


University of Michigan-Dearborn opened in 1959 as the Dearborn Center of the University of Michigan. It began as an upper-division institution, offering programs for students who had already completed earlier college coursework, particularly in fields connected to the region's industries.
Ford Motor Company donated land for the campus near the former estate of Henry and Clara Ford. Over time, the institution expanded beyond its original upper-division model to admit first-year students and offer a broader range of undergraduate and graduate degrees. That history helps explain its combination of engineering, business, education, and liberal arts programs, as well as its continuing emphasis on students from southeastern Michigan.
University of Michigan-Dearborn organizes its academic programs into four colleges: the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters; the College of Business; the College of Education, Health, and Human Services; and the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
Undergraduates can study subjects ranging from biology, psychology, and communication to accounting, computer science, mechanical engineering, and teacher education. The university also offers master's programs and selected doctoral programs. Students comparing majors should consult the requirements of the specific college: admission to the university does not necessarily settle eligibility for a restricted program, and engineering, education, and other professionally oriented degrees may have sequenced courses or additional requirements.
The reported student-to-faculty ratio is 16 to 1. That institution-wide figure is useful context, but it does not predict the size of an individual lecture, laboratory, or seminar.
University of Michigan-Dearborn is in Dearborn, Michigan, at 4901 Evergreen Road, within the Detroit metropolitan area. Its location gives students access to regional employers and cultural institutions while making travel time an important consideration for those who commute.
The campus occupies land associated with the former Ford estate and includes academic buildings, the Mardigian Library, and recreation facilities. Students relying on public transportation should check routes and schedules against their class and work hours rather than assume that every part of the region is easily reached without a car. Detroit Metropolitan Airport is the principal nearby airport for longer-distance travel.
University of Michigan-Dearborn describes its mission in terms of accessible education, student learning, research, and service to its communities. Its stated priorities include applying academic work to challenges relevant to the metropolitan region while serving students from a range of backgrounds.
These are institutional aims, not measures of an individual student's experience. Prospective students can assess how the priorities appear in a particular major by looking at its curriculum, undergraduate research options, community-engaged courses, and access to advising. University of Michigan-Dearborn is a public university and has no religious affiliation.
Name of the institution
University of Michigan-DearbornLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
City: MidsizeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
5,000 - 9,999School type
UniversityMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1959University of Michigan-Dearborn is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Doctor's degree - research/scholarshipData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.