operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 2600237
Universal Academy
Detroit, MI
Students684
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictMIUnited States
Academic standing2025
14th percentile41st percentile45th percentileThis district is 27 percentile points lower than the state figure and 31 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
15.0%33.3%27.8%This district is 18.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 12.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$16,283$18,803$19,509This district is $2,520 per student lower than the state figure and $3,226 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$10,971$15,316$15,859This district is $4,345 per student lower than the state figure and $4,888 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$873$2,346$1,964This district is $1,473 per student lower than the state figure and $1,091 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$873$571$336This district is $302 per student higher than the state figure and $537 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$0$0$1,793This district is about the same as the state figure and $1,793 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$0$6,165$8,742This district is $6,165 per student lower than the state figure and $8,742 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$0$5,003$3,769This district is $5,003 per student lower than the state figure and $3,769 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$13,553$15,337$11,715This district is $1,784 per student lower than the state figure and $1,838 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$486$1,154$869This district is $668 per student lower than the state figure and $383 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
18:117:115:1This district is 1.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and 3.0 students per teacher higher than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
125.0142.6138.9This district is 17.6 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 13.9 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
10.015.418.5This district is 5.4 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 8.5 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.00.70.9This district is 0.7 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.9 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
100.0%98.5%99.0%This district is 1.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
2.3%3.6%2.6%This district is 1.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
73.7%8.0%12.0%This district is 65.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 61.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
6.8%13.4%14.0%This district is 6.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
100.0%95.7%95.8%This district is 4.3 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+0.9%+1.6%+0.5%This district is 0.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
97.8%51.1%50.6%This district is 46.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 47.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
19.1%11.6%9.0%This district is 7.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 10.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Kindergarten–grade 5320 students
46.8%Grades 6–8150 students
21.9%Grades 9–12214 students
31.3%See enrollment for every grade
Kindergarten54
Grade 164
Grade 247
Grade 355
Grade 450
Grade 550
Grade 644
Grade 756
Grade 850
Grade 957
Grade 1060
Grade 1150
Grade 1247
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers2 FTE
Kindergarten teachers2 FTE
Elementary teachers13.4 FTE
Secondary teachers18.5 FTE
Ungraded teachers2 FTE
Instructional coordinators0.4 FTE
District administrators7.2 FTE
District administrative support0.1 FTE
School administrative support4.8 FTE
Library and media support1 FTE
Other support staff17.5 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Teachers and staff
Teacher workforce
Loading the district’s workforce comparison…
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
73.7%Students learning English509 students · 1 of 1 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
6.8%Students receiving IDEA special-education services47 students · 1 of 1 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
5.8%English learners also receiving IDEA services40 students · 1 of 1 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in MI receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Johannesburg-Lewiston Area SchoolsJohannesburg, MI682 studentsSimilar enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →Harbor Springs School DistrictHarbor Springs, MI711 studentsSimilar enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →Ishpeming Public School District No. 1Ishpeming, MI677 studentsSimilar enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →Byron Area SchoolsByron, MI662 studentsSimilar enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →Brown City Community SchoolsBrown City, MI704 studentsSimilar enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →
Student outcomes
How are students doing?
Four views answer different questions. State test percentages show grade-level expectations; the national research trend shows change over time; graduation and dropout measures describe high-school outcomes.
Are results improving over time?
14thlatest estimated national standing
20192022202320242025
4 percentile points higher than 2019.
How many high-school students left during the year?
2.3%of students enrolled in grades 9–12
District2.3%
MI3.6%
U.S.2.6%
Lower is better. This annual rate is not the opposite of the graduation rate because the measures use different students and time periods.
College and career outcomes
College enrollment, persistence, credentials and career readiness are not published in one comparable national district file. They will appear here only when an official state or district release can be matched reliably.
State proficiency standards differ and should not be used for cross-state rankings. Graduation ranges and privacy protections are preserved exactly. The academic trend uses Stanford Education Data Archive estimates and is not a state proficiency percentage.
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Fem135 assessments
15 out of 100Mal168 assessments
15 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students353 assessments
14 out of 100White students289 assessments
14 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$9,978
→FY 2023$10,971
FY 2022$320
→FY 2023$873
FY 2022$14,581
→FY 2023$13,553
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
29 of 686 students
109 of 678 students
105 of 700 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I1 reporting schools
100%
Calculus1 reporting schools
100%
Biology1 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry1 reporting schools
100%
Physics1 reporting schools
100%
Computer science1 reporting schools
0%
Advanced Placement1 reporting schools
100%
Dual enrollment1 reporting schools
100%
Gifted programs1 reporting schools
0%
International Baccalaureate1 reporting schools
0%
Athletics1 reporting schools
100%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
214Out-of-school suspensions1 reporting schoolsSee schools →55In-school suspensions1 reporting schoolsSee schools →0Law-enforcement referrals1 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests1 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?15% chronically absent2022–23 · 700 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Improved overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?4 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$10,971current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?No counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
7 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →