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Friends University
Wichita, KSprivate nonprofitwww.friends.edu/
Acceptance
55%
SAT 25–75
960–1090
Avg net price
$27,715
Earnings (10 yr)
$52,113
Graduation rate
43%
Admit rate has ranged 46%–63% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Friends University, a private Christian institution in Wichita, Kansas, blends a liberal arts foundation with career-focused programs in business, sciences, and fine arts. With a 55-60% acceptance rate and a tight-knit campus culture centered around the Casado Campus Center, it offers a personalized education where 98% of students receive financial aid. While graduation rates hover around 50%, alumni earn median salaries of $43,917—a practical choice for students seeking affordability and hands-on learning in the Midwest.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
- High school transcript
- Grade point average
- TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
- Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
- Undergrad enrollment
- 1,048
- In-state tuition
- $34,192
- Out-of-state tuition
- $34,192
- Location
- Wichita, KS
- Acceptance Rate
- 55-60%
- Most Popular Major
- Business
- Student-Faculty Ratio
- 14:1
- 6-Year Graduation Rate
- 43-61%
- Freshman Retention Rate
- 65%
- Avg Financial Aid Package
- $16,493
- Median Early-Career Earnings
- $43,917
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $52,113
- Value (earnings ÷ net price)
- 1.9×
- Median debt at graduation
- $25,000
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- First-year retention
- 65%
- Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
- 52%
- Pell (lower-income) share
- 60%
- First-generation share
- 36%
- Endowment / student
- $60,088
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
- Information Science/Studies$63,005
- Accounting and Related Services$50,231
- Business Administration, Management and Operations$43,899
- Human Resources Management and Services$38,289
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$36,992
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Campus & location
Campus safety
- On-campus violent crimes (2024)
- 0
- Per 1,000 students
- 0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
- Pleasant days / yr
- 73
- Summer high
- 89°F
- Winter low
- 27°F
- Annual rain
- 34"
- Annual snow
- 11.2"
- Natural-hazard risk
- Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility
Research output
- Institutional h-index
- 22
- Scholarly works
- 239
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
- Mobility rate
- 1.0%
- Bottom → top quintile
- 15%
- From bottom quintile
- 7%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
- What is the acceptance rate at Friends University?
- Friends University's acceptance rate is approximately 55% (Wichita, KS), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
- What SAT score do you need for Friends University?
- Admitted students at Friends University typically score 960–1090 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
- How much does Friends University cost?
- At Friends University, the average net price (after aid) is about $27,715 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
- How many undergraduates attend Friends University?
- Friends University enrolls approximately 1,048 undergraduate students.
- Where is Friends University located?
- Friends University is located in Wichita, KS.
Admissions
Friends University maintains a moderately selective admissions process, accepting 55-60% of applicants—making it accessible yet discerning. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 935-1125 on the SAT (Critical Reading: 430-490, Math: 420-520) or an ACT composite of 18 or higher. Minimum requirements include a 2.75 high school GPA, though the average admitted student likely exceeds this. Notably, the university emphasizes Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone., with no strict test score cutoffs for applicants meeting GPA benchmarks.
Academics
With 50+ majors—including standout programs in Business (the most popular major), Zoology/Entomology, and Christian Ministry—Friends balances career preparation with liberal arts rigor. The fosters close mentorship, though freshman retention rates lag at . Unique offerings like and family living internships highlight its applied learning focus. The curriculum integrates service learning and global perspectives, but STEM options are limited compared to its robust business and arts offerings.
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