The preliminary number of full-time equivalent students at Wichita State University decreased by around 200 people since last fall, as university officials report “record-breaking” enrollment.

Last fall, the university measured 11,728 full-time equivalent students, compared to this fall’s 11,530. 

Officials calculate full-time enrollment by dividing the total undergraduate credit hours in a semester by 15. The same method is applied to graduate students but divided by 12.

WSU officials said that the decrease in full-time equivalency is normal for urban research universities, as many WSU students work while obtaining a degree. 

WSU’s total headcount has increased by 152 students. 17,700 students enrolled at WSU’s main campus this semester. Last fall, 17,548 were enrolled. The total headcount is the number of students enrolled in any university course, whether they are traditional full-time students or not.

WSU Tech increased both in terms of full-time enrollment equivalency and overall headcount. Around 500 more students attended WSU Tech this fall compared to last fall. 

When breaking down enrollment numbers, Wichita State saw undergraduate students represent a larger chunk of enrollment than graduate students. 

Last fall, undergraduates represented 78% of WSU’s enrollment; this fall, they represent about 81%. This comes after the university administration warned of looming budget cuts, following decreased graduate student applications earlier this year. 

This is not the first time that the university has oversold enrollment numbers.

Quick undergraduate and graduate enrollment facts (compared to fall 2023):

• 18% of undergraduate students identified as Hispanic, meaning the university continues to qualify as an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution.
• The College of Engineering was one of the only colleges to lose students compared to the previous fall, with 544 fewer students, a 16% decrease.

• The Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences had:
  • 30 more students, a 9.5% increase, in humanities.
  • 20 more students, a 2.9% increase, in natural sciences and math.
  • 77 fewer students, a 4.2% decrease, in social sciences.
  • 393 more students, an 11.8% increase, in all other LAS fields.

• W. Frank Barton School of Business had 175 more students, a 7.3% increase.
• The College of Health Professions had 102 more students, a 5.6% increase.
• The College of Fine Arts had 51 more students, a 4.8% increase.
• The College of Applied Studies had two more students, a 0.1% increase.
• The Honors College and Institute for Interdisciplinary Creativity had one more student, a 4.8% increase.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to more accurately show the difference in full-time equivalent students from 2023 to 2024.