Home / Worth-It Scores / Kansas / Wichita State
Is Wichita State University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Wichita State, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Wichita State lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $19,120 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $56,003, but the margin is not huge. For context, Wichita State's net price is about 8% above the typical 4-year, public school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$14,184
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $1,030 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $4,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$10,307
Median earnings 10 years out
$56,003
Median debt at graduation
$19,120
Graduation rate
52%
At Wichita State, a typical graduate carries about $19,120 in student debt and earns roughly $56,003 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $217 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $25,221 more than the typical working high school graduate in Kansas ($30,782) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
78% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in Kansas ($30,782).
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor's degree · 22 working graduates counted
$36,723
$5,941 above the benchmark
Visual and Performing Arts, General
Bachelor's degree · 24 working graduates counted
$37,012
$6,230 above the benchmark
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor's degree · 28 working graduates counted
$37,604
$6,822 above the benchmark
Sociology
Bachelor's degree · 34 working graduates counted
$42,450
$11,668 above the benchmark
Psychology, General
Bachelor's degree · 141 working graduates counted
$42,690
$11,908 above the benchmark
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor's degree · 17 working graduates counted
$43,452
$12,670 above the benchmark
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Associate degree · 85 working graduates counted
$44,605
$13,823 above the benchmark
History
Bachelor's degree · 18 working graduates counted
$46,090
$15,308 above the benchmark
English Language and Literature, General
Bachelor's degree · 28 working graduates counted
$46,768
$15,986 above the benchmark
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor's degree · 56 working graduates counted
$47,389
$16,607 above the benchmark
80 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent Wichita State University and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
Wichita State is a public four year school in Wichita, KS. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
Washburn
Topeka, KS
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $11,023
Public 4-year
Pittsburg State
Pittsburg, KS
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $14,291
Public 4-year
Emporia State
Emporia, KS
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $14,364
Public 4-year
Fort Hays State
Hays, KS
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $16,333
Public 4-year
Kansas State
Manhattan, KS
Worth-It Score: 73/100
Median net price: $18,210
Common questions about Wichita State
The median net price at Wichita State is $10,307 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in Kansas? See the most affordable public universities in Kansas →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Wichita State in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
Not saved, and not sent anywhere — this stays in your browser.
All students who received aid
$10,307a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →