Public · University
Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas · Midsize city
- —
- Admit rate
- $15,280
- Avg net price
- 53%
- Graduation rate
- $49,774
- Median earnings
Washburn University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Topeka, Kansas (midsize city setting), enrolling 4,562 undergraduates.
About Topeka, Kansas
Topeka is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. The name "Topeka" is a Kansa-Osage word that means "place where we dig potatoes", or "a good place to dig potatoes". As a placename, Topeka was first recorded in 1826 as the Kansa name for the Kansas River. The Topeka Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1945 and currently performs on the campus of Washburn University. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 60 miles to Kansas City, MO
- To Great Lakes shore
- 468 miles
- Nearest airport
- 52 miles to Manhattan (MHK)
How Washburn University compares
Higher than 46% · #9 of 27 in Kansas
Higher than 26%
Higher than 39% · #20 of 27 in Kansas
Cheaper than 72% · #4 cheapest of 26 in Kansas
Lower than 84%
Lower than 35%
Larger than 76%
Percentiles compare Washburn University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Kansas.
Washburn University campus
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate4,56287%
- Graduate70213%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women2,69759%
- Men1,86541%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White59%
- Black8.7%
- Hispanic16%
- Asian1.1%
- Other or multiracial15%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 4,562
- Graduate enrollment
- 702
- Student–faculty ratio
- 15 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 34%
- First-generation students
- 38%
- Students over 25
- 19%
- Median family income
- $36,446
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $79,344
- Endowment
- $223,942,063
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 942 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Kansas86%
- Other U.S. states9.2%
- International4.6%
Most first-years stay in state — Washburn University draws overwhelmingly from Kansas.
5% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $9,945
- Out-of-state tuition
- $20,949
- Room & board
- $11,501
- Books & supplies
- $807
- Total cost of attendance
- $21,512
- Average net price
- $15,280
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 53%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 28%
- First-year retention
- 68%
- Transferred to another college
- 26%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $42,881
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $49,774
- Median debt at graduation
- $18,127
- Students with federal loans
- 31%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 43%
About 25% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 852
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 19%
- Housing charge (year)
- $6,180
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,579
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association
- Varsity athletes
- 623 (387 men · 236 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.5 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 9
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 18
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (6,033 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$10,758/year × about 4.7 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 70% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,944. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 738 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $49,774
- Typical debt at graduation
- $18,127
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 36%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 63%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $4,895 (10%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 88°F
- Winter low
- 19°F
- Annual rain
- 37.3″
- Annual snow
- 17.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Topeka - Nws, KS US station (4.7 mi from campus).
What Washburn University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Washburn University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Washburn University side by side →
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, Kansas · Distant town · 79 mi to Springfield
- Students
- 4,210
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1050
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $51k
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, Nebraska · Distant town · 126 mi to Lincoln
- Students
- 4,088
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1118
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $50k
Angelo State University
San Angelo, Texas · Small city · 102 mi to Midland
- Students
- 5,643
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1054
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $50k
Delaware State University
Dover, Delaware · Small city · 57 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 4,398
- Admission
- 47%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 940
- GPA
- 2.8
- Earnings
- $49k
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri · Distant town · 51 mi to Kansas City
- Students
- 5,648
- Admission
- 64%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1050
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $50k
Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, Missouri · Remote town · 83 mi to Omaha
- Students
- 4,378
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1119
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $48k
Colleges near Washburn University
Rasmussen University-Kansas
Topeka, KS · Private for-profit · Associate · 359 students
Washburn Institute of Technology
Topeka, KS · Public · Certificate · 615 students
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS · Public · Bachelor's · 21,217 students
WellSpring School of Allied Health-Lawrence
Lawrence, KS · Private for-profit · Associate · 37 students
Haskell Indian Nations University
Lawrence, KS · Public · Associate · 978 students
Baker University
Baldwin City, KS · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,100 students
Ottawa University-Ottawa
Ottawa, KS · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 870 students
University of Saint Mary
Leavenworth, KS · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 925 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













