Wayne County, Michigan -Department of Jobs & Economic Development

:: Public education at the local public school level is provided by 41 autonomous school districts. Detroit is the largest district with 268 schools and 167,074 students in the 2000 – 2001 school year. Total Wayne County enrollment is approximately 375,000. In 1995 Governor Engler passed The Revised School Code, 1995 Public Act 291, governing the establishment and operation of Public School Academies [PSA], commonly called charter schools. PSA’s are state-supported public schools authorized by a: public school district; intermediate school board; community college or state public university. Since PA 291 was put into effect, 201 PSA’s have been established in Michigan and 71 in Wayne County. PSAs are meant to be an alternative to public schools increasing school choices for prospective students.

Colleges and Universities
:: There are 11 institutions of higher learning in the County. The largest is Wayne State University (WSU), which is the state's third largest university. WSU is distinguished by its ranking as a Carniege I research institution, its post-graduate programs including a law school and medical school, and other specialty programs.

:: The Michigan Virtual Automotive College is the first on-line college in the nation to pool professors and resources from colleges throughout the state and caters to a single industry.

Table 19: Enrollment at Wayne Cty. Colleges & Universities
College or University	Enrollment
Public
Wayne State University - Detroit	30,729
University of Michigan - Dearborn 8,500
Private
University of Detroit Mercy – Detroit [3 campuses]	6,000
Davenport University, Dearborn	3,076
Madonna University, Livonia	4,155
Marygrove College - Detroit	1,151
College for Creative Studies, Detroit	1,182
Lewis College of Business - Detroit	276
Community Colleges
Henry Ford, Dearborn	12,090
Schoolcraft, Livonia & Garden City	12,183
Wayne County Community College (5 campuses)	11,974
Note: Enrollments are for the most recent year available

Vocational Training
:: Wayne County is also home to 97 vocational training institutions, in addition to its 11 colleges and universities. Their curriculums cover a wide range of subjects including dental training, bartending, business, truck driving, cosmetology, drafting and real estate. The most common type of vocational training institution is the beauty school, of which there are 29 located in Wayne County.

:: Institutions related to business and health care are the second and third most common, with 16 and 12 such schools respectively. With access to four-year colleges limited by socioeconomic status and low high school completion rates among distressed communities, the role of vocational training can provide a significant alternative. A study recently completed by Michigan Futures, Inc. confirmed that good-paying jobs are available for individuals without a four-year degree, but some post high school training is needed in order to be marketable.