University of Detroit Mercy facts for kids
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| Latin: Universitas Detroitensis Misericordia | |
| Motto | Ad maiorem Dei gloriam (Latin) Maria, Sedes Sapientiae (Latin) |
|---|---|
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Motto in English
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For the greater glory of God; Mary, Seat of Wisdom |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1877 |
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Religious affiliation
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Roman Catholic (Jesuit / Sisters of Mercy) |
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Academic affiliations
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AJCU, ACCU, NAICU |
| Endowment | $94 million (2020) |
| President | Donald B. Taylor |
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Academic staff
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210 full-time, 208 part-time |
| Students | 5,080 |
| Undergraduates | 2,745 |
| Postgraduates | 1,148 |
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Other students
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1,187 (professional) |
| Location |
,
U.S.
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| Campus | Urban, 91 acres (36.8 ha)
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| Colors | Blue, red, white |
| Nickname | Titans |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I: Horizon League, MAAC, MAC, Midwest Fencing Conference |
| Mascot | Tommy Titan |
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The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is supported by two religious groups: the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university started in 1877. It is the biggest Catholic university in Michigan.
Detroit Mercy has three main campuses. Here, students can choose from over 100 different study programs. The university also has 17 NCAA Division I sports teams for men and women. They are part of the Horizon League.
Contents
- A Look Back: University History
- Explore the Campuses and Colleges
- What Students Study: Academics
- How to Get In: Admissions
- Student Life: Greek Organizations
- Sports and Teams: Athletics
- Famous People from Detroit Mercy
- Images for kids
- See also
A Look Back: University History
The University of Detroit Mercy began in 1877. It was first called "Detroit College." The Society of Jesus founded it in downtown Detroit. Later, in 1911, it became the University of Detroit.
In 1941, the Sisters of Mercy started their own school, Mercy College of Detroit. Both schools were very successful. They had many famous graduates. In 1990, these two schools joined together. They became the "University of Detroit Mercy."
Many important people have graduated from this university. These include U.S. Senator Gary Peters. Also, Jim Padilla, a former leader at Ford Motor Company, went here. After the schools joined, actor Keegan-Michael Key and news anchor Allison Payne graduated. Donald Taylor became the university's president in July 2022.
Explore the Campuses and Colleges
The University of Detroit Mercy has seven main colleges and schools. These include:
- School of Architecture and Community Development
- College of Business Administration
- School of Dentistry
- College of Engineering & Science
- College of Health Professions/McAuley School of Nursing
- School of Law
- College of Liberal Arts & Education
Detroit Mercy also offers programs at other locations. For example, some programs are at Macomb University Center. The university also works with Aquinas College and St. Mary Mercy Hospital. They offer a special nursing program together.
A long time ago, Mercy College of Detroit had a campus on West Outer Drive. After the schools merged, this campus hosted the Dentistry Clinic. In 2008, the School of Dentistry moved to the Corktown Campus.
University Campuses
The university has three main campuses in Detroit:
The McNichols Campus
This campus is at 4001 W. McNichols Road. It's in northwest Detroit. Most of the university's programs are here. This campus also has the main offices and sports facilities. Calihan Hall is one of these sports places. All six student dorms are also on this campus.
The Riverfront Campus
This campus is in downtown Detroit. It's home to the School of Law. You can find it at 651 East Jefferson. It's right across from the Renaissance Center.
The Corktown Campus
This campus is at 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Since 2008, it has been home to the School of Dentistry and its Dental Clinic.
The Novi Campus
This campus is at 41555 West 12 Mile Road. It is a special place for nursing students to learn.
What Students Study: Academics
Some of the most popular study areas for students at Detroit Mercy include:
- Nursing
- Biology/Biological Sciences
- Business Administration & Management
- Architectural and Building Sciences
- Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
- Mechanical Engineering
Special Collections and Centers
Black Abolitionist Archive
This is a digital collection of over 800 speeches. These speeches were given by African Americans before the Civil War. It has 14,000 documents. It shows how Black people were involved in the fight against slavery. Experts say it's a huge collection of original materials.
Carney Latin American Solidarity Archive
This archive has books, human rights reports, and newspapers. It also has papers about social justice. These materials show over 25 years of work by people helping Latin America.
Center for Social Entrepreneurship
This center helps businesses in Detroit that have a social mission. This means they want to do good in the community. The center offers workshops to help these new social businesses grow.
Dental Clinics
The School of Dentistry has several dental clinics. They offer dental care to the community. They even have a mobile clinic in a special RV. Because student doctors work here under supervision, the services cost less.
Detroit Collaborative Design Center
The Detroit Collaborative Design Center (DCDC) is a special firm. It works on architecture and city design. It's part of the School of Architecture.
Institute for North Korean Studies
This institute studies North Korea. It was started in 2004. It is the first research center in the U.S. or Europe to focus only on North Korea. It holds seminars and publishes research. It also publishes an academic journal called North Korean Review.
Law Clinics
In 1965, the Urban Law Clinic at the University of Detroit was one of the first in the country. It's one of the few law schools that requires all students to take a practical course. Students work with people who need legal help but can't afford it. This gives them real-world experience.
In 2003, the clinic got a mobile law office. It was perhaps the first of its kind. In 2012, a new building was bought for the clinic. This brought it closer to the courts. The clinics help over 1000 clients each year.
Detroit Mercy Law students must take one "clinic" course. This course puts them in touch with people who are not well-represented. They get skills and knowledge for their legal work. They also get guidance from professors.
Here are some of the law clinic courses offered:
Immigration Law Clinic
Students help immigrants with family sponsorship or special status. They represent clients in U.S. Immigration Court.
Veterans Law Clinic
Students help veterans get disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Juvenile Appellate Clinic
Students argue cases about child protection or delinquency. They may argue cases in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Appellate Advocacy Clinic, State Appellate Defender's Office (SADO)
SADO helps people who cannot afford a lawyer in criminal cases after their conviction. Students prepare legal papers for the Michigan Court of Appeals or Supreme Court.
Intellectual Property Law Clinic
Inventors who can't afford legal help can get it here. Law students, supervised by patent attorneys, help them. Students need a science degree to join this clinic. This program also teaches U.S. and Canadian patent law.
University Rankings
U.S. News & World Report gives rankings to universities. For 2023, Detroit Mercy was ranked:
- Tied for #202 among National Universities.
- #40 in Best Value Schools.
- Tied for #172 in Nursing programs.
- #141 for its law school.
How to Get In: Admissions
Undergraduate Admissions
Detroit Mercy is considered "selective" for undergraduate students. This means they accept many students but not everyone. For students starting in fall 2021, the university accepted most applicants. About 565 students chose to enroll. The average SAT scores for these students were between 1063 and 1250. The average ACT scores were between 22 and 29.
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 4435 | 3985 | 4358 | 3760 | 4301 | 4542 |
| Admits | 4135 | 3168 | 3377 | 3120 | 2783 | 3561 |
| Admit rate | 93.2 | 79.5 | 77.5 | 83.0 | 64.7 | 78.4 |
| Enrolled | 565 | 419 | 530 | 583 | 550 | 532 |
| Yield rate | 13.7 | 13.2 | 15.7 | 18.7 | 19.8 | 14.9 |
| ACT composite*
(out of 36) |
22-29
(12%†) |
22-27
(20%†) |
21-28
(24%†) |
21-27
(30%†) |
22-27
(41%†) |
22-27
(92%†) |
| SAT composite*
(out of 1600) |
1063–1250 (45%†) |
1060–1245 (74%†) |
1060–1230 (71%†) |
1050–1250 (66%†) |
-- | -- |
| * middle 50% range † percentage of first-time freshmen who chose to submit |
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| Admissions statistics | |
|---|---|
|
2021 entering
classChange vs. 2016 |
|
| Admit rate | 93.2
(
 +14.8) |
| Yield rate | 13.7
(
 −1.2) |
| Test scores middle 50% | |
| SAT Total | 1063–1250 (among 45% of FTFs) |
| ACT Composite | 22–29 (among 12% of FTFs) |
Graduate Admissions
For Fall 2022, the School of Law received many applications. They accepted about half of them. Of those accepted, 209 students decided to enroll.
Student Life: Greek Organizations
Students at Detroit Mercy can join fraternities and sororities. These are social groups that often focus on community service and leadership.
- Fraternities: Alpha Phi Alpha, Lambda Theta Phi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Phi Kappa Theta, Sigma Pi
- Sororities: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Beta Gamma, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta
Sports and Teams: Athletics
The University of Detroit Mercy has 17 NCAA Division I sports teams. These teams are called the Detroit Mercy Titans. They compete in the Horizon League. Sports include basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and track and field.
The university also offers eight intramural sports. These are sports played by students just for fun.
The women's softball team won the Horizon League Championship in 2019. In 2014, both the women's golf team and men's cross country team won their league titles. The men's lacrosse team won the MAAC Championship in 2013.
In 2014, the Detroit Mercy Titans started their own 24-hour TV network. It's called the Titan Classic Sports Network.
Basketball
The men's basketball team often competes for the Horizon League title. In 2018, Mike Davis became the head coach. He has led teams to the NCAA tournament many times. He even led Indiana University to the 2002 NCAA Championship game.
Ray McCallum coached the men's team from 2008 to 2016. He led them to the Horizon League Championship in 2012. This also led to an NCAA tournament appearance. Perry Watson coached before him. He led the Titans to many winning seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances. They even beat famous teams like St. John's and UCLA.
Dick Vitale, a famous college basketball commentator for ESPN, used to coach the men's basketball team. He coached for four seasons (1973–1977). In his last year, 1977, he led the Titans to a school record of 25 wins. They made it to the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament. In 2011, the basketball court at Calihan Hall was named in his honor.
The women's basketball team had a great season in 2011–12. They won 20 games and played in the WNIT Tournament for the first time. The men's team won the Horizon League Championship in 2012. They reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time.
Detroit Mercy has hosted several NCAA Tournament men's basketball games. They hosted games at Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena.
Football
The Detroit Titans football team played from 1896 to 1964. In 1928, they had a perfect 9–0 record. Gus Dorais, who coached the Titans from 1925 to 1942, is in the College Football Hall of Fame. There is a plaque for him at Calihan Hall. He also coached the NFL's Detroit Lions.
Famous People from Detroit Mercy
Many notable people have studied or worked at the University of Detroit Mercy. This includes its earlier schools.
You can find more examples in the main article:
Images for kids
McNichols Campus
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World War I Memorial Clock Tower
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Fisher Fountain
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Student Fitness Center
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Lille B. Kassab Mall in 2012
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Campus seen from northeast parking lot
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Warren Loranger Architecture Building
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Chemistry Building
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Chemistry Building detail
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Ford Life Sciences Building
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Engineering Building detail
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Commerce & Finance Building ("C&F")
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College of Health Professions
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Lansing Reilly Hall – Jesuit Residence
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Lansing-Reilly Hall detail
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Holden hall
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Calihan Hall main entrance
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Athletic field and track
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Athletic Field
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West side of Warren Loranger Architecture Building
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Library on McNichols Campus has a cartouche by Corrado Parducci
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Calihan Hall from southwest, before 2011–2012 renovations
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Corktown Campus (School of Dentistry)
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School of Dentistry clinic stations
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Detroit Mercy Corktown Campus
Riverfront Campus (School of Law)
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Detroit Mercy School of Law, in the shadow of the Renaissance Center
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Courtyard view, showing Ss. Peter & Paul Jesuit Church's cross and the General Motors logo
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Detroit Mercy's Asher Law Clinic Center entrance
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Detroit Mercy's Kresge Law Library
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School of Law is beside Ss. Peter & Paul Jesuit Church
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Detroit Misericordia para niños
- Detroit Collaborative Design Center of the University of Detroit Mercy
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
- University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy had a common early history with the university.
- Detroit Titans track and field
- Detroit Mercy Titans
- List of Jesuit sites
