Driven by the largest freshman class in university history, combined enrollment by headcount across all Wichita State University locations for fall 2026 is 24,640, according to annual data released today by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Wichita State's main campus enrolled 18,003 students this fall, marking the second-highest enrollment total in its 131-year history. WSU Tech also reported its second-highest fall headcount at 6,637 students, while reaching record credit hours and full-time equivalency (FTE).
Overall, Wichita State's main campus enrollment dropped by 455 students, or 2.5%. While enrollment increased among several domestic student populations, those gains were offset by declines in graduate enrollment, driven in large part by a 23.9% decrease in international students. Graduate enrollment declined 16.2% overall. Additionally, overall student credit-hour production fell 1.5% from 170,521 to 167,899.
“This year's enrollment reflects both the opportunities and challenges facing higher education,” said Wichita State President Rick Muma. “We're proud to welcome the largest first-time-in-college freshman class in our history while continuing to see growth among students from Sedgwick County, our partner states and our dual-credit programs. Those trends show that domestic students and families continue to recognize the value of a Wichita State education and the opportunities available through applied learning, career preparation and student support.”
WSU Tech continued to see strong demand for its workforce-focused programs, setting new records in fall 2026. Student credit hours increased 2.4% to an all-time high of 61,665, resulting in a record FTE enrollment of 4,111. Adult enrollment also reached an all-time high of 3,302 students, reflecting continued demand for career training and credential programs that support Kansas employers and workforce needs.
High school enrollment was impacted by changes to the state’s Excel in CTE program, including new eligibility requirements limiting state-funded participation to juniors and seniors. High school headcount declined by 2.8%. Even with fewer students eligible to participate, high school students generated 24,047 credit hours, the highest total for a fall semester in WSU Tech history.
“At a time when Kansas employers need more skilled workers, not fewer, these numbers reinforce the importance of keeping pathways into technical education accessible to students of every age,” said WSU Tech President Sheree Utash. “Record credit hours, FTE and adult enrollment demonstrate the continued demand for the education and training that connects Kansans to high-demand careers and helps meet the workforce needs of our state.”
Wichita State enrollment highlights
- Wichita State welcomed its largest first-time-in-college freshman class in its history, with an increase of 7.2% from 1,634 in 2025 to 1,752 in 2026.
- The university continues to expand its pipeline of future Shockers through growing dual- and concurrent-credit high school partnership programs. With a total of 1,734 students, high school guest enrollment grew 55.2% year-over-year.
- Enrollment from Sedgwick County reached 8,871 students — a 4.9% increase over 2025.
- First-generation students account for 48% of Wichita State’s undergraduate enrollment.
- Wichita State continues to be the top transfer destination in the state — for 15 years running. Top transfer partners are Butler Community College, WSU Tech, Hutchinson Community College, Cowley Community College and Pratt Community College.
- Enrollment from the Shocker City Partnership and Shocker Select programs — which offer discounted tuition to students from the Midwest — climbed to a record of 1,843 students this fall. There were notable increases among students from Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri and Oklahoma — a direct result of WSU’s tuition discount program that offers varied tuition savings to students in eight other states.
- Hispanic students account for nearly 21% of Wichita State’s undergraduate, full-time, degree-seeking enrollment, up 1.6% from 2025.
WSU Tech enrollment highlights
- WSU Tech reached record levels in both credit hours and full-time equivalent enrollment in fall 2026. Student credit hours increased 2.4% to 61,665, resulting in a record FTE of 4,111. Both are the highest totals for any semester in WSU Tech history.
- Adult enrollment reached an all-time high with 3,302 students, an increase of 1.4%. Adult students generated a record 37,618 credit hours, up 3.6% from fall 2025.
- Kansas Promise Scholarship participation continues to provide significant support for WSU Tech students. For FY27, 445 students have been awarded more than $2.27 million through the program, including approximately $1.36 million allocated for fall 2026.
- High school credit hours reached a fall record of 24,047, even as Excel in CTE eligibility changes contributed to a 2.8% decline in high school headcount.
- WSU Tech continues to see growth in programs aligned with high-demand workforce needs. Enrollment increased by 55 students in aviation, 79 students in manufacturing, 37 students in nursing and 59 students in general education.
- WSU Tech served students from 77 Kansas high schools this fall, with Wichita Public Schools accounting for the highest participation, followed by Valley Center, Derby, Andale and homeschool students.
- FutureReady Centers enrolled 375 students across Wichita Public Schools. Enrollment was down 8.1% from fall 2025, with the decline influenced by the Excel in CTE changes that eliminated state funding for sophomores.
- WSU Tech’s partnership with the Southeast Kansas Career and Technical Education Center continued to expand instructional activity, generating 1,259 credit hours in fall 2026, an increase of 13.6% from the previous year.
See the Kansas Board of Regents announcement
About Wichita State University
Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 24,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (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 National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry- and defense-funded engineering R&D and No. 9 overall for engineering R&D.
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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