Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Universal Academy

Q: Is Universal Academy a good school?

Universal Academy ranks in the bottom 4.1% of Michigan alternative schools.

Q: How many students attend Universal Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 695 students attended Universal Academy.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Universal Academy?

Students at Universal Academy are 94% White, 4% Hispanic, 1% African American.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

1427^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,488 Michigan Alternative Schools

Better than 4% of Michigan alternative schools

Summary

Universal Academy is a public charter school in Detroit, Michigan that serves 684 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. While the school has seen some improvements in its graduation rates, it faces several challenges, including low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and high dropout rates compared to both the state averages and nearby schools.

Universal Academy's four-year graduation rates have fluctuated between 81.7% and 95.4% in recent years, and its dropout rates have ranged from 0.0% to 8.1%. However, the school has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14.9% to 30.8%, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, student performance on standardized tests, such as the M-Step and SAT, is significantly lower than the state averages across various grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 9.3% of 3rd graders at Universal Academy were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 38.9%.

When comparing Universal Academy to nearby schools, it becomes evident that the school is underperforming in several key areas. For instance, the DPSCD Virtual School and Joy Preparatory Academy have higher test scores and graduation rates than Universal Academy. Additionally, Universal Academy's spending per student, which has increased from $9,540 in 2020-2021 to $11,752 in 2023-2024, is still lower than some of the nearby schools, such as Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K12 and River Rouge Alternative Virtual Academy.

695

Students ?

17.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,752

Per pupil spending ?

99.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4833 Ogden St
Detroit, MI 48210-2011

(313) 581-5006

District: Universal Academy

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.1%

Hispanic:

4.5%

African American:

1.2%

See top rated Michigan elementary schools

Compare Universal Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2018 → 3rd in 2025

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the Michigan average (83%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (12% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores 40 pts below the Michigan average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school12%

District avg12%

Michigan avg43%

Elementary school

1,427^th of 1,488

Michigan public elementary schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 18 pts since 2015

From bottom 22% (2015) to bottom 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

864^th of 890

Michigan public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 25 pts since 2015

From bottom 28% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

714^th of 739

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From bottom 21% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	6.9	1427 of 1488	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.6	1396 of 1486	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.6	1379 of 1470	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.8	1388 of 1448	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	12.5	1357 of 1548	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.9	1227 of 1580	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	9.5	1428 of 1533	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	13.2	1408 of 1563	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	20.9	1344 of 1566	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	28.1	1312 of 1552	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	18.0	1417 of 1552	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	9.0	1520 of 1589	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	4.9	1542 of 1577	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	1.7	1562 of 1565	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	3.5	1519 of 1545	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	11.3	172 of 180	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.1	268 of 270	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	11.0	1321 of 1443	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	9.5	1279 of 1346	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.5	1291 of 1381	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.6	1265 of 1350	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.5	1295 of 1397	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	7.8	1299 of 1366	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.9	1313 of 1347	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.5	1254 of 1334	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.4	1416 of 1446	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	2.1	1205 of 1206	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.6	1203 of 1204	0.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.5	1195 of 1198	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.5	1241 of 1253	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	6.0	864 of 890	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.7	886 of 897	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.6	825 of 883	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.6	788 of 838	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.1	800 of 821	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	10.9	792 of 894	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.6	663 of 919	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	18.7	774 of 921	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	25.7	717 of 919	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	28.5	701 of 900	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	41.8	632 of 858	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	14.8	774 of 851	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	21.2	746 of 847	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	3.6	815 of 839	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	3.4	804 of 823	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	11.0	749 of 806	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	18.3	147 of 154	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	7.4	758 of 789	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.2	695 of 794	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	7.7	806 of 832	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.7	824 of 836	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.3	763 of 825	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.5	728 of 815	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2023	8.3	738 of 776	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.7	783 of 797	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	1.1	696 of 696	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	1.8	688 of 688	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.3	669 of 678	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	5.1	714 of 739	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.9	729 of 743	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	27.5	569 of 824	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	14.4	628 of 835	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	11.8	699 of 852	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	19.7	660 of 832	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	13.4	657 of 799	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	16.7	634 of 805	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	15.7	626 of 773	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	19.2	629 of 784	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	16.7	629 of 765	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	54.2	435 of 754	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	21.2	593 of 750	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	9.8	674 of 767	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	19.9	43 of 53	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.8	63 of 102	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	20.0	547 of 710	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	6.5	610 of 635	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.6	645 of 654	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	40.0	438 of 755	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	4.8	604 of 628	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.8	501 of 707	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2025	1.4	637 of 639	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.1	637 of 638	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.3	559 of 708	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Female (2018)8th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)5th percentile~ school

Male (2025)5th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2023)4th percentile~ school

White (2025)<1st percentile-4 vs school

Middle school

Male (2023)5th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2018)5th percentile~ school

Female (2025)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)3rd percentile~ school

White (2025)<1st percentile-3 vs school

High school

Female (2018)23rd percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)19th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)4th percentile~ school

Male (2025)4th percentile~ school

White (2025)<1st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2024-2025) ?

Social Studies16%-28 vs state

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing16%-40 vs state

Math12%-26 vs state

English Language Arts7%-33 vs state

Science6%-32 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Universal Academy and help other families decide.

Rate Universal Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Universal Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				PSAT English Language Arts (2025)	PSAT Mathematics (2025)	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2025)	SAT Mathematics (2025)	M-Step English Language Arts (2025)					M-Step Math (2025)					M-Step Science (2025)			M-Step Social Studies (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 3rd Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 4th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 5th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 3rd Grade	M-Step Math 4th Grade	M-Step Math 5th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 5th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 5th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 8th Grade	M-Step Social Studies 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Universal Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4833 Ogden St	Detroit	48210	Wayne County	Universal Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 581-5006	695	40	17.2	99.3%	654 (94.1%)	8 (1.2%)	31 (4.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	25.4		15.9		9.3	5.6		7.3		16.3	14.8	6.1				6.8	4.8		18.6	14.3	$11,752	$2,325	$9,427
Advanced Technology Academy	Public, Magnet, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	4801 Oakman Blvd	Dearborn	48126	Wayne County	Advanced Technology Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 625-4700	1,207	46	26.3	92.0%	24 (2.0%)	864 (71.6%)	310 (25.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	3 (0.2%)								(n/a)	63.6	8.2	40.2	8.7	8.0	6.7	11.3	17.4	18.7	14.3	5.3		6.5	17.8	10.0	23.6	12.0		34.5	22.8	$12,591	$2,307	$10,284
Hope of Detroit Academy Elementary	Public, Magnet, Charter, Alternative	K-10	4443 N Campbell St	Detroit	48210	Wayne County	Hope of Detroit Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 897-8720	430	24	17.9	91.4%	9 (2.1%)	48 (11.2%)	371 (86.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)								(n/a)					20.9	16.1	12.7			14.9	7.1	6.3			8.9			5.1			$18,429	$4,901	$13,528
Hope of Detroit Academy MiddleHigh	Public, Magnet, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4444 35th St	Detroit	48210	Wayne County	Hope of Detroit Academy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 788-1122	582	30	19.6	86.6%	8 (1.4%)	55 (9.5%)	516 (88.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)								(n/a)	28.7		14.1					27.1	21.2				14.1	11.6		3.5	4.8		3.5	14.1	$10,217	$3,447	$6,770
Academy of The Americas High School	Public, Alternative	4-12	5680 Konkel St	Detroit	48210	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 335-1310	874	46	18.9	86.0%	11 (1.3%)	14 (1.6%)	846 (96.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)								(n/a)	28.8	6.3				12.6	6.3	14.4	13.9		8.2	2.9	14.4	11.0	4.9	15.2		2.9	18.8	5.3	$16,731	$2,218	$14,513
New Paradigm College Prep	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	4001 29th St	Detroit	48210	Wayne County	New Paradigm College Prep	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 852-1500	215	10	20.6	65.6%	1 (0.5%)	61 (28.4%)	153 (71.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	13.3				25.0	36.0	22.7	23.5	29.2	54.5	53.8		33.3	11.1	20.8	33.3		54.2	40.0		$17,424	$3,483	$13,941
River Rouge Alternative Virtual Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	1460 Coolidge Hwy	River Rouge	48218	Wayne County	River Rouge School District of the City of	No	No	No	No	(800) 297-2119	841	1	725.0	79.2%	338 (40.2%)	453 (53.9%)	33 (3.9%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	8 (1.0%)								(n/a)	31.4		11.6			12.0		13.0	14.3								3.2			6.3	$21,740	$7,983	$13,757
DPSCD Virtual School	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	9026 Woodward Ave	Detroit	48202	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	Yes	No	(313) 873-6897	176	20	9.0	76.1%	6 (3.4%)	159 (90.3%)	10 (5.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	62.5		26.3				28.6	30.0	29.6				15.0	15.4		31.3					$27,452	$1,539	$25,913
Joy Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	PK, KG-12	15055 Dexter Ave	Detroit	48238	Wayne County	Joy Preparatory Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 340-0023	161	12	13.3	99.4%	0 (0.0%)	159 (98.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)						33.3	26.7	27.8	64.3	14.3				42.9	33.3						$15,055	$3,683	$11,372
Vista Meadows Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	20651 West Warren St	Dearborn Heights	48127	Wayne County	Vista Meadows Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 240-4347	86	5	16.5	100.0%	3 (3.5%)	80 (93.0%)	3 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																					$16,101	$4,182	$11,919

Frequently Asked Questions about Universal Academy

Is Universal Academy a good school?

Universal Academy ranks in the bottom 4.1% of Michigan alternative schools.

What district is Universal Academy in?

Universal Academy

How many students attend Universal Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 695 students attended Universal Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Universal Academy?

Students at Universal Academy are 94% White, 4% Hispanic, 1% African American.

Rate Universal Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MIMichigan Alternative School Rankings

MIMichigan District Rankings

Schools in Detroit, MI

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Universal Academy!

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Michigan Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.