Wichita State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Wichita, Kansas. It enrolls 10,780 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
66/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes30
Value83
Affordability63
Selectivity24
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 94%, Wichita State University is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
94%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
905 – 1240
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
17 – 25
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Wichita State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
3.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Wichita State University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $13,194 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$13,194
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
31%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
32%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$9,684
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$19,869
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,420
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,030
Books & Supplies
$1,250
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,560
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,560
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,780
Application fee: $40 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $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
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,00010%percentile
$5,61725%percentile
$20,500Medianpercentile
$26,00075%percentile
$38,26890%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $16,116
↓ $4,384
No Pell $12,500
↓ $8,000
Dependent students $13,750
↓ $6,750
Independent students $17,500
↓ $3,000
Female students $15,000
↓ $5,500
Male students $13,967
↓ $6,533
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,500, less than completers ($20,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
47% of full-time students who enrolled at Wichita State University graduate within six years, and 68% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
47%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
68%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Wichita State University earn a median of $51,532 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$51,532
Earning > $25K
78%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$39,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$54,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$41,400
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$46,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$49,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $14,700, about 27% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
15.3 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 80% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Wichita State University is home to 10,780 students, a large student community. Some distinctive traits: 36% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
10,780
Part-Time
19%
First-Generation
36%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 54.3%5,850
Hispanic 18.1%1,955
Asian 7.8%842
Black 7.1%764
Other 6.3%680
International 4.7%501
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Wichita State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large CityWichita, Kansas
Housing
Limited on-campus housing1,396 beds
Adult Learners
22%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Wichita State University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
178 distinct programs across
27 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Wichita State University is 20:1, on the higher side.
Student : Faculty
20:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$9,735
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$331M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$81,295
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
542 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
154
28%
$102,056
Associate Professors
177
33%
$79,047
Assistant Professors
202
37%
$68,014
Instructors
2
0%
$38,494
No Rank
7
1%
$76,877
Pros & Cons of Wichita State University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Wichita State University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
Larger class sizes than typical
Below-average completion rate
First-year retention is below typical
Best for:
Based on the data, Wichita State University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wichita State University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Wichita State University.
Is Wichita State University hard to get into?
Wichita State University has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 94%.
What is the acceptance rate at Wichita State University?
Wichita State University has an acceptance rate of 94%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for Wichita State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Wichita State University scored between 905 and 1240 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for Wichita State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Wichita State University scored between 17 and 25 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Wichita State University cost?
The average net price after aid at Wichita State University is $13,194 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wichita State University worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $51,532 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $13,194 per year. That's roughly 3.9x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Wichita State University known for?
Wichita State University is best known for its programs in Computer Science, Teacher Education (K-12), Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Wichita State University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Wichita State University are $51,532, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Wichita State University accredited?
Yes. Wichita State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Wichita State University?
Wichita State University enrolls 10,780 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Wichita State University?
Wichita State University graduates 47% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Wichita State University a public or private college?
Wichita State University is a Public institution.
Where is Wichita State University located?
Wichita State University is located in Wichita, Kansas.
What programs does Wichita State University offer?
Wichita State University offers 178 distinct programs. The most popular include Computer Science, Teacher Education (K-12), Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Wichita State University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Wichita State University is 20:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Kansas
Other colleges in Kansas share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Business Administration
Business Administration
Psychology
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Rankings That Feature Wichita State University
Wichita State University appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
Most Affordable Communications Tech Colleges
The most affordable colleges for Communications Tech, ranked by net price with earnings and outcomes shown.
$2,984 Lowest Net
$25,619 Avg Net
88 UCD Score
$63,163 Top Earn
Most Affordable Military Tech Colleges
The most affordable colleges for Military Tech, ranked by net price with earnings and outcomes shown.
$7,892 Lowest Net
$20,713 Avg Net
89 UCD Score
$101,817 Top Earn
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
