the U.S. and #663 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWho Are Wayne State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Wayne State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Nursing, and Medical. Here are some of Wayne State University's most famous alumni:
- Joseph Weizenbaum
- A German-American computer scientist noted for his opposition to excessive dependence on computers and to delegating genuinely human choices to them.
- Carl Djerassi
- An American chemistry professor, inventor, author, playwright.
- Hayden White
- An American historian.
- Arthur Danto
- An American art critic and philosopher .
- Dave Marsh
- An American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host.
- William L. Rowe
- An American philosopher .
- Deborah Tannen
- An American sociolinguist.
- James Lipton
- A Poet, talk show host, writer, teacher .
- Hugh Downs
- An American broadcaster .
- Ulana Suprun
- A Ukrainian-American physician, activist.
- Wesley C. Salmon
- An American philosopher.
- Robert Ettinger
- An American academic, trans humanist and cryonics proponent.
Who Are Wayne State University's Most Influential Faculty?
Wayne State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Social Work, Nursing, and Medical. Here are some of Wayne State University's most famous faculty:
- David Gorski
- An American oncological surgeon, breast cancer researcher and skeptic.
- Jocelyn Benson
- An American academic.
- Anurag Agrawal
- An Indian pulmonologist.
- Louay M. Safi
- An American academic.
- Vinod Scaria
- An Indian biochemist.
- Michael H. Belzer
- An American economist, expert on trucking.
- Takeharu Yamanaka
- A Japanese statistician and mayor of Yokohama.
- Lauren Kalman
- An American visual artist, art teacher.
