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WAY Michigan

Public, Charter, Virtual Grades 6-12

618^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 800 Michigan High Schools

Better than 23% of Michigan high schools

Summary

WAY Michigan is a small alternative high school in downtown Detroit serving grades 6 through 12 with just 156 students, operating as its own district and serving a population where over 82% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most urgent concern for parents considering WAY Michigan is student retention. The graduation rate for the 2024-2025 school year was just 26.8%, compared to the state average of 84.0%. Nearby schools tell a very different story: Cass Technical High School and Detroit Edison Public School Academy High School both boast graduation rates above 97%. WAY Michigan's dropout rate is a staggering 41.4%—nearly six times the state average—and chronic absenteeism affects 75% of students, triple the state rate. Even schools that struggle academically, like Detroit Lions Academy (88.5% graduation rate) and Detroit Public Safety Academy (89.2%), do a far better job keeping students enrolled through graduation.

The school's performance history is extremely volatile. WAY Michigan earned a 5-star rating and ranked in the top 5% statewide in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, but its most recent data shows a collapse to a 1-star rating in the bottom quarter of Michigan high schools. Interestingly, test scores tell a mixed story—in 2023-2024, 11th-grade science proficiency (58%) and social studies proficiency (67%) were actually above state averages, suggesting that students who stay enrolled can achieve. However, the school's ranking for low-income students plummeted from the 97th percentile to the 24th percentile in just two years. Per-student spending of $12,072 is well below peers like Crockett Midtown High School of Science and Medicine ($24,639) and Detroit School of Arts ($22,858). For parents, the fundamental question is whether the school can keep students engaged—the data suggests this is its greatest challenge.

156

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,072

Per pupil spending ?

82.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Michigan receive free school meals.

407 E Fort St
Detroit, MI 48226-2957

(734) 494-2106

District: WAY Michigan

Racial breakdown:

White:

50.6%

African American:

32.7%

Hispanic:

12.8%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 17th percentile in 2018 → 23rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 23rd (2026) from a 17th-percentile low (2018)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Michigan average (32% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (23rd percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Michigan average (27% vs 84%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg32%

Michigan avg42%

618^th of 800

Michigan public high schools ?

Bottom 23%▼ down 7 pts since 2017

From bottom 29% (2017) to bottom 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Michigan High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

517^th of 625WAY Michigan among Michigan districts

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

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	19.0	618 of 800	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	94.1	34 of 743	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	91.9	41 of 735	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	11.7	682 of 824	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.9	590 of 835	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	20.9	197 of 254	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	10.5	611 of 686	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.1	585 of 710	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2026	25.8	549 of 719	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	95.3	22 of 654	96.6%	★★★★★
2018	12.9	633 of 755	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	3.4	685 of 707	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Michigan percentile	Rating
2018	6.2	636 of 708	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2018)34th percentile+13 vs school

High school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)24th percentile~ school

African American (2018)22nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)11th percentile-12 vs school

White (2018)10th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2018)3rd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Michigan (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies40%-7 vs state

English Language Arts30%-31 vs state

★

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Schools Near WAY Michigan

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PSAT English Language Arts (2026)			PSAT Mathematics (2026)			SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	M-Step English Language Arts (2026)		M-Step Math (2026)		M-Step Science (2026)		M-Step Social Studies (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PSAT English Language Arts 8th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 9th Grade	PSAT English Language Arts 10th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 8th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 9th Grade	PSAT Mathematics 10th Grade	SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 6th Grade	M-Step English Language Arts 7th Grade	M-Step Math 6th Grade	M-Step Math 7th Grade	M-Step Science 8th Grade	M-Step Science 11th 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
WAY Michigan	Public, Virtual, Charter	6-12	407 E Fort St	Detroit	48226	Wayne County	WAY Michigan	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(734) 494-2106	156	9	17.1	82.7%	79 (50.6%)	51 (32.7%)	20 (12.8%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	19	618^th of 800 public high schools	22.8%					(n/a)	40.0	17.9	38.5	326.7	334.6	363.8	410.9	354.5		1669.0		1654.6	1774.0	2085.3	1783.0	40.0	$12,072	$1,635	$10,438
Cass Technical High School	Public	9-12	2501 2nd Ave	Detroit	48201	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 263-2000	2,493	104	24.0	62.3%	52 (2.1%)	1,829 (73.4%)	353 (14.2%)	229 (9.2%)	1 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (1.2%)	81.2	108^th of 800 public high schools	86.5%		60.8	266^th of 739 public high schools	64.0%	158		78.2	77.9		48.2	40.7	73.6	35.6						38.6		61.3	$17,670	$2,048	$15,622
University Prep Science and Math High School	Public, Magnet, Charter	9-12	2664 Franklin St	Detroit	48207	Wayne County	University Preparatory Science and Math (PSAD)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	(313) 393-9166	452	20	22.6	68.1%	4 (0.9%)	442 (97.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	7.6	733^rd of 800 public high schools	8.4%		13	642^nd of 739 public high schools	13.1%	91		24.3	34.4		4.5	6.6	16.7	372.2						4.8		8.6	$14,612	$1,226	$13,386
Crockett Midtown High School of Science and Medicine	Public	9-12	571 Mack Ave	Detroit	48201	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-1805	191	13	14.6	81.2%	6 (3.1%)	170 (89.0%)	6 (3.1%)	7 (3.7%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23.7	583^rd of 800 public high schools	27.1%		5.3	713^th of 739 public high schools	3.5%	130		35.6	31.6		6.7	14.0	29.4	17.6						28.6		48.6	$24,639	$2,657	$21,982
Detroit Public Safety Academy	Public, Charter	6-12	1250 Rosa Parks Blvd	Detroit	48216	Wayne County	Detroit Public Safety Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 965-6916	156	8	19.2	82.7%	0 (0.0%)	155 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5.3	761^st of 800 public high schools	4.9%		6.7	696^th of 739 public high schools	5.8%	65		330.4	15.6		321.1	337.8	397.8	356.7						2070.4		15.8	$00	$00	$00
Detroit Edison Public School Academy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3403 Saint Aubin St	Detroit	48207	Wayne County	Detroit Edison Public School Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 475-0679	419	20	20.5	59.2%	2 (0.5%)	393 (93.8%)	14 (3.3%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	19.3	615^th of 800 public high schools	23.1%		26.2	529^th of 739 public high schools	28.4%	86		37.8	47.5		10.2	8.9	30.1	6.5						16.1		31.2	$12,006	$1,136	$10,870
Detroit School of Arts	Public	9-12	123 Selden St	Detroit	48201	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-6000	523	36	14.6	70.9%	15 (2.9%)	488 (93.3%)	8 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.7%)	29	551^st of 800 public high schools	31.1%		11.9	647^th of 739 public high schools	12.4%	96		53.1	50.0		13.8	10.1	45.9	9.8						25.2		26.7	$22,858	$3,007	$19,851
Martin Luther King Junior Senior High School	Public	9-12	3200 E Lafayette St	Detroit	48207	Wayne County	Detroit Public Schools Community District	No	No	No	Yes	(313) 494-7373	976	41	23.8	75.5%	1 (0.1%)	964 (98.8%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	13.3	673^rd of 800 public high schools	15.9%		12.6	644^th of 739 public high schools	12.9%	29		38.4	33.6		11.4	9.4	26.1	6.2						9.9		20.9	$18,960	$2,374	$16,586
Covenant High School Southwest	Public, Charter	9-12	1450 25th St	Detroit	48216	Wayne County	Covenant Schools Detroit	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 297-8720	164	6	27.5	97.0%	17 (10.4%)	80 (48.8%)	66 (40.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	6.9	744^th of 800 public high schools	7.0%					(n/a)		22.6	336.8		285.8	304.7	25.0	348.8									$11,908	$333	$11,575
Covenant High School Central	Public, Charter	9-12	2959 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd	Detroit	48208	Wayne County	Covenant Schools Detroit	Yes	No	No	Yes	(313) 899-6900	240	8	30.3	94.6%	4 (1.7%)	230 (95.8%)	5 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)								(n/a)		317.1	353.3		306.4	311.7	379.3	337.1						2058.9		2075.5	$12,925	$945	$11,981

Frequently Asked Questions about WAY Michigan

How many students attend WAY Michigan?

In the 2024-25 school year, 156 students attended WAY Michigan.

Is WAY Michigan a good school?

WAY Michigan ranks in the bottom 22.8% of Michigan high schools.

What district is WAY Michigan in?

WAY Michigan

What is the racial makeup of WAY Michigan?

Students at WAY Michigan are 51% White, 33% African American, 13% Hispanic, 3% American Indian.

Rate WAY Michigan!

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Latest Michigan data All new data »

2021–22 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 M-Step, PSAT & SAT test scoresSep 4, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

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.