Understanding Tuition Costs at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

Planning for college expenses is a crucial part of the application process. By understanding the costs and available aid, students can better manage their finances. This article provides a comprehensive overview of tuition costs, financial aid options, and other expenses associated with attending the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

The Cost of Attendance: Understanding the Sticker Price

The "Cost of Attendance" represents the total amount of money the average student pays to attend a particular school before receiving any financial aid. Consider it the school's sticker price.

For the University of Michigan-Dearborn, the cost of attendance varies for in-state and out-of-state students. In-state tuition is less expensive. University of Michigan-Dearborn's tuition is $16,240 for in-state and $34,168 for out-of-state students. Compared with the national average cost of in-state tuition of $12,436, University of Michigan--Dearborn is more expensive. For students coming from out of state, the tuition is more expensive than the national average cost of out-of-state tuition of $29,815.

Breaking Down the Sticker Price

These figures include both tuition and fees, also referred to as the sticker price. Fees differ by institution and may fund library services, student gym facilities, student centers, technology resources and campus health centers.

When comparing the costs of different institutions, it's essential to consider the total cost and the net price. The total cost includes the sticker price, plus the cost of food and housing, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

Other expenses to consider include:

Books and Supplies: \$1,300 per year
Personal Expenses: \$1,662 per year
Transportation: \$2,194 per year

Direct vs. Indirect Costs

The cost of attendance can be divided into direct costs billed by the university and indirect costs students pay to attend UM-Dearborn.

Direct Costs (Billed by UM-Dearborn):

Tuition and Fees: Tuition and fees are based on full-time enrollment, defined as 12 or more credit hours per term for undergraduate students. Those electing fewer than 12 credit hours are charged on a per-credit-hour basis. For financial aid eligibility, full-time for graduate students is defined as 8 credit hours per term. Current tuition and fees for all UM-Dearborn colleges are available at the Office of the Registrar.

Indirect Costs (Paid by the Student):

Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment: These estimated costs will vary by program, course load, and selected courses.
Living Expenses (Food and housing): Your costs for living expenses will vary depending on where you live. Mileage Allowance.
Miscellaneous Expenses: This category includes other student expenses such as cell phone bills, clothes, personal hygiene, and entertainment.

Financial Aid: Making College Affordable

Financial aid can include grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study jobs. Financial aid packages vary depending on financial need. Most colleges determine financial need based on the FAFSA.

Understanding Financial Aid Statistics

Students Receiving Financial Aid: 70.55%
Freshmen With Need and Received Financial Aid: 99.75%

Types of Financial Aid

Financial aid packages typically include a combination of:

*Need-Based Scholarship or Grant Award: Scholarships and grants don’t need to be paid back. The average need-based scholarship or grant awarded is $11,957.

Read also: Affording ECU

*Need-Based Loan Amount: Loans must be paid back. The average need-based loan amount is $4,296.

Need-Based vs. Merit-Based Aid

Need-based scholarships consider a student's financial status, while merit-based scholarships are awarded for academic or athletic achievement. Students may also qualify for scholarships based on community service, unique hobbies or traits, personal background, or a parent’s employer or military affiliation.

Key Financial Aid Dates

Application Due: Not available
Priority Application Due: Not available
Notification Date: December 1 (When students receive a letter with the amount and types of aid the college is offering)
Response Due: Not available (The deadline for students to respond to the college’s aid offer)

Net Price: What You'll Actually Pay

The average net price, which is a college’s cost of attendance minus the grants and scholarships you receive, is \$12,444 per year. The net price you pay for a particular college is specific to you because it’s based on your personal circumstances and the college’s financial aid policies. Use the college’s Net Price calculator for the most accurate estimate of your net price.

Average Net Price by Household Income

This data provides a clearer picture of the actual cost based on income level.

Understanding Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

The US government has a standardized way to calculate how much a typical family can afford to pay without help. Colleges use this number as a guideline to decide how much aid to give you, but it's just a guideline.

Read also: Withdrawals for College: A Guide

Student Loan Debt: Planning for the Future

How much student loan debt you accumulate can affect your financial life long after college ends. Ideally, your total student loan debt should fall below your anticipated starting salary once you graduate.

Debt at Graduation

The typical amount of loans a student must pay back is \$22,305. At University of Michigan--Dearborn, the median federal loan debt among borrowers who completed their undergraduate degree is $22,500. The median monthly federal loan payment (if it were repaid over 10 years at 5.05% interest) for student federal loan borrowers who graduated is $239.

Additionally, 6% of graduating students at University of Michigan--Dearborn took out private loans. Students with private loans had an average of $25,413 in private loan debt at graduation.

Managing Student Loan Debt

Working while in school can help lessen the burden of student loans. Schools offer work-study programs to those who qualify and campus jobs to students looking to earn money in their free time. Some institutions match students with work-study positions, while others require them apply to the positions, like they would for any other job.

Begin your job search by checking whether your college has in-person or online job boards.

Tuition Trends and Factors

UM-Dearborn is committed to academic excellence and affordability. When setting tuition rates, each of the state's public universities is unique and has different budgeting processes, needs, and requirements. UM-Dearborn faculty and staff have worked hard to reduce costs and develop additional revenue sources such as fundraising, research funding, and facility rental.

How much tuition a student actually pays each academic year may vary due to the amount of financial aid they receive. The exact amount of tuition also may vary due to the college or program in which the student enrolls and/or due to the student’s current class standing.

Recent Tuition Changes

The 2025-26 undergraduate tuition increase is 3.97 percent.
Undergraduate upper division course premium assessments in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters and the College of Education, Health, and Human Services will increase by $4 per credit hour; while the upper division course premium assessments are unchanged for College of Business and College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Tuition % increase for graduate students will vary by course load as tuition has been restructured starting in the 2025-26 - all graduate credit hours, across colleges, will now have a consistent per credit rate.

Additional Factors to Consider

Acceptance and Enrollment

In 2023, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of Michigan-Dearborn was 58.6% (7,254 admissions from 12,373 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2022, which was 54.1%. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants grew by 2.89%, while admissions grew by 11.5%.

University of Michigan-Dearborn had a total enrollment of 8,035 students in 2023. The full-time enrollment at University of Michigan-Dearborn is 5,446 students and the part-time enrollment is 2,589. This means that 67.8% of students enrolled at University of Michigan-Dearborn are enrolled full-time.

Graduation and Retention Rates

The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at University of Michigan-Dearborn was 81%.

In 2023, 27% of students graduating from University of Michigan-Dearborn completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 56% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 60% within 200%.

Diversity

The enrolled student population at University of Michigan-Dearborn is 58% White, 9.23% Asian, 7.54% Black or African American, 6% Hispanic or Latino, 4.27% Two or More Races, 0.124% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0622% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

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