Quad

Head-to-head

Central Washington
Wichita State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Central Washington grads earn $10K more ten years out than Wichita State's ($61,580 vs. $51,532)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Central Washington graduates 9 pts more of its students than Wichita State (62% vs. 53%)

    Graduation rate
  3. 3

    Wichita State is a bit larger (10,780 vs. 7,833)

    Undergrads
  4. 4

    Central Washington has 4 pts more first-gen students than Wichita State (40% vs. 36%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Wichita State is more diverse (index 0.66 vs. 0.63)

    Diversity index
  6. 6

    Wichita State has 2 pts more Pell recipients than Central Washington (31% vs. 28%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Central Washington admits 91%, Wichita State 94%; both have the same yield, 20%.

Acceptance rate
Central Washington91%
Wichita State94%
Quad's selectivity
  • Central WashingtonOpen
  • Wichita StateOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
Central WashingtonTest-blind
Wichita State
905–1240
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Central WashingtonGPA and rank required
  • Wichita StateGPA, school record, and rank required

Who's on each campus

Wichita State is a bit larger than Central Washington (10,780 vs. 7,833 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Central Washington7.8K
Wichita State10.8K
Pell Grant share
Central Washington28%
Wichita State31%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at Central Washington, and Elementary Education and Teaching at Wichita State.

Students per faculty member
Central Washington15 to 1
Wichita State19 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Central WashingtonBusiness Administration and Management, General12%
  • Wichita StateElementary Education and Teaching10%

What each costs

Wichita State costs about $1.1K less a year than Central Washington on average; grants cover the same share of the price at both, 24%.

Average cost, all students
Central Washington$24.2K
Wichita State$23.1K
Aid generosity
Central Washington24%
Wichita State24%

What each pays off

Central Washington's former students earn more, a median $61.6K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Central Washington$61.6K
Wichita State$51.5K
Graduation rate
Central Washington62%
Wichita State53%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; Central Washington got less selective while Wichita State held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Central WashingtonGrowing+116%
  • Wichita StateGrowing+120%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why