Wichita State University
Wichita, KS · Public · Large city · Carnegie R1/R2 · WSU
Public institution in Wichita, KS · 10,493 undergraduates · 95% acceptance rate · $51,532 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 11%Undergraduates
- Top 22%Cost of attendance
- Top 25%In-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $13,776570th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,322520th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $19,240815th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $21,064442nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $20,500685th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $51,5321,001st highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $44,043943rd highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 51.4%1,099th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 67.6%1,353rd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 94.9%1,405th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1118631st highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 23494th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 10,493240th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 20.0:11,878th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 29.7%1,216th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 333 mi (DFW)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $40
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 71 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $64,629 | $69,338 |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $64,281 | $64,990 |
| Industrial EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $64,196 | $63,005 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $63,191 | $65,784 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $63,005 | $64,328 |
| Engineering Technology, GeneralEngineering Technology | bachelors | $60,320 | — |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $57,705 | $61,303 |
| International BusinessBusiness | bachelors | $54,035 | $51,482 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $51,482 | $47,494 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $49,855 | $50,965 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $49,563 | $52,357 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $48,432 | $54,032 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1886source
- Athletic nickname: "Shockers"source
- Cessna Stadium seats about 31,500source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Black and Yellowsource
- Mascot: WuShocksource
- Campus size: about 330 acressource
- Formerly known as "Fairmount College" (1895–1926)source
- Formerly known as "Municipal University of Wichita" (1926–1964)source
- Athletic conference: The Americansource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Fight song: ""Shocker Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: Paul Wightsource
- Notable alum: Shirley Knightsource
- Notable alum: Dennis Radersource
- Notable alum: Fred VanVleetsource
- Notable alum: Joyce DiDonatosource
Athletics — 8 sports
NCAA Division I without football · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $4,778,981 (M $1,942,178 · W $2,836,803)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitewichita.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 156125)
- Compare colleges in KSRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in KansasEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Wichita State University vs Fort Hays State UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 8 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.