🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $15,232/yr.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1020–1260 · ACT 22–28 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students focused on Health Professions (the school's signature program)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1020, or ACT below 22, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
Doctoral/Professional Universities
Total enrollment
2,438
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$32,946
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$32,946
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
80.1%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1020–1260
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
22–28
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$71,030
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$64,534
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,030
4-year completion
67%
Median debt (completers)
$23,250
Cost of attendance
$42,211
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
26%

💰 True ROI

11.7× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$60,928
$15,232/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$107,916
vs sticker $168,844
10-yr earnings total
$710,300
$71,030/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
0.9 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At University of Detroit Mercy, the average net price is $15,232/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$13,088/yr
Family income $30-48k
$11,290/yr
Family income $48-75k
$14,173/yr
Family income $75-110k
$15,584/yr
Family income $110k+
$21,691/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use University of Detroit Mercy's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from University of Detroit Mercy →

Opens on University of Detroit Mercy's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at University of Detroit Mercy

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of Detroit Mercy actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Health Professions
252 degrees · 48.2%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
2. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
147 degrees · 28.1%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
3. Business, Management, & Marketing
52 degrees · 9.9%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
4. Architecture
37 degrees · 7.1%
Typical career outcomes
Architect $93k Landscape Architect $79k Urban / Regional Planner $82k
Path to becoming a licensed architect requires graduate degree + experience.
5. Engineering
35 degrees · 6.7%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at University of Detroit Mercy

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 19 $78,552 $104,683
Biology, General. Bachelor's Degree 121 $19,882 $91,888
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 50 $37,972 $89,540
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree 1 $86,600
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 216 $75,063 $81,602
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions. Bachelor's Degree 25 $50,234 $63,364
Architecture. Bachelor's Degree $62,939
Public Health. Bachelor's Degree 16 $35,598 $55,002
Social Work. Bachelor's Degree 14 $50,535

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University of Detroit Mercy

CS degrees (annual)
7
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

University of Detroit Mercy vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to University of Detroit Mercy

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that University of Detroit Mercy doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than University of Detroit Mercy.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($15,848 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($12,523 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($11,695 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($11,265 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($11,098 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Grand Valley State University
MI · Public
95% admit rate (vs 80% here)
Central Michigan University
MI · Public
91% admit rate (vs 80% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit University of Detroit Mercy into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →