2025 Annual Report: Student-Centeredness and Campus Culture

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

* 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.

Stories

• Shocker Success Center's convenience makes life as a Shocker easier
• Wichita State students earn record $39.2 million in paid internships, fueling Kansas' talent pipeline
• Enrollment surges to historic high at Wichita State with more than 25,000 students
• One class shy of graduating, former student returns to finish what she started
• Wichita State announces refined set of university values
• Wichita State Cricket Club makes history with back-to-back championships
• Suspenders4Hope Mental Health Advocate highlight: School of Music
• Meet a Shocker: Spring 2025 Graduates
• Meet a Shocker: Fall 2025 Graduates
• Student-athletes grow into leadership roles as Shocker bowlers