Public Graduate Good 59/100

Wright State University-Main Campus

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Dayton, Ohio

About Wright State University-Main Campus

Thinking about Wright State University-Main Campus, a college in Ohio where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Wright State University-Main Campus is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Dayton, Ohio. It enrolls 6,762 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
96.3%
Graduation
44.5%
Net Price
$15,415
Median Earnings (10yr)
$49,500
Enrollment
6,762
Student : Faculty
15:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
59/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 18
Value 66
Affordability 64
Selectivity 14

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Wright State University-Main Campus admits 96.3% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
96.3%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Wright State University-Main Campus is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↓ 0.3 pts since 2019
95.5%201995.6%202096%202195.2%202295.2%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $15,415 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$15,415
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
34%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
42%
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)
$11,522
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$21,222
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,250
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,250
Books & Supplies
$1,400
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,370
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,370
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,373

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
    $11,952
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,631
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $14,501
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $18,734
  • Over $110,000
    $20,720

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.

$3,250
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$22,750
Median percentile
$26,000
75% percentile
$38,730
90% 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 $18,000 ↓ $4,750
No Pell $13,000 ↓ $9,750
Dependent students $15,000 ↓ $7,750
Independent students $20,832 ↓ $1,918
Female students $15,873 ↓ $6,877
Male students $15,905 ↓ $6,845
Pell recipients: 18.3% (4,153 students)No Pell: 13.2% (2,999 students)Dependent students: 15.2% (3,461 students)Independent students: 21.1% (4,806 students)Female students: 16.1% (3,662 students)Male students: 16.1% (3,669 students)Overall Median$22,750
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($22,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

44% of students who start here finish within six years, and 65% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
44%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
65%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $49,500 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$49,500
Earning > $25K
77%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$41,000$44,000$46,000$48,000$51,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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
$41,600

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$52,100

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$47,000

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$44,900

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$46,400

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $10,500, about 20% 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 ↑ 17.3 pts across 6 years
64.9%1yr71.4%3yr79.6%5yr82.2%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 82% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 6,762 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 35% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
6,762
Part-Time
15%
First-Generation
35%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 67.2% 4,544
Black 11.5% 780
Other 6.8% 462
International 5.9% 398
Hispanic 4.8% 323
Asian 3.2% 217
White: 67.2% (4,544 students)Black: 11.5% (780 students)Other: 6.8% (462 students)International: 5.9% (398 students)Hispanic: 4.8% (323 students)Asian: 3.2% (217 students)Total6,762

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Wright State University-Main Campus. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Large Suburb Dayton, Ohio
Housing
Partly residential 2,599 beds available
Adult Learners
16% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Wright State University-Main Campus offers an extensive catalog of programs: 152 distinct programs across 22 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.

18 Programs
15 Programs
7 Programs
20 Programs
12 Programs
6 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$14,547
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$144M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$88,352
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

482 instructional faculty across 6 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 158 33% $112,221
Associate Professors 125 26% $90,893
Assistant Professors 68 14% $85,861
Instructors 41 9% $52,124
Lecturers 84 17% $62,670
No Rank 6 1% $56,562

Pros & Cons of Wright State University-Main Campus

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Wright State University-Main Campus is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Reasonable class sizes
CONS
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
Best for: Based on the data, Wright State University-Main Campus is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about Wright State University-Main Campus

The questions families ask most about Wright State University-Main Campus, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Wright State University-Main Campus hard to get into?
Not especially. Wright State University-Main Campus admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 96.3%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Wright State University-Main Campus?
96.3% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Wright State University-Main Campus cost?
Budget around $15,415 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wright State University-Main Campus worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $49,500 a year against a net price of $15,415, about 3.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Wright State University-Main Campus known for?
Mostly Information Systems, Nursing, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Wright State University-Main Campus graduates earn?
About $49,500 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wright State University-Main Campus accredited?
Yes. Wright State University-Main Campus is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Wright State University-Main Campus?
6,762 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Wright State University-Main Campus?
44% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Wright State University-Main Campus a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Wright State University-Main Campus located?
Wright State University-Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio.
What programs does Wright State University-Main Campus offer?
152 different programs, most commonly Information Systems, Nursing, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Wright State University-Main Campus?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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