College Profile

Students

  • Origin

    • Number of states represented: 39

    • Number of countries represented: 20

  • Residency

    • In-state: 82.2%

    • Out-of-state: 17.8% (14.5% out-of-state domestic students)

    • International: 3.5%

  • Demographics

    Gender

    • Male: 28.5%

    • Female: 71.5%

    Race or ethnicity

    • American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.6%

    • Asian: 1.8%

    • Black or African American: 11.4%

    • Hispanic: 7.7%

    • International: 3.5%

    • Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0.1%

    • No response: 1.2%

    • Two or more races: 3.5%

    • White: 70.2%

  • Academics

    • 62% of CEHD students are undergraduate; 29% are masters, certificates and specialists; and 9% are doctoral.

    • 100% of every CEHD undergraduate program contains an internship or field experience. 

    • 96% of 2020-21 WMU CEHD graduates were employed in their field or continuing education within three months of graduation.

WMU students in front of Sangren Hall.

Academics

Every CEHD undergraduate program contains an internship or field experience.

Faculty

  • Type

    • Tenured: 62

    • Tenure-track: 20

    • Term: 9

WMU's 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio provides personalized in-class attention.

Fast facts

  • Western Michigan University owes its roots to the College of Education and Human Development. Founded in 1903 as a teacher’s college, WMU has grown into an internationally regarded higher education institution while maintaining a strong commitment to training teachers and school administrators.
  • In 2010, the dietetics internship placement rate for WMU graduates was approximately 71 percent, significantly higher than the mean national placement rate of 49.5 percent.
  • The college's teaching internship program, the School University Partnership Team, is among the best in the country. In 2006-07, the nation's largest professional association for teacher education recognized WMU for its student teaching program, citing it as "exemplary."
  • In 2009 the college's graduate school was 97th of the 278 graduate schools ranked by U.S. News and World Report. Only two other Michigan universities were ranked and included in this edition of "Best Graduate Schools."
  • In September 2008, the Michigan Legislature approved a capital outlay bill that included $11.7 million for the first phase of a major renovation to Sangren Hall, the home of the college’s teacher preparation programs. Sangren Hall is the University’s largest and most heavily used classroom building. 
  • The college has great outreach, providing about 55 percent of all programming at the seven WMU regional locations located throughout the state of Michigan. Additionally, the college offers both a graduate certificate and master’s degree program in educational technology that are available completely online.
  • The college has “continuation agreements” with five Michigan community colleges. The agreements allow community college students with a two-year degree to seamlessly transfer to WMU and complete their bachelor’s degree.
  • College of Education and Human Development associate professor of family and consumer sciences Barbara Frazier is part of an effort that has been awarded a three-year, $500,000 grant to study the impact of local retailers on rural communities. The grant is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative National Research Initiative and has been awarded to Dr. Frazier and colleagues at Iowa State and Ohio State University. Frazier and her fellow researchers will identify ways in which the retail sector in rural communities contributes to and enhances economic development.