Public Associate Good 68/100

Delta College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

Compare This College

University Center, Michigan

About Delta College

Thinking about Delta College, a college in Michigan where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Delta College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in University Center, Michigan. It enrolls 6,573 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
15.5%
Net Price
$4,547
Median Earnings (10yr)
$37,781
Enrollment
6,573
Student : Faculty
15:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
68/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 22
Value 89
Affordability 70
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Delta College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $4,547 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$4,547
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
38%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
11%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,820
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$7,880
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,616
Books & Supplies
$1,650
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,760
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,541

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $2,819
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $2,237
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $5,500
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $8,199
  • Over $110,000
    $11,755

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,313
10% percentile
$2,403
25% percentile
$10,978
Median percentile
$9,944
75% percentile
$17,482
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $6,363 ↓ $4,615
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $5,478
Dependent students $5,500 ↓ $5,478
Independent students $7,303 ↓ $3,675
Female students $6,325 ↓ $4,653
Male students $5,500 ↓ $5,478
Pell recipients: 17.4% (1,914 students)No Pell: 15.1% (1,655 students)Dependent students: 15.1% (1,655 students)Independent students: 20.0% (2,197 students)Female students: 17.3% (1,903 students)Male students: 15.1% (1,655 students)Overall Median$10,978
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,433, less than completers ($10,978), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

16% of students who start here finish within six years, and 61% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
16%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
61%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $37,781 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$37,781
Earning > $25K
62%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$31,000$33,000$35,000$37,000$39,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$30,700

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$40,300

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$29,900

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$38,200

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$43,800

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,600, about 24% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 21.1 pts across 6 years
52.7%1yr56.9%3yr64.5%5yr73.8%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 74% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 6,573 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 42% are the first in their family to go to college, and 65% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
6,573
Part-Time
65%
First-Generation
42%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 71.3% 4,683
Black 12.2% 799
Hispanic 9.2% 602
Other 4.7% 306
Asian 0.9% 56
International 0.4% 23
White: 71.3% (4,683 students)Black: 12.2% (799 students)Hispanic: 9.2% (602 students)Other: 4.7% (306 students)Asian: 0.9% (56 students)International: 0.4% (23 students)Total6,573

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Delta College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Fringe University Center, Michigan
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
35% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Delta College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 55 distinct programs across 20 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

2 Programs
8 Programs
7 Programs
4 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,487
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$31M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$90,664
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

171 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 66 39% $106,042
Associate Professors 63 37% $95,439
Assistant Professors 15 9% $80,983
Instructors 27 16% $67,951

Pros & Cons of Delta College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Delta College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Open admissions
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Delta College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Delta College

The questions families ask most about Delta College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Delta College hard to get into?
Not especially. Delta College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Delta College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Delta College cost?
Budget around $4,547 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Delta College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $37,781 a year against a net price of $4,547, about 8.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Delta College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Delta College graduates earn?
About $37,781 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Delta College accredited?
Yes. Delta College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Delta College?
6,573 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Delta College?
16% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Delta College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Delta College located?
Delta College is located in University Center, Michigan.
What programs does Delta College offer?
55 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Delta College?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.