Skyler Marsh, Education Leader | Instagram
Skyler Marsh, Education Leader | Instagram
Of the 10 institutions in the county, three provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Friends University, Wichita State University and Newman University.
At least 11,973 people applied to Sedgwick County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 27,402 students enrolled in the universities, including 22,385 in undergraduate and 5,017 in graduate programs. In total 7.6% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (54%) and Hispanic (17.3%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Wichita State University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 16,216 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crave Beauty Academy | -- | -- | 224 |
| Eric Fisher Academy | -- | -- | 135 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Wichita | -- | -- | 182 |
| Old Town Barber College-Wichita | -- | -- | 76 |
| Friends University | 1,620 | 1,021 | 1,724 |
| Wichita Technical Institute | -- | -- | 907 |
| Newman University | 1,454 | 742 | 2,848 |
| Wichita State University | 8,899 | 8,454 | 16,216 |
| Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology | -- | -- | 5,021 |
| WellSpring School of Allied Health-Wichita | -- | -- | 69 |
Alerts Sign-up