Wayne State University is an ABFSE-accredited mortuary science program located in Detroit, Michigan. This page summarizes the key cost and outcome data you should review before applying.
Quick Facts
- Location: Detroit, Michigan
- Program type: Leadership / 4-year path
- Degree type: bachelor
- Ownership: public
- In-state tuition: $15,190 per year
- Out-of-state tuition: $32,037 per year
- Median graduate debt: $21,250
- 10-year earnings: $53,493
- Completion rate: 58%
- Student body: 15,587
Tuition & Estimated Total Cost
| Cost Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition per year | $15,190 |
| Out-of-state tuition per year | $32,037 |
| Estimated in-state tuition total | $60,760 |
| Estimated out-of-state tuition total | $128,148 |
| Median graduate debt | $21,250 |
Tuition is only one part of the real investment. Students should also account for lost income during school, apprenticeship pay, licensing costs, relocation, and job search time. Use the Career ROI Calculator to model the full 10-year return.
Career Outcomes
| Outcome | Value |
|---|---|
| 10-year earnings | $53,493 |
| Completion rate | 58% |
| Median debt | $21,250 |
Michigan morticians earn a median salary of $60,450 with a location quotient of 1.15.
If you plan to work in Michigan, compare this school against local salary data in the Michigan salary guide. If you plan to move after graduation, use the Best States Ranker and Market Map to find stronger job markets.
Is Wayne State University a Good Fit?
This program fits students who want a broader degree path, management potential, or a route toward funeral home leadership.
A good choice depends on your target state, expected salary, total debt, and whether you need in-state tuition. Do not compare tuition alone; compare tuition, debt, completion, earnings, and local job demand together.
How to Evaluate This Program
Review the program against the state where you expect to work, not only the state where the campus is located. A lower tuition program may still be expensive if it requires relocation, unpaid commuting time, or extra licensing steps after graduation. Compare the published tuition with median debt, completion data, local apprenticeship access, and the salary range in your target state. If a school has missing outcome fields, ask admissions for the current cohort size, completion rate, job placement support, and whether graduates commonly qualify for the license type you want. The best fit is the program that keeps debt manageable while giving you a realistic path to supervised work.
Compare Nearby or Similar Programs
There are no other Michigan programs in this dataset.
Similar leadership / 4-year path programs
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale — Carbondale, IL · $13,334 in-state tuition
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities — Minneapolis, MN · $17,214 in-state tuition
- Chamberlain University-Texas — Houston, TX · $20,380 in-state tuition
- University of Central Oklahoma — Edmond, OK · $8,818 in-state tuition
- SUNY College of Technology at Canton — Canton, NY · $8,742 in-state tuition
Plan Your Next Step
- Compare all 58 schools — filter by state, path, degree type, tuition, debt, and earnings
- Run the ROI Calculator — model tuition plus lost income and 10-year return
- Calculate debt payoff — estimate your monthly loan payoff timeline
- Explore job markets — see where salary and demand are strongest
Data Sources and Method
- School dataset: local schools-full.json, built from ABFSE-accredited program references and College Scorecard-style outcome fields.
- Salary context: local salary-tool.json using BLS OEWS May 2025 state salary data.
- Method: tuition totals use the program path length where known; debt, earnings, completion, ownership, and enrollment fields are shown from the source dataset.
- Missing fields: N/A means the value was not available in the source dataset and was not estimated.