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2025 Wichita State University Annual Report: Student-Centeredness and Campus Culture

2025 Graduate waving

Empower students, faculty and staff to create a supportive culture that inspires growth, meets evolving needs and fosters success.

Wichita State’s commitment to student centeredness is reflected in the university’s intentional design of support systems, learning experiences, and pathways that help every Shocker thrive. The Shocker Success Center exemplifies this focus by bringing 18 previously scattered services into one accessible hub, creating a welcoming, convenient environment where students can easily connect with academic, social, and wellbeing resources—an approach that generated more than 38,000 visits in its first year and fostered stronger collaboration among support staff. This culture of care extends into WSU’s nationally recognized applied learning model, where students earned a record-breaking $39.2 million in paid internships and completed more than 12,000 applied learning experiences in 2025, ensuring they graduate not only with a degree but with meaningful experience, mentorship, and a foothold in the job market. Student centeredness also comes to life in personalized initiatives like the Shocker Comeback Program, which provides tailored advising, financial support, and encouragement to returning adult learners—helping students confidently complete their degrees and open new pathways for their families. Together with strong enrollment momentum, expanded access programs, and sustained improvements in retention and graduation outcomes, these efforts demonstrate Wichita State’s deep, campus-wide commitment to placing students at the heart of every decision and empowering them to succeed academically, professionally, and personally.

Wichita State’s campus culture is defined by a deep sense of belonging, shared purpose, and vibrant engagement, reflected in everything from its unified set of university values — Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, Academic Excellence and Community — which were refined in 2025 to better align decisions, priorities, and campus identity. Students find connection and cultural expression through organizations and activities that bring people together, such as the WSU Cricket Club, whose historic back-to-back league championships have strengthened ties among hundreds of international students and created a meaningful home-away-from-home community.

This culture of support extends to wellbeing initiatives like Suspenders4Hope, where the School of Music models mental‑health advocacy through performances, classroom support, and open conversations that cultivate compassion and resilience across campus. WSU’s spirit of pride and excellence is also embodied in athletics, including the nationally renowned men’s bowling program, which consistently competes at the highest levels and contributes to a campus atmosphere driven by teamwork, mentorship, and Shocker pride. Complemented by strong participation in extracurriculars—over 5,000 students attending SEAL‑supported events—and essential resources like the Shocker Support Locker serving more than 1,000 students with over 8,000 visits, plus 15 pre‑season Shocker programs strengthening community and success from day one. Wichita State fosters a campus culture where students, faculty, and staff are supported, provided meaningful opportunities to connect, and empowered to thrive.

Strategic Plan Metrics

  • 18,458
    Fall Semester Headcount (2025)

    CHANGE: +758

  • 170,521
    Fall Credit Hour Production (2025)

    CHANGE: +3,786

  • 25,147
    Combined Headcount, WSU and WSU Tech Fall (2025)

    CHANGE: +1,341

  • 3,991
    Degrees Produced, Academic Year (2025)

    CHANGE: -567

  • 1,802
    Shocker City Partnership and Shocker Select Headcount (2025)

    CHANGE: +236

  • 76.1
    %
    Fall-to-Fall Retention Rate (2024)

    CHANGE: +3.6%

  • 45.2
    %
    Six-Year Graduation Rate for Underserved Students (2019)

    CHANGE: +1.3%

  • 2,874
    Degree-seeking Students in Course-based Applied Learning (2025)

    CHANGE: +20

  • 47.5
    %
    Percentage of First-Gen Undergraduate Students (2025)

    CHANGE: -0.1%

  • 15
    Number of Shocker Pre-season Programs (2025)

    CHANGE: +3

  • 1,074
    Shocker Support Locker — Number of Users (2025)

    CHANGE: -190

  • 8,187
    Shocker Support Locker — Number of Visits (2025)

    CHANGE: +4,843

  • 5,153
    Number of Unique Students Engaged in Extracurricular Activities (SEB, 2025)

    CHANGE: -1,410

  • 15,038
    Athletics — Student Attendance (2025)

    CHANGE: +2,543

AFFORDABILITY

KANSAS RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES**

SCHOOL IN-STATE TUITION (Academic Year) *** TUITION SAVINGS BY ATTENDING WSU
(4 Years to Degree)
Wichita State University $9,684 KANSAS' BEST VALUE
Kansas State University $11,221 $6,148
University of Kansas $12,284 $10,400

REGIONAL RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES**

SCHOOL IN-STATE TUITION (Academic Year) *** TUITION SAVINGS BY ATTENDING WSU
(4 Years to Degree)
Wichita State University ** $9,684 ————
University of Arkansas $10,104 $1,680
University of Nebraska-Lincoln $10,434 $3,000
Iowa State University $10,787 $4,412
University of Iowa $11,283 $6,396
Texas A&M $11,285 $6,404
University of North Texas $11,726 $8,168
University of Texas at Arlington $12,208 $10,096
University of Houston $12,600 $11,664
University of Texas at Austin $12,754 $12,280
Colorado State University $13,373 $14,756
University of Missouri-Kansas City $13,498 $15,256
Oklahoma State University $13,920 $16,944
University of Colorado-Boulder $14,002 $17,272
University of Oklahoma $14,583 $19,596
University of Missouri $14,830 $20,584
University of Missouri-St. Louis $15,120 $21,744
University of Texas at Dallas $16,144 $25,840

* Fall-to-Fall Retention Rate and Six-Year Graduation Rates show the most recent data available.

** Costs from Kansas Board of Regents website for 2024-25 school year.
*** Comparing WSU's in-state rates to other institutions' in-state rates. 2024-25 figures and comparisons.

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