Wichita, KS · Public · Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.
How to pay for Wichita State University
What a year costs here, what brings it down, and what a SmartTuition plan could save a family like yours.
Paying for four years here
Four years here, after grants
$83,724
A SmartTuition plan could save a family like this about $4,300.
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester, using your own numbers.
Build your SmartTuition plan for Wichita State University, $99 →Best once your award letter arrives. No letter yet? Get the monthly email.
A family of four with good credit and $500 a month for college. How we worked these out ↓
A year at Wichita State University
| Full price, in state | $27,552 |
| Full price, out of state | $38,985 |
| After grants, at your income | $19,666 |
At this income, 3 of Kansas's other 5 colleges cost less after grants, and 2 cost more. See them all →
What can bring it down
Merit scholarships. In state: $1,000 to $4,000 a year, from a 3.0 GPA (and 3 more below).
Wichita State University's promise. The Shocker Promise: the gap in tuition and fees for Kansas residents with a family income and assets of $60,000 or less, for the fall 2027 class. The conditions ↓
Pay less for college
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester.
At Wichita State University, our scenarios for Kansas households with good parent credit show a SmartTuition plan saving a median of about $5,600 over four years. How we worked this out ↓
Considering more than one college?
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Put your schools side by side →Merit scholarships
What Wichita State University says it awards for grades and test scores.
In state: $1,000 to $4,000 a year, from a 3.0 GPA
GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $4,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 30) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $3,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 30) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 30) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 30) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $2,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 30) GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $3,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 28) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $3,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 28) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 28) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 28) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $2,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 28) GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $3,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 26) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 26) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 26) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $2,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 26) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $1,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 26) GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 24) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 24) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 24) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $2,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 24) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $1,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 24) GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 21) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 21) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $2,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 21) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $1,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 21) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $1,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 21) GPA 3.9 or higher $2,000 a year Freshmen University Academic Scholarship (GPA 3.9) GPA 3.5 or higher $1,500 a year Freshmen University Academic Scholarship (GPA 3.5) GPA 3.0 or higher $1,000 a year Freshmen University Academic Scholarship (GPA 3.0) Apply for admission by December 1; an eligible student gets an automatic scholarship offer. To keep it, your student needs a 3.0 GPA in college. These are the amounts for students entering in 2027-2028, paid for four years. A student who pays a reduced non-resident tuition (Shocker City Partnership, Shocker Select, the Midwest Student Exchange or Legacy tuition) gets these Kansas resident amounts. A merit scholarship needs a 3.0 GPA and a 21 ACT or 1060 SAT, and a student gets only the largest scholarship.
Wichita State gives National Merit Finalists a $50,000 scholarship, paid over four years, with the annual amount varying.
“WSU National Merit Scholarships: $50,000 Open to National Merit Finalists. Annual amount varies; scholarship awarded over four years with eligibility.”
Out of state: $1,500 to $6,000 a year, from a 3.0 GPA
GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $6,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 30) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $5,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 30) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $4,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 30) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $4,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 30) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1360 or ACT 30 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 30) GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $5,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 28) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $5,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 28) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $4,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 28) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $4,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 28) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1300 or ACT 28 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 28) GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $5,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 26) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $4,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 26) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $4,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 26) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 26) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1230 or ACT 26 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 26) GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $4,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 24) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $4,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 24) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $4,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 24) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 24) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1160 or ACT 24 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 24) GPA 3.9 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $4,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.9, ACT 21) GPA 3.75 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $4,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.75, ACT 21) GPA 3.5 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $3,000 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.5, ACT 21) GPA 3.25 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.25, ACT 21) GPA 3.0 or higher, and SAT 1060 or ACT 21 $2,500 a year Freshmen Merit Scholarship (GPA 3.0, ACT 21) GPA 3.9 or higher $3,000 a year Freshmen University Academic Scholarship (GPA 3.9) GPA 3.5 or higher $2,500 a year Freshmen University Academic Scholarship (GPA 3.5) GPA 3.0 or higher $1,500 a year Freshmen University Academic Scholarship (GPA 3.0) Apply for admission by December 1; an eligible student gets an automatic scholarship offer. To keep it, your student needs a 3.0 GPA in college. These are the amounts for students entering in 2027-2028, paid for four years. A student from a state with a reduced non-resident tuition gets the Kansas resident amounts instead. A merit scholarship needs a 3.0 GPA and a 21 ACT or 1060 SAT, and a student gets only the largest scholarship.
Out of state: Midwest Student Exchange: for full-time students in an eligible major with a 2.25 GPA, or an ACT of 21 or SAT of 1060. Keeping it takes a 2.50 GPA.
Enter your student's GPA in our college comparison to see these scholarships beside your family's price.
Published guarantees you may qualify for
We do not assume you qualify for any of these, and our plans never bank on them. Check each against your own situation with the aid office.
The Shocker Promise: the gap in tuition and fees for Kansas residents with a family income and assets of $60,000 or less, for the fall 2027 class
Household income up to $60,000. Covers tuition, fees.
- For a Kansas resident who is a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen and is eligible for the Pell Grant. The student has total assets of $60,000 or less, a Student Aid Index of 7,395 or less and a 2.5 unweighted high school GPA. The student is admitted by March 1, 2027, completes the FAFSA by April 1, 2027 and enrolls full time in a bachelor’s program in fall 2027. The housing part is paid only with an on-campus housing contract.
“Annual family income of $60,000 or less and total assets of $60,000 or less. The Shocker Promise Scholarship is a last payee scholarship to fill the gap of tuition and fees.”
How we worked these out
The family
A family of four with good parent credit and $500 a month to put toward college, and the savings you pick. In state, the grants are what Wichita State University reports families at that income got, on average. Your own will differ, and a family with no aid pays close to the full price. Out of state, there are no grants: the price is before any scholarship from the college.
What a SmartTuition plan saves
The difference, over four years, between a SmartTuition plan and the standard approach: savings first, then loans for the rest. It counts loan interest and the federal tax credit. For a family that lives in Kansas, it also counts Kansas' tax deduction for money you put through its 529 plan.
The $5,600 in the “Pay less for college” box near the top of this page is the median saving in Wichita State University's own scenarios. Each scenario is a household that lives in Kansas, with an income from $45,000 to $200,000 and savings of none, $40,000 or $100,000 in a 529. We price Wichita State University at the aid it reports for that income.
Every scenario has parents with good credit and $500 a month toward college. The card above uses the same two. A scenario where the parents would borrow more than $65,000 is left out.
The prices by income
- They describe students who got aid.
- “Over $110,000” has no upper limit, so it averages families just over $110,000 with far wealthier ones. A family at $115,000 should expect to pay less than it shows.
- Each range is reported on its own, so the prices do not always rise with income.
Where the prices come from
Where the prices come from: Wichita State University's own 2026-27 tuition, fees, housing, food and books, from its website, carried forward to 2027 at 3.0% a year. The grants are the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (2025-26 figures), carried forward the same way. Each price after grants is the cost less those grants. The out-of-state figure uses the published out-of-state tuition instead. The average price after grants counts the students who get federal aid. Your own figure will be different.
Wichita State University's own budget for 2026-27 is $30,620 in state and $41,720 out of state. It also counts costs the university doesn't bill for, such as travel and personal spending. We leave those out.
SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Wichita State University. Aid policies change; check current terms with the college's aid office.
Nearby at your income
- Emporia State University$17,833 a year
- University of Kansas$19,258 a year
- Wichita State University$19,666 a year
- Kansas State University$19,983 a year
- Benedictine College$22,648 a year
What each college charges, less the average grant for your income. Every Kansas college →