Wright State University
Wright State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Wright State University Featured Rankings
About Wright State University
According to Wikipedia, Wright State University is a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio. Originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State University, it became an independent institution in 1967 and was named in honor of aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright, who were residents of nearby Dayton. The university offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees and is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". Its athletic teams, the Wright State Raiders, compete in Division I of the NCAA as members of the Horizon League. In addition to the main campus, the university also operates a regional campus near Celina, Ohio, called Wright State University–Lake Campus.
Wright State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,894 | 96% | 68% | 42% | 1071 | 21 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2023; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Wright State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $12,268 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $10,538 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,578 |
| 48K - 75K | $10,814 |
| 75K - 110K | $16,791 |
| 110K+ | $20,501 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Wright State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Wright State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $53,497 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Wright State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 11,442 | 8,116 | 3,326 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Wright State University?
Wright State University is located at 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435-0001.
How Safe is Wright State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Wright State University has a violent crime rate of 0.08% and a property crime rate of 0.07%. Dayton has a violent crime rate of 1.35% and a property crime rate of 4.39%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Wright State University Known For?
Wright State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Anthropology
- Engineering
- History
- Education
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Political Science
- Business
- Psychology
- Literature
- Economics
- Earth Sciences
- Communications
- Nursing
- Social Work
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Law
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Religious Studies
Wright State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Wright State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Wright State University ranks #174 in the U.S. and #647 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWright State University ranks #197 in the U.S. and #341 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWright State University ranks #230 in the U.S. and #814 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWright State University ranks #235 in the U.S. and #726 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWright State University ranks #243 in the U.S. and #1354 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWright State University ranks #306 in the U.S. and #858 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWright State University ranks #343 in the U.S. and #1466 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWright State University ranks #344 in the U.S. and #1391 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWright State University ranks #372 in the U.S. and #1518 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWright State University ranks #373 in the U.S. and #1489 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWright State University ranks #389 in the U.S. and #1381 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWright State University ranks #395 in the U.S. and #989 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWright State University ranks #398 in the U.S. and #1187 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWright State University ranks #419 in the U.S. and #2543 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWright State University ranks #420 in the U.S. and #1748 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWright State University ranks #470 in the U.S. and #1723 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWright State University ranks #482 in the U.S. and #1280 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWright State University ranks #569 in the U.S. and #1387 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWright State University ranks #571 in the U.S. and #2711 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWright State University ranks #579 in the U.S. and #2548 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWright State University ranks #723 in the U.S. and #2521 worldwide for influence in Law.
Wright State University ranks #891 in the U.S. and #2965 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWright State University ranks #991 in the U.S. and #3286 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWright State University ranks #1689 in the U.S. and #7670 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are Wright State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Wright State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Computer Science, and Anthropology. Here are some of Wright State University's most famous alumni:
- Siva S. Banda
- An American aerospace engineer.
- David Albright
- A Nuclear non-proliferation expert.
- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- A Novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist.
- Anthony Shaffer
- A United States Army officer.
- Mike Gallagher
- An American media personality, political commentator, and author.
- Carlos Peña
- A Dominican baseball player.
- David S. Brown
- An American historian.
- Jacquelyn Campbell
- A Nurse and advocate for victims of violence.
- Kiril Merdzhanski
- A Bulgarian writer and historian.
- Robert Pollard
- An American singer and songwriter.
- Thais Russomano
- A Brazilian medical researcher.
- Brian Anderson
- An American baseball player.
Who Are Wright State University's Most Influential Faculty?
Wright State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Computer Science, and Anthropology. Here are some of Wright State University's most famous faculty:
