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Washburn University

Topeka, KS Β· Public Β· 4,562 undergrads (small, city) Β· website β†—

What you'll actually pay

Average net price per year β€” tuition, fees, room & board minus grant and scholarship aid β€” for in-state students by household income.

Household incomeAvg net price / year
Under $30,000$20,310
$30,000 – $48,000$9,693
$48,000 – $75,000$10,758
$75,000 – $110,000$13,922
Over $110,000$15,472
All incomes (average)$15,280

Sticker tuition and fees: $9,945 in-state, $20,949 out-of-state β€” before aid, from the same earlier College Scorecard release as the net prices above.

These are averages. For an estimate for your family, use Washburn University's own net price calculator β€” every college that takes federal student aid must publish one.

Net price calculator β†—

Other costs of attendance, 2025–26

The college's own estimate for a full-time undergraduate for the year, before aid, from the October 2026 College Scorecard. It is a newer year than the tuition and net prices above, so don't add the two together.

Housing and meals, on campus$10,881
Housing and meals, off campus (not with family)$11,856
Books and supplies$861
Other expenses, on campus$3,328
Other expenses, off campus$3,328

Grants and loans for first-year students, 2022–23

What the college reported for its full-time, first-time students (738 of them) in 2022–23; 90% got some kind of aid, loans included. Each average is over the students who received that kind of aid, not over everyone. It is an older year than the 2025–26 costs above.

Type of aidStudents awardedAverage amount
Any grant or scholarshipFederal, state, local and the college's own84%$8,048
Federal Pell GrantNeed-based, from the federal government41%$5,590
The college's own grants and scholarshipsNeed- or merit-based, funded by the college70%$4,944
Federal student loansBorrowed by the student; repaid with interest. No Parent PLUS or private loans37%$5,135

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release); full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates; public domain.

Admissions & outcomes

Acceptance rate
β€”
Average SAT
β€”
Median ACT
β€”
Students with Pell grants
34%
Graduation rate (6yr)
53%
Freshman retention
68%
Median earnings @ 10yr
$49,774
Median debt at graduation
$18,127
International undergrads
220 (4.5%)

For comparison, the median across all 1,596 four-year colleges on this site: graduation rate 56%, earnings ten years after entering $54,869, debt at graduation $23,250.

Admission policy, test scores and teaching

SAT/ACT policy
Open admission

Admits any student who applies (fall 2024)

Application fee
None

undergraduate, 2023–24

Students per faculty member
15 to 1

undergraduates, fall 2024

Faculty who are full-time
62%

fall 2024

What the college considers in admission decisions, fall 2023

Not reported (open admission).

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release), fall 2023; open admission from IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 (revised); public domain.

Most popular fields of study

Share of bachelor's degrees awarded.

Health & Nursing35%
Business10%
Criminal Justice5%
Kinesiology & Sports Science4%
Psychology4%
Communications & Media3%
Education3%
Visual & Performing Arts3%
Social Sciences2%
Biology & Life Sciences2%

Earnings and debt by field of study

Median annual earnings of graduates who received federal student aid and were working, not studying: one year after completing (graduates of 2020–21 and 2021–22) and four years after (2017–18 and 2018–19), measured in 2022 and 2023 and shown in 2024 dollars. Median debt is federal Direct and Grad PLUS loans borrowed at this college by 2022–23 and 2023–24 graduates; it leaves out Parent PLUS and private loans. β€œNational” is the median for the same field and credential across all US colleges.

Bachelor's degrees (24)

Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing130$75,726$79,109national $88,910$19,437
Communication and Media Studies44$43,755$46,497national $56,359$21,375
Health and Medical Administrative Services39$54,398$66,325national $58,716$25,500
Finance and Financial Management Services33$52,752$76,175national $83,343$17,875
Psychology, General32$42,142$49,251national $50,706$24,875
Security Science and Technology31$40,846$44,534national $57,805$18,000
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other30$43,928β€”national $55,693$24,783
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness29$40,227$57,079national $54,562$23,750
Marketing29$51,154$65,379national $69,303$18,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations24$54,327$68,154national $68,257$22,875
Social Work23$38,268$50,122national $51,790$20,500
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods22$42,893$43,351national $47,382$21,875
Criminal Justice and Corrections22$52,438$53,587national $55,378$27,625
Accounting and Related Services22β€”$66,900national $76,194$21,450
Biology, General18β€”$57,551national $57,214β€”
History17β€”β€”national $50,680$18,000
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions16$74,919$75,787national $70,786$17,586
Computer and Information Sciences, General15$70,524$78,778national $92,374β€”
Political Science and Government13$43,893β€”national $63,293β€”
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas11$47,738$47,948national $51,389$20,500
Fine and Studio Arts11β€”$29,659national $41,367β€”
English Language and Literature, General8β€”$32,760national $48,590β€”
Engineering-Related Fieldsβ€”β€”$80,436national $89,619β€”
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professionsβ€”$41,508$48,327national $52,119$24,991
Associate degrees (4)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities100$35,506$49,129national $44,125$15,135
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions45$59,251$73,676national $65,389$14,667
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services27$46,326$49,652national $42,269$14,500
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other14β€”$66,120national $53,607β€”
Undergraduate certificates (8)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions73$67,987$67,652national $57,584$9,500
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Servicesβ€”$22,789$27,536national $26,307β€”
Industrial Production Technologies/Techniciansβ€”$58,071β€”national $57,294β€”
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Techniciansβ€”β€”$60,991national $62,199β€”
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Techniciansβ€”β€”$44,667national $51,586β€”
Precision Metal Workingβ€”$47,316$38,331national $48,702β€”
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professionsβ€”β€”$50,120national $43,365$25,236
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistantsβ€”$45,177$48,940national $56,073$9,875
Master's degrees (2)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Social Work37$58,577$59,993national $65,123$37,496
Business Administration, Management and Operations29$75,596$97,747national $103,485β€”
First professional degrees (1)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Law96$65,433$83,608national $107,773$73,142
Doctoral degrees (1)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursingβ€”$112,659β€”national $138,131$56,528
Graduate certificates (1)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing32$139,698$143,374national $126,911$30,183

A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured β€” not zero. 83 more programmes at this college have every figure suppressed and are not listed. These figures are calculated for all 2 campuses that share this college's federal student-aid ID, so a branch campus shows its institution's figures.

Contact and accreditation

Address
1700 SW College Avenue, Topeka, KS 66621
Phone
(785) 670-1010
Institutional accreditor
Higher Learning Commission

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts) and IPEDS Fall Enrolment for international student counts. College Scorecard, October 2026 release: net price calculator link, mission flags and religious affiliation (2025–26), enrolment shares, test policy, SAT/ACT ranges and student-to-faculty ratio (fall 2024), cost-of-attendance components (2025–26), and earnings and debt by field of study. IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 for the application fee and the IPEDS 2024 directory for the phone number. IPEDS Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release) for admission requirements and first-time applicants, admits and enrolments (fall 2023). IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release) for grants and loans to full-time, first-time students. All are U.S. Department of Education data in the public domain. Verify current costs and requirements with the school.

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