Fall 2025 enrollment was higher than Wichita State administration expected. The reasons for the unexpected rise were due to international student enrollment not being as low as university administrators were planning for, and a focus on retention.

Wichita State’s headcount was at 18,458, which is up from last fall’s 17,700. The 4.3% increase marked another year of breaking the highest headcount enrollment since WSU’s start. 

While full-time eEquivalency at WSU was down by about 200 in Fall 2024 from the previous year, this year it was up 342. Last fall’s FTE enrollment was 14,585, and this fall’s was 14,927. 

WSU and the Kansas Board of Regents, the body that oversees the state’s public higher education institutions, calculate FTE enrollment differently. KBOR’s FTE enrollment this fall was 11,798, which was up from last year’s 11,728. 

WSU Tech’s headcount and FTE — by KBOR’s calculations — went up from last fall. Headcount was 6,689 and FTE was 4,014 for WSU Tech. 

Graduate student enrollment – an ongoing challenge

According to WSU’s student enrollment factbook, undergraduate international enrollment went down by 11.7% — 496 students last fall to 438 this fall. Graduate international students went from 860 last year to 687 this year — a 20.1% drop. 

Muma said that the university has been focusing on recruiting in countries that tend to have less problems with student visas. He mentioned the university being in talks with universities in Mexico to set up exchange programs. 

Muma said that the decline of international students wasn’t as drastic as the university had expected. Tuition rates were increased over the summer partially due to a shortfall last year and because of expected international student enrollment. 

“We did have a decline in international enrollment, but not as much as we were thinking,” Muma said. “Given the changes in policy in Washington, we were thinking that we’d have much more dramatic declines.”

Wichita State is focusing on student retention

Muma said the smaller decline in international enrollment along with high retention rates were prominent reasons for the enrollment increase from last year to this year. 

“We spent this last year really focusing on returning students — retention — and persistence,” Muma said. “And that’s where we received the most of our gains.” 

6,070 of the 18,458 were new students, with 12,388 students — 67% of students — returning. 

WSU is aiming to become a Hispanic Serving Institution, a federal designation which requires an institution having a 25% Hispanic population. This fall, 18.7% of students are Hispanic, which is up from 18.1% last year. 

While U.S. President Donald Trump’s Department of Education cut funding for grants related to Hispanic Serving Institutions, Muma said WSU is “going to continue to work toward” the Hispanic serving status

Muma specified that because WSU hadn’t yet reached Hispanic Serving status, the university won’t lose any money from the federal cuts – it just won’t receive federal grants if it does hit the 25% mark.