University Milestones

Student success

  • The university exceeded its six-year graduation rate goal of 50 percent while exhibiting a record rate of improvement. As of 2022, WSU's new six-year graduation rate is 60%, an astounding 76% increase from 34% in 2014.
  • The current Black graduation rate is 40%, which is a 207% increase from 2014.
  • Had the three largest freshmen class enrollments in school history in the last five years.
  • U.S. News & World Report named Wayne State in 2021 and 2022 as one of the top performers on social mobility in the nation, and the best in Michigan.
  • Received the 2018 Degree Completion Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. 
  • Launched Warrior Way Back, a debt-forgiveness program that helps returning students complete their degrees.
  • Established Wayne Med-Direct, an innovative program that funds four years of undergraduate studies and four years of medical studies for students committed to careers that eradicate health disparities and inequity.
  • Partnered with RaiseMe to launch the first-ever microscholarship program for student success.
  • Launched ReBUILDDetroit, an NIH-funded undergraduate program to increase the number of underrepresented students pursuing scientific research.
  • Created the Heart of Detroit Tuition Pledge for eligible students living in the city of Detroit and/or attending a Detroit high school, and the Wayne State Guarantee, which provides free tuition to incoming Michigan students with family incomes of $70,000 or less.

Research and innovation

  • Brought in a record $320 million in research awards, contracts and programs in 2021.  
  • Research award dollars rose more than 70% from 2014-18.
  • Awards for the National Institutes of Health rose 7.6%.
  • Opened the $93 million Integrative Biosciences Center (IBio) in 2015 aimed at eliminating health disparities in Detroit.
  • Launched Detroit Urban Solutions, a technology innovation consortium with TechTown and NextEnergy. The initiative includes the transformation of the former NextEnergy building into the Wayne State Industry Innovation Center. The new facility will house collaborative research initiatives between the university and industry partners focused on cyber physical systems including cyber security, connected and autonomous vehicles, and "smart-city" technologies.
  • In 2020 opened the STEM Innovation Learning Center, a renovated facility that brought the university's undergraduate STEM programs into one building, offering flexible classrooms, seminar spaces, offices and high-tech instructional spaces for hands-on learning.
  • In 2018 and 2022, Wayne State hosted health equity summits to bring together leaders around Detroit from multiple disciplines to discuss interventions and actions to promote healthy eating, healthy behaviors and healthy environments, and to counter the opioid epidemic in Detroit.
  • Received a $25 million gift to establish the James and Patricia Anderson Engineering Ventures Institute to foster entrepreneurship by offering expert guidance and resources for faculty and students during the startup process.
  • Received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity University award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.

Campus growth

  • Developed a new master plan in 2019 to shape the future look and function of campus. 
  • Surpassed the $750 million fundraising goal of Pivotal Moments: A Campaign for Wayne State University.
  • Received the largest single donation to the university with the $40 million gift to establish the Mike Ilitch School of Business.
  • Completion of the Mike Ilitch School of Business building in The District Detroit. 
  • Increased student housing by 800 beds with the completion of the Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments.
  • Restoration of the Thompson Home, a housing option for students in the arts.
  • Restoration of the School of Social Work building.
  • Constructed the $65 million Gateway Performance Complex for the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts, which opened in 2023. 
  • Established a partnership with the Detroit Pistons to construct a new $25 million arena for Wayne State's men's and women's basketball teams, which opened in fall 2021. The arena also serves as the home of the new NBA G League affiliate in Detroit.