$49,774
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Washburn University is a public 4-year college in Topeka, Kansas with 4,562 undergraduates and 702 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $15,280 a year (tuition and fees $9,945 in-state, $20,949 out-of-state). 53% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $49,774 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $18,127 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$15,280
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$9,945
Out-of-state $20,949
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
53%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$18,127
About $192 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$49,774
Rank 1,486 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $15,280
- Tuition in-state
- $9,945
- Tuition out-of-state
- $20,949
- Cost of attendance
- $21,512
- Students with a need-based grant
- 34%
- Students with federal loans
- 31%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $20,310
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $9,693
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $10,758
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $13,922
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $15,472
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $6,350 in 2015-16 to $9,945 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 4,562
- Graduate students
- 702
- Part-time students
- 16%
- Women
- 66%
- Students per teacher
- 15
- Completion rate
- 53%
- Retention rate
- 68%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 115
- Endowment
- $223.9M
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,486 of 5,094 US colleges and 24 of 74 in Kansas (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | KS median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $15,280 | $15,296 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,945 | $9,282 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 82% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 53% | 50% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 68% | 67% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $18,127 | $10,500 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $42,881 | $37,685 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $49,774 | $43,969 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 50% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 72% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
115 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 141 | $22,062 | $71,210 | $79,109 | $88,910 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 110 | $16,750 | $39,468 | $49,129 | $44,125 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 92 | $77,330 | $60,606 | $83,608 | $107,773 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 78 | $9,500 | $59,779 | $67,652 | $57,584 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 52 | $35,756 | $53,732 | $59,993 | $65,123 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 46 | $19,616 | $39,932 | $46,497 | $56,359 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 45 | $21,725 | $52,016 | $66,325 | $58,716 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $24,075 | $38,264 | $49,251 | $50,706 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 39 | $18,500 | $55,221 | $73,676 | $65,389 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | $21,136 | $49,500 | $76,175 | $83,343 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 34 | $16,384 | $45,386 | $49,652 | $42,269 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | $23,873 | $37,908 | $50,122 | $51,790 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 32 | $26,200 | $61,868 | $97,747 | $103,485 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $21,500 | $25,679 | $57,079 | $54,562 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 27 | $39,292 | $126,830 | $143,374 | $126,911 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $23,500 | $47,963 | $65,379 | $69,303 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | Withheld | $64,361 | $78,778 | $92,374 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $20,500 | $48,589 | $68,154 | $68,257 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | $18,375 | $40,052 | $53,587 | $55,378 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,693 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $30,974 | $41,632 | $48,327 | $52,119 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $20,349 | $46,519 | $43,351 | $47,382 |
| Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians, OtherAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | $66,120 | $53,607 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $18,622 | $71,318 | $75,787 | $70,786 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Kansas on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Kansas
- Homes: Homes for sale in Kansas
Questions and answers
How much does Washburn University cost?
$15,280 a year is the average net price at Washburn University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,945 for in-state students and $20,949 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $21,512. Families earning under $30,000 pay $20,310 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Washburn University?
Washburn University has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Washburn University graduates earn?
$49,774 a year is the median pay of former Washburn University students who work, 10 years after they started ($42,881 after 6 years). That ranks 1,486 of 5,094 US colleges and 24 of 74 in Kansas. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate certificate) at $126,830.
How much student debt do Washburn University graduates have?
$18,127 is the median federal student loan debt of Washburn University graduates, about $192 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 31% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Washburn University?
53% of first-time, full-time students at Washburn University finish within 6 years. 68% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Washburn University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (141 bachelor's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (110 associate's graduates), Law (92 professional graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 115 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.