Wichita State University has moved into the list of the top 20 universities in engineering research and development (R&D) expenditures, according to the latest data compiled by the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey.

NSF’s latest data ranks U.S. universities in various categories, including R&D spending broken down by subfield and funding source.

For fiscal year 2021, Wichita State reported total R&D expenditures of $192 million – up from $154 million in 2020. Wichita State has moved up one spot to third in total aerospace R&D expenditures with $153 million; and maintained its rank as first in industry-funded aerospace R&D with a total of $75 million.

“Research is at the heart of Wichita State’s mission and vision. It drives innovation, advances knowledge, and helps solve complex problems facing our society,” said Dr. Rick Muma, president of Wichita State. “As Kansas’ only urban public research university, this ranking is an honor, but it is not a surprise. And it sends a signal to the rest of the country that Wichita State is a powerful presence in the research arena, particularly in engineering.”

In recent years, the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State has increased its relationship with various divisions of the Department of Defense, which has led to a fifth-place listing in federally funded aerospace R&D expenditures with $63 million.

These rankings put Wichita State among other prestigious engineering universities such as the Georgia Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue and Stanford.

With increasing contracts and awards from industry and federal agencies, Wichita State expects to continue climbing the ranks in the NSF’s survey. The 2022 numbers will be compiled by NSF and published in late 2023.

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Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research provides research, testing, certification and training for aviation and manufacturing technologies. Established in 1985, NIAR has a +$190 million annual budget; 1,200 employees and nearly 1.6 million square feet of laboratory and office space in six locations across the city of Wichita, the Air Capital of the World. NIAR laboratories include Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Coatings, Advanced Manufacturing, Ballistics/Impact Dynamics, Composites/Advanced Materials, Crash Dynamics, Digital Twin, Engineering Design/Modification, Environmental/ Electromagnetic Test, Full-Scale Structural Test, Nondestructive Test, Reverse Engineering, Robotics/Automation, Virtual Engineering, eXtended Reality and the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel. 

Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling almost 22,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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