Wichita State University - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges

Wichita State University

#332 in National Universities (tie)

4 year • Wichita, KS

4 year • Wichita, KS
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Overview

Wichita State University is a public institution that was founded in 1895. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 12,696 (fall 2022), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 330 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Wichita State University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #332. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,860; out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,226.


Wichita State University is located in the southern part of Kansas, in the largest city in the state. Students at Wichita State can choose from numerous undergraduate degrees in six academic colleges, and graduate students can earn degrees in the W. Frank Barton School of Business and in the schools of education and engineering, among other fields. WSU students and athletic teams are called the Shockers because Wichita students used to earn money by harvesting or "shocking" wheat. The university also used to be called WU, for Wichita University, and now the school’s mascot is a bundle of wheat named WuShock.


The Wichita State Shockers varsity sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference. Besides athletics, students at WSU can get involved in more than 150 campus organizations, Greek life and community service. Notable WSU alumni include Frank and Dan Carney, founders of Pizza Hut, and Gary Burrell, co-founder of GPS maker Garmin.

Wichita State University is a public institution that was founded in 1895. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 12,696 (fall 2022), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 330 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Wichita State University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #332. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,860; out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,226.


Wichita State University is located in the southern part of Kansas, in the largest city in the state. Students at Wichita State can choose from numerous undergraduate degrees in six academic colleges, and graduate students can earn degrees in the W. Frank Barton School of Business and in the schools of education and engineering, among other fields. WSU students and athletic teams are called the Shockers because Wichita students used to earn money by harvesting or "shocking" wheat. The university also used to be called WU, for Wichita University, and now the school’s mascot is a bundle of wheat named WuShock.


The Wichita State Shockers varsity sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference. Besides athletics, students at WSU can get involved in more than 150 campus organizations, Greek life and community service. Notable WSU alumni include Frank and Dan Carney, founders of Pizza Hut, and Gary Burrell, co-founder of GPS maker Garmin.

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At-a-Glance

Setting

Urban

In-state tuition and fees

$8,860

Undergraduate Enrollment

12,696

Acceptance Rate

68%

2024 Rankings

Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.

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Admissions

Rolling

Application Deadline

68%

Acceptance Rate

SAT Range*

953-1260

ACT Range*

19-26

High School GPA*

3.5

* These are the average scores of applications admitted to this school. Ranges represent admitted applicants who fell within the 25th and 75th percentile.

Will You Get Into Wichita State University?

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Data provided by U.S. News College Compass Users.

Cost

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$18,226

In-State Tuition & Fees

$8,860

Room & Board

N/A

Average Need-Based Aid Package

$9,074

$14,372

Annual Cost*

$14,372

Annual Cost*

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$18,226

In-State Tuition & Fees

$8,860

Room & Board

N/A

Average Need-Based Aid Package

$9,074

*Average in-state cost after aid

Academics

32%

4-Year Graduation Rate

20:1

Student/Faculty Ratio

50%

Classes With Fewer Than 20 Students

Popular Majors

MAJOR

% OF GRADUATES

ALUMNI STARTING SALARY

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

17%

$44,983

Education

16%

$42,027

Health Professions and Related Programs

15%

$51,581

Engineering

11%

$59,799

Psychology

6%

$29,381

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
17% Percent of Graduates
$44,983 Alumni Starting Salary
Education
16% Percent of Graduates
$42,027 Alumni Starting Salary
Health Professions and Related Programs
15% Percent of Graduates
$51,581 Alumni Starting Salary
Engineering
11% Percent of Graduates
$59,799 Alumni Starting Salary
Psychology
6% Percent of Graduates
$29,381 Alumni Starting Salary

* In cases where salary data at the specific major level is unavailable, a general salary for the major category is displayed.

Faculty Research Impact

Bibliometric Rank

252

Bibliometrics is the statistical analyses of publications and citations for the purpose of measuring faculty research impact.

Publications Cited in Top 25% of Journals

51%

Publications Cited in Top 5% of Journals

12%

Total Papers published between 2018-2022

1,746

Citations Per Publication

7:1

Data provided byLast updated 2023.

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Students

12,696

Undergraduate Enrollment

Graduate Enrollment

4,225

Total Enrollment

16,921

Full-Time Degree-Seeking Students

8,271

Student Diversity

Gender Distribution

Male43%
Female57%

Ethnic Diversity

36%

Minority Enrollment

36%

Minority Enrollment

58%

White

16%

Hispanic

7%

Asian

6%

Black

6%

Two or more races

5%

International

2%

Unknown

1%

American Indian

Not Specified is not included in this breakdown due to an enrollment of 0%.

Campus Life

Housing and Dorms

Types of campus housing available:

  • coed dorms
  • sorority housing
  • fraternity housing
  • apartments for married students
  • apartment for single students
  • Student Activities

    66+

    Sports Teams

    12

    Fraternities

    11

    Sororities

    After College

    Graduation Rate

    32%

    Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)

    56%

    Average Debt at Graduation

    $24,008

    $43,532

    Median Starting Salary of Alumni

    $43,532

    Median Starting Salary of Alumni

    Graduation Rate

    32%

    Graduating Students Who Have Borrowed (any loan type, 2021)

    56%

    Average Debt at Graduation

    $24,008

    Reviews & Ratings

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    Undergraduate data are based on the 2022 school year.

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