🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students. Affordable on average — net price runs around $9,492/yr.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 990–1260 · ACT 23–30 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students drawn to Engineering or Business, Management, & Marketing (the two biggest majors)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 990, or ACT below 23, 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
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
5,952
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$15,640
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$32,896
+$17,256 vs in-state
Admit rate
58.6%
Moderately selective
SAT middle 50%
990–1260
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
23–30
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$59,649
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
$50,389
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,649
4-year completion
58%
Median debt (completers)
$22,500
Cost of attendance
$24,040
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
46%

💰 True ROI

15.7× 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)
$37,968
$9,492/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$58,192
vs sticker $96,160
10-yr earnings total
$596,490
$59,649/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
0.6 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 Michigan-Dearborn, the average net price is $9,492/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$7,211/yr
Family income $30-48k
$6,284/yr
Family income $48-75k
$7,997/yr
Family income $75-110k
$13,630/yr
Family income $110k+
$17,529/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 Michigan-Dearborn's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from University of Michigan-Dearborn →

Opens on University of Michigan-Dearborn'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 Michigan-Dearborn

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

1. Engineering
386 degrees · 38.2%
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.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
276 degrees · 27.3%
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.
3. Computer & Information Sciences
141 degrees · 14.0%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
4. Psychology
106 degrees · 10.5%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
5. Health Professions
101 degrees · 10.0%
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.

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 Michigan-Dearborn

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
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 36 $79,022 $111,740
Computer Programming. Bachelor's Degree 57 $80,830 $106,484
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 121 $78,942 $105,446
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree 54 $65,211 $95,864
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 134 $70,688 $94,919
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 76 $77,273 $90,430
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 66 $58,438 $85,068
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 65 $57,833 $78,969
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 25 $57,102 $76,606
Human Resources Management and Services. Bachelor's Degree 15 $55,944 $76,343

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University of Michigan-Dearborn

AI degrees (annual)
6
CIP 11.0102
CS degrees (annual)
136
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

University of Michigan-Dearborn 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 Michigan-Dearborn

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 Michigan-Dearborn 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 Michigan-Dearborn.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($11,686 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($10,584 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($8,361 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($7,533 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($7,103 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 59% here)
Central Michigan University
MI · Public
91% admit rate (vs 59% here)
Michigan Technological University
MI · Public
88% admit rate (vs 59% here)
Western Michigan University
MI · Public
85% admit rate (vs 59% here)
Michigan State University
MI · Public
84% admit rate (vs 59% here)

Building a college list?

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