10-yr median earnings
$49,774
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Topeka, Kansas
Washburn University
Washburn University is a public institution in Topeka, Kansas. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $15,280
- Avg net price / yr
- $49,774
- 10-yr median earnings
- 52.8%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Washburn University posts above-median former-student earnings.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 29%
- former-student earnings, US
- 52.8%
- 150%-time completion
- +16%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize
Carnegie: Master's (M)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Washburn University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C-
College Value Score
52/100
Washburn University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B-
$49,774
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C
$15,280
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
52.8%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$18,127
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C+
66.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
68.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$15,280
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
52.8%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 52.8%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Washburn University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Washburn University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Washburn University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$49,774 Top 29% higher than 71% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Washburn University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $49,774 | #1487 of 5103 | 71st |
| Average net price | $15,280 | #2147 of 5020 | 57th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 52.8% | #2758 of 4858 | 43rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,562 | #801 of 5462 | 85th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
4,562
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
52.8%
150%-time completion
$49,774
10-yr median earnings
68.0%
First-year retention
How Washburn University ranks in Kansas
State rank among 74 reporting Kansas colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Washburn University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $49,774 | #25 of 74 | 66th |
| Average net price | $15,280 | #36 of 72 | 50th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 52.8% | #28 of 69 | 59th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,562 | #7 of 74 | 91st |
Highest former-student earnings in Kansas
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baker University | $63,855 | $25,301 |
| 2 | Baker University School of Nursing | $63,855 | - |
| 3 | MidAmerica Nazarene University | $62,972 | $32,165 |
| 4 | University of Kansas | $61,945 | $18,059 |
| 5 | Galen Health Institutes-Wichita | $61,480 | $29,785 |
| 6 | University of Saint Mary | $59,483 | $22,519 |
| 7 | Kansas State University | $57,262 | $19,406 |
| 8 | Southwestern College | $55,646 | $29,824 |
| 9 | Ottawa University-Ottawa | $55,552 | $27,963 |
| 10 | Ottawa University-Online | $55,552 | - |
| 11 | Ottawa University-Kansas City | $55,552 | - |
| 12 | Newman University | $55,041 | $19,971 |
| 24 | Washburn UniversityThis school | $49,774 | $15,280 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Washburn University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$20,310 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$9,693 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$10,758 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$15,472 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Washburn University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $9,945 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $20,949 |
| Average Net Price | $15,280 |
33.6%
Pell Grant Rate
31.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$18,127
Median Debt
$192/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Washburn University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $11,153 to $14,481 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +16.3%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$11,153
Highest year
$14,481
Most recent (2023)
$13,046
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $11,2152023 · $13,046
Over the same years, enrollment went -23.1% (5,320 → 4,093 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
59.1%
Female
37.8%
First Generation
Outcomes
68.0%
Retention Rate
$42,881
Median Earnings (6yr)
67.4%
Earning Over $25K
66.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 52.8% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 68.0% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $42,881 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $49,774 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 67.4% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 66.1% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $18,127 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $192/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 23 | 701 | $57,986 | $80,436 | $21,721 |
| Certificate | 10 | 75 | $48,320 | $67,652 | $10,895 |
| Master's | 6 | 94 | $78,870 | $97,747 | $34,319 |
| Associate's | 4 | 201 | $59,644 | $73,676 | $17,211 |
| Graduate Certificate | 1 | 42 | $143,374 | $143,374 | $39,292 |
| First Professional | 1 | 114 | $83,608 | $83,608 | $77,330 |
| Doctoral | 1 | 0 | - | - | $60,268 |
Top programs at Washburn University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$143,374 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$97,747 median earnings
- Law
Law
$83,608 median earnings
- Engineering-Related Fields
Engineering-Related Fields
$80,436 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$79,109 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$78,778 median earnings
- Finance and Financial Mana…
Finance and Financial Management Services
$76,175 median earnings
- Allied Health Diagnostic, …
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
$75,787 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Nearby Schools
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, VA
$15,282 net price · $2 apart
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI
$15,273 net price · $7 apart
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN
$15,291 net price · $11 apart
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Pulaski
Pulaski, TN
$15,269 net price · $11 apart
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the admissions statistics for Washburn University? ▼
Washburn University is a public institution in Topeka, Kansas. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,562 students.
How much do Washburn University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Washburn University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $49,774 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $42,881.
How much does Washburn University cost? ▼
The average net price at Washburn University is $15,280. In-state tuition is $9,945 and out-of-state tuition is $20,949. Median student debt at graduation is $18,127.
What is the graduation rate at Washburn University? ▼
Washburn University has a 52.8% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 68.0%.
Is Washburn University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Washburn University is $18,127, while former students earn a median of $49,774 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 36% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 66.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $192.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Washburn University
- Compare Washburn University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Kansas side by side.Browse Kansas
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.