Washburn University

Washburn University maintains open admissions standards that make it broadly accessible to prospective students. In 2013, the university accepted 95.7% of male applicants and 95.4% of female applicants, enrolling 876 incoming students. These figures reflect an entry process that admits nearly every qualified applicant rather than filtering through competitive screening. In national standing, the institution was placed at 293 in 2020 and 299 in 2022 in the U.S. News & World Report national university rankings. For the 2027 ranking edition, the university does not hold a published rank on the national list. For applicants evaluating admission difficulty, Washburn does not present significant academic barriers to entry, making it an inviting option for students seeking straightforward qualification pathways. However, because the university historically placed near the lower end of national lists before losing its published rank, families should weigh the lack of national prestige against the benefit of reliable admission.

Academic degrees at Washburn University are concentrated in professional and healthcare fields. Bachelor's awards show substantial focus, with the top three majors accounting for 30.9% of all undergraduate degrees awarded in 2025. Registered Nursing is the institution's largest undergraduate major, producing 127 graduates that year, followed by healthcare administration and general multidisciplinary studies. The school's undergraduate programs are unranked, meaning its largest majors do not carry national rank credentials. Instead, national recognition appears primarily at the graduate level, where the law school earned notable positions in the 2026 U.S. News specialty rankings, including 22nd in Legal Writing and 66th in Trial Advocacy. In terms of early-career compensation, healthcare programs lead student earnings. According to 2023 earnings data, graduates in Registered Nursing and related clinical nursing fields achieved median first-year earnings of $75,726, leading all tracked undergraduate fields. For prospective students, Washburn provides practical vocational training in health and public service disciplines, though national academic recognition is largely confined to its law curriculum.

Washburn University's student body is predominantly female, with women comprising nearly two-thirds of total campus enrollment. White students form the largest demographic across every academic division, followed by Hispanic and African American students. Both international and Asian students make up small segments of the campus community. In the 2025 freshman cohort, international students numbered 60, representing 5% of entering first-year students. Asian students accounted for 6 first-time freshmen, or 0.5% of the class. Similar proportional patterns appear among continuing undergraduates, transfer enrollees, and graduate departments, where domestic representation remains high. For families considering student life and campus composition, these enrollment figures demonstrate that the university serves an educational community drawn primarily from regional and domestic backgrounds, where Asian and international students constitute relatively compact student groups.

Undergraduate enrollment at Washburn University is primarily composed of traditional-age college students, though non-traditional learners also form a noticeable segment. Among the 5,331 undergraduates enrolled in 2025, students aged 18 to 19 made up 30.6% of the population, while those aged 20 to 21 accounted for 23.1%. The graduate division of 702 students reflects a blend of early-career and returning adult students. Individuals aged 22 to 24 represented the largest graduate segment at 35.3%, followed by students aged 25 to 29. This age profile creates a dual campus dynamic where undergraduate student life centers on early adulthood, while graduate classrooms bring together recent college graduates and working professionals balancing career advancement.

International student representation at Washburn University displays divergent trajectories between undergraduate and graduate divisions. At the undergraduate level, international participation has trended upward over the past decade, reaching an enrollment share of 5% in 2025. This proportion is higher than 80% of peer institutions in the all public comprehensive universities group. In contrast, graduate international enrollment experienced a long-term decline, dropping to an international share of 3.6% in 2025. Among graduating students, international degree earners are concentrated within a few specific academic areas. At the master's level, international representation is most pronounced in Business Administration and Management, General, where international students constituted 11.8% of degree recipients, while other leading master's disciplines like social work had no international graduates. At the bachelor's level, international graduates were similarly dispersed in small shares, with slightly higher concentrations in sports and physical education programs than in nursing. Prospective international applicants will find established undergraduate participation, while graduate programs remain predominantly domestic.

Applicants considering Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, can explore several other comprehensive public institutions located within driving distance. The University of Kansas is located 25 kilometers away in Lawrence and held a rank of 148 among National Universities for 2027. Kansas State University, positioned 48.3 kilometers away in Manhattan, was ranked 156 on the same list. Across the state line, the University of Missouri-Kansas City sits 60.1 kilometers from Topeka with a national ranking of 250. Further south in Kansas, Wichita State University is located 125.2 kilometers away, holding a national rank of 288.

Campus safety reports for Washburn University indicate a downward trend in reported offenses in recent years. In 2025, the university registered a crime rate per 1,000 students of 4.1, reflecting a decline from earlier historical levels. Safety records covering the three-year period from 2023 to 2025 show that campus incidents are primarily driven by substance policy enforcement rather than violent crime. Disciplinary referrals for liquor violations represented the largest single category across those years, totaling 89 incidents. Drug arrests followed as the second most frequent occurrence, with 49 incidents logged during the same timeframe. Property offenses and violent confrontations, including burglary, vehicle theft, and assault, occurred far less frequently across campus grounds. For families and prospective enrollees reviewing the campus environment, these records show that official safety concerns center primarily around university alcohol and drug violations rather than widespread interpersonal crime.