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Wichita State University: Wichita Biomedical Campus construction, east side, Wichita, KS 2026-03-27
Photo: Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

National university

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $13,194 a year

Median debt at graduation: $20,500 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.51%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,092 · ACT 21
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.19 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,179

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$9,734
$30,001–$48,000$9,696
$48,001–$75,000$13,564
$75,001–$110,000$16,893
Over $110,000$19,184

Full cost of attendance before aid: $21,780 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
12,856
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 44% · Women 56%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
36%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
22%
Total students16,741
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$13,194
Cost of attendance (per year)$21,780
Median federal debt at graduation$20,500
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
51%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
45%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
45%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
54%
First-year retention69%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$51,532
Admission rate94%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$40
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $849 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants31%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 905–1240ACT 17–25
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1092
SAT reading & writing470–610
SAT math435–630
ACT composite17–25
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 23% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computer science$97,335
Electrical engineering$94,738
Mechanical engineering$89,074
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$83,057
Computing and information science$81,265
Engineering Technologies/Technicians$77,103
Computer engineering$76,203
Nursing$75,784
Managerial economics$73,166
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$72,936
Clinical laboratory science$69,711
Accounting$69,696
Chemistry$67,475
Management information systems$67,413
International business$65,366
Finance$64,060
Business administration$63,852
Human resources$63,150
Dental assisting$61,982
Entrepreneurship$61,960
Biology$56,959
Speech-language pathology$55,638
Political science$54,874
Physiology and pathology$52,833
Marketing$52,709
Secondary education$51,728
Criminal justice$51,305
Curriculum and instruction$51,036
Communication studies$50,773
Social work$49,670
Health sciences$48,537
Health administration$48,446
Kinesiology and exercise science$47,463
Anthropology$47,392
Teacher education$47,389
English$46,768
History$46,090
Liberal arts$43,452
Psychology$42,690
Sociology$42,450
Fine arts$37,604
Visual and performing arts$37,012
Design$36,723

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Applied mathematics, Biochemistry, Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Economics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ethnic and gender studies, Family and human development, Film and video, General studies, Geology and earth science, Gerontology, Global studies, Homeland Security, Industrial Engineering, Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies, Interdisciplinary studies, Journalism, Linguistics, Manufacturing Engineering, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Public relations, Religious studies, Romance languages, Security science, Statistics, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business19%
Health professions16%
Education14%
Engineering11%
Visual and performing arts6%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates19%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older22%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,420
SportsNCAA Division I · American Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member19 to 1
Faculty who are full-time64%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$25,494IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 11% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceWichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)About 9 miles away · about 20 minutes by car
Town population397,945Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreWichitaAbout 4 miles away · about 10 minutes by car
Typical weather33°F in January · 81°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Wichita Jabara Airport, KS, about 4 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.060.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.010.04
Burglary0.050.08
Motor vehicle theft0.060.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Wichita State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Wichita State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $13,194 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Wichita State University?
Wichita State University admitted 94% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Wichita State University’s graduates do?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $51,532; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,500.

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