R2 ResearchPublic

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas·Public, 4-year or above·Plains·wichita.edu
6-yr Graduation
51%
-4.5pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
16,689
peer median 14,854
Avg net price
$13,776
+$470 vs R2 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
9,916
9,916 candidates competed
Admitted
9,316
93.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,871
20.1% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
51%-4.5pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
33%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
51%
Full-time retention
69%

Pell equity

12.0pp gap
Pell recipients
47%
Non-Pell
59%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 12.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 231 Title IV programs, 61 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 170 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
231
Passing
61
26.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

231programs
  • Passing61 · 26.4%
  • No Data170 · 73.6%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
4
Safe
55
No data
170

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

61
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+7.8%
$36,723 vs $34,058
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+8.7%
$37,012 vs $34,058
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+10.4%
$37,604 vs $34,058
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+14.4%
$61,406 vs $53,672
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+20.7%
$58,288 vs $48,304
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+24.6%
$42,450 vs $34,058
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+25.3%
$42,690 vs $34,058
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Master's Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+26.5%
$52,823 vs $41,770

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

52
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
86%
$69,334 debt · $80,257 earn
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
68%
$24,979 debt · $37,012 earn
Human Development Family Studies and Related Services
Master's Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
67%
$35,521 debt · $52,823 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
66%
$40,411 debt · $61,406 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
65%
$24,300 debt · $37,604 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
65%
$38,400 debt · $59,508 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
62%
$26,250 debt · $42,450 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
61%
$75,849 debt · $123,921 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1934Next review Aug 2027
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1927

Programmatic accreditations · 15

Action history · 19

  1. Jul 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  2. Jul 2025Deferral of Action
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  3. Jul 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Clinical doctoral program in Audiology
  4. Apr 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  5. Apr 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,914
$30–48k$11,084
$48–75k$14,240
$75–110k$17,670
$110k+$18,751

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$13,776
+$470vs R2 Research median $13,307
Federal loans
34.9%
In-state tuition
$9,322
Out-of-state
$19,240

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 5,133 students received $28.3M in Pell grants, alongside $50.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
5,133
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$28.3M
$28,272,275 total
Direct Loans
$50.2M
8,188 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
20
4k
21
4k
22
4k
23
5k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$13.6M
3,411 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$14.5M
3,329 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$15.6M
1,031 loan awards
Parent PLUS$4.1M
277 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.3M
140 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 3,153 borrowers who entered repayment, 51 (1.6%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.6%
-0.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
3,153
Defaulted
51
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.5%
2017
7.8%
2018
5.6%
2019
1.6%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Wichita State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs168
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,605 total completions
01Computer Sciences
78421.7%
02Business
65018.0%
03Health Professions
50614.0%
04Education
43712.1%
05Engineering
38910.8%
06Liberal Arts
2697.5%
07Visual/Performing Arts
1694.7%
08Psychology
1403.9%
09Biological Sciences
1393.9%
10Public Admin
1223.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
16,689
12-mo unduplicated
19,283
Undergraduate
14,506
Graduate
4,777

Gender split

Men
43%8,270
Women
57%11,013

Race / ethnicity composition

White
56.6%
Hispanic
17.0%
Asian
7.7%
Black
6.1%
Two or more
5.6%
Non-resident
4.3%
Unknown
2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
256
127 M · 129 W
Women athletes
50.4%
Athletic aid
$4.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$33.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.7M
$2.5M
Recruiting expense
$230K
$243K
Head-coach salaries
$311K
$135K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
117 M · 128 W
$2.7M
Baseball
45 M ·
$3.1M
Basketball
15 M · 15 W
$9.0M
Volleyball
· 23 W
$1.6M
Softball
· 22 W
$2.2M
Golf
9 M · 8 W
$960K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.17
19 offenses · 16,216 students

3-year trend

1.202 yrs ago0.451 yr ago1.17Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
44
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
37
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
7
Fondling
4
Rape
3
Aggravated assault
3
Robbery
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

19total
  • On campus14
  • Non-campus4
  • Public property1

Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
10
Dating violence
12
Stalking
22 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs33
Liquor025

Residence-hall fires

  • The Flats1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
19.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
565

Wichita State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Wichita State selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectWichita State University
51%16,689$13,776R2 Research
University of North Dakota
61%76.9%15,019$18,998R2 Research
University of Nebraska at Omaha
49%87.0%14,972$12,791R2 Research
University of Missouri-St Louis
57%62.7%14,736$12,323R2 Research
University of Missouri-Kansas City
54%72.2%14,732$12,837R2 Research
South Dakota State University
62%98.3%12,056$18,219R2 Research
Peer group median55%76.9%14,854$13,307

Frequently asked questions about Wichita State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Wichita State.

What is the graduation rate at Wichita State University?

Wichita State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 51% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Wichita State University?

Wichita State University reports a total enrollment of 16,689 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Wichita State University?

The average net price at Wichita State University is $13,776 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Wichita State University?

Wichita State University's yield rate is 20.1%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Wichita State University located?

Wichita State University is located in Wichita, Kansas 67260-0124.

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