Admit rate has ranged 54%–69% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
The University of Michigan-Dearborn is the pragmatic, career-focused sibling in the University of Michigan system, offering a direct pipeline into the Detroit metro's engineering and tech industries. With a sprawling catalog of over 200 programs, its identity is anchored by a powerful engineering and business core, attracting a largely commuter and transfer student body focused on tangible outcomes. It's a place where the 'Michigan' brand meets accessibility, delivering strong median earnings at a notably low net price for a public research university.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
5,952
In-state tuition
$15,640
Out-of-state tuition
$32,896
Early Decision
Not offered
Popular Majors
Engineering, Business, Computer Science
Graduation Rate
58%
Demonstrated Interest
Not considered
Median Earnings (10yr)
$59,649
Regular Application Due
April 1
Median Salary for Recent Grads
$60,000
First-Year Students Receiving Aid
89%
Average Need-Based First-Year Grant
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$59,649
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
6.3×
Median debt at graduation
$22,500
Graduation rate
58%
First-year retention
82%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
47%
Pell (lower-income) share
46%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
38%
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Mechanical Engineering$80,486
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$77,464
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$77,401
Computer Programming$76,460
Computer Engineering$73,949
Computer and Information Sciences, General$69,338
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
89
Summer high
82°F
Winter low
23°F
Annual rain
37.1"
Annual snow
28.9"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
218
Scholarly works
10,618
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
2.4%
Bottom → top quintile
36%
From bottom quintile
7%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at University of Michigan-Dearborn?
University of Michigan-Dearborn's acceptance rate is approximately 56% (Dearborn, MI), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for University of Michigan-Dearborn?
Admitted students at University of Michigan-Dearborn typically score 990–1255 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does University of Michigan-Dearborn cost?
At University of Michigan-Dearborn, the average net price (after aid) is about $9,492 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend University of Michigan-Dearborn?
University of Michigan-Dearborn enrolls approximately 5,952 undergraduate students.
Where is University of Michigan-Dearborn located?
University of Michigan-Dearborn is located in Dearborn, MI.
Admissions
Admissions at UM-Dearborn are selective but accessible, characterized by a rolling review process that prioritizes academic preparation over the high-stakes drama of early decision. The university does not offer an Early Decision program; decisions for first-year students are released on a rolling basis after October 15 for completed applications. The process is test-flexible, accepting scores from either the SAT or ACT, though they are not mandatory for all applicants. The admitted academic profile is solid: the middle 50% SAT range is 990–1255, with an ACT range of 24–29. A significant majority of admitted students present strong high school records, with 47% reporting a GPA of 3.75 or higher and another 21% in the 3.50–3.74 range. The regular application deadline is April 1. Notably, demonstrated interest is not a formal factor in admissions decisions, placing the emphasis squarely on the applicant's academic file.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Management Information Systems and Services$62,508
Finance and Financial Management Services$54,252
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Academically, UM-Dearborn is defined by breadth and practical focus. The university offers more than 200 options for majors, minors, graduate programs, and certificates across its four colleges, including over 100 undergraduate programs and 50+ graduate programs. The curriculum is unmistakably oriented toward professional fields. For the 2024 graduating class, the most popular majors were dominated by engineering (23% of graduates) and business, management, and marketing (17%), followed by computer and information sciences. Specific popular undergraduate majors include Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, and Information Science. This creates a campus culture deeply intertwined with the regional economy, particularly the automotive and technology sectors. The academic catalog is extensive and searchable, allowing students to tailor their education with a wide array of certificates and interdisciplinary minors alongside their primary degree.
Student life at UM-Dearborn revolves around building an inclusive, engaging community for a predominantly commuter and non-traditional student population. The Office of Student Life explicitly strives to create a campus where all students feel they belong and can succeed. The campus is multicultural, and student engagement is fostered through a variety of cultural and academic organizations, alongside essential support services like tutoring and counseling. While the social scene is less defined by residential halls and Greek life than a typical residential college, there is a active effort to provide co-curricular involvement. The university promotes opportunities for students to discover their strengths, forge friendships, and contribute to the community, acknowledging that many students balance academics with work and family commitments off-campus.
Outcomes are the cornerstone of the UM-Dearborn value proposition, with data underscoring a strong return on investment, particularly for in-state students. For the 2023-24 graduating class, the overall average starting salary was $62,312, with a median salary of $60,000. The university boasts the fourth-highest median annual earnings among graduates compared to 15 Michigan public universities. Longer-term federal data supports this trajectory. The graduation rate is 58%, and the average time to degree is 4.5 years. This combination of solid graduation rates and strong early-career earnings positions UM-Dearborn as a highly effective engine for economic mobility in the region, especially for students in STEM and business fields.
The affordability of UM-Dearborn is a major draw, with a low average that makes a Michigan-degree accessible. The average net price after aid is $9,492. is significant: 89% of first-year students receive financial aid, with the average need-based scholarship or grant awarded to first-years being $13,250. The university encourages all families to complete the Net Price Calculator for an early estimate. Financial aid is primarily need-based, requiring completion of the FAFSA to demonstrate financial need for most grants, work-study, and loans, though some scholarships and loan types do not require demonstrated need. The university also promotes the Go Blue Guarantee for Michigan residents, highlighting that many families with higher incomes may still qualify for merit-based scholarships. The cost varies by income, with average net prices as low as approximately $8,160 per year for families earning under $30,000.
UM-Dearborn stands out as a singular model of a metropolitan public university that successfully merges the prestige and academic resources of the University of Michigan system with remarkable accessibility and a relentless focus on career readiness. It is not a miniature Ann Arbor; it's a distinct institution with its own identity, built for students who are pragmatic about their education and its return. Its standout features are clear: a vast, industry-aligned academic portfolio led by engineering and business; graduation outcomes that place its alumni earnings in the top tier of Michigan's public universities; and a cost structure that delivers one of the lowest for a research university of its caliber. It serves as a critical talent pipeline for Detroit and Southeast Michigan, offering a 'Michigan' education to a broad demographic of commuters, transfers, and students who might not otherwise access it. In a landscape of soaring tuition, UM-Dearborn represents a compelling value proposition—a career-launching pad with a powerful brand, minus the elitist admissions gauntlet and crippling debt.
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