I am not going to tell you whether Midwestern State University is the right university for your child. No one who does not know you can tell you that. But I can help you understand what this university really is, using the numbers that the United States government itself collects from it each year. That understanding is one piece of the map. It is not the whole map. But without it, you are driving blind.
Who this university is and where it is located
Midwestern State University is in Wichita Falls, Texas, within Wichita County, in that city’s metropolitan area. It is a public four-year institution, and the federal government records the doctorate as the highest level it reports offering, although that does not indicate which credential each specific program offers or whether the field your child is interested in reaches that level. If your child is interested in a path that connects undergraduate and graduate study, ask about it directly at the program level: the general label does not answer that question.
The system that classifies colleges and universities in the United States, known as Carnegie, describes it as a medium-sized, primarily residential master’s university with larger programs: during the period used for that classification, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduates lived in institution-owned housing. It also appears, in a different and more recent profile, among institutions that receive many transfer students. If your child plans to come here after studying somewhere else, this matters: ask in writing, ahead of time, which courses will be accepted and which will not. The label says that many transfer students arrive; it does not say how many credits they bring or how many are lost along the way.
One clarification is worth making right away: Midwestern State University has none of three special designations that other universities in this country do have—it is not a historically Black university, a tribal university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations. The fact that Midwestern State does not have them says nothing about which communities it serves or how your child would feel there. Find that out by talking with the school and looking into which cultural centers and student organizations exist today.
And if your child is considering living at home while attending: drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
The size of this community and who makes it up
In the most recent official count, Midwestern State had an enrollment of 5,573 students. It is neither a small school nor a huge one: it falls in the band between 5,000 and 9,999, right in the middle of the ranking compared with similar selective public universities. Of that total, 4,508 were undergraduates and 1,065 were graduate students. Above all, it is an undergraduate institution.
Here is something worth knowing right away: 26 out of every 100 undergraduates were reported as Hispanic or Latino. One in four, or more. Compared with the other 519 selective public four-year schools reporting this information, Midwestern State ranks in the top quarter. Being Latino on this campus would not be the exception.
But I want to be honest with you about what that number does and does not say. A high percentage of Latino students is not the same as support for Latino students. The figure counts how many there are; it does not say whether there is a Spanish-speaking counselor, whether targeted tutoring is available, or whether those students complete their degrees at the same rate as everyone else. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific field your child is interested in. Counting students is not the same as serving them.
Two other facts about the community: 22 out of every 100 undergraduates are between 25 and 64 years old, so this is not a campus where everyone is 18 and fresh out of high school. And there are more women than men—63 out of every 100 students are women.
One practical detail you should not overlook: with so many part-time students in the mix, do not assume there is a typical college schedule. Ask what times courses are offered in the exact field your child is interested in.
How the academic year works and what the university recognizes from prior learning
The year at Midwestern State is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. That means consistent dates for everyone, without the surprises of an irregular calendar.
The institution stated that it accepts credit from AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls credit for life experiences: learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses, or military or professional opportunities. It also reports accepting credit for military training and enrolling high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is the hard truth behind that good news: stating that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam or that the credit will count toward the field your child wants to study. We do not know what scores are required or how many credits are awarded. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 1,165 bachelor’s degrees across 21 program families. By far, the family with the most degrees was health professions: 453 of the 1,165, or 39 out of every 100. Its offerings are broad in name—21 families—but visibly concentrated in outcomes. If your child’s field is not health, that does not rule it out; it simply means you need to verify the program of interest directly, because one program family may group several options together and one row may report zero degrees for that year.
As for the student-to-faculty ratio, the university reports 16 students for each full-time-equivalent faculty member, a middle-of-the-range figure compared with similar schools. It is neither among the lowest nor among the highest, and by itself it does not tell you the actual size of first-year classes. IPEDS does not report that information.
The institution also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research, and several paths related to teacher certification, including state approval of the program for initial certification. If your child is interested in any of these, ask directly about the details of the current program.
Getting in: how selective it is and what it requires
Let us start with the number that probably interests you most. In the most recently reported cycle, Midwestern State received 5,824 first-time applications and offered admission to 5,089 applicants. That is 87 out of every 100. It is a university that does admit the great majority of applicants, ranking around the middle—a little above the midpoint—among similar selective public schools.
Even so, 735 applicants did not receive an offer. A high likelihood of admission does not make what comes next easy: the application must be submitted in full and by the deadline, and that figure of 87 out of every 100 says nothing about how much it will cost, how many students finish, or whether the specific field your child wants has its own screening process within the university.
The university does not have open admissions; it reviews certain items before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks three as required: the high school record, the high school GPA, and an English proficiency exam for those to whom it applies. The essay and letters of recommendation are marked as not considered in the admissions decision. SAT and ACT scores are also not considered in the admissions decision, although that designation does not cover scholarships or placement—ask about those separately.
There is one factor the university does consider that your child cannot change: whether a family member attended. If that does not apply to you, do not spend energy on it. Put that energy toward what your child can control: the academic record and GPA.
The published application fee is $40.
Now, one number deserves your full attention because it often surprises families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 16 ultimately enrolled. The remaining 84, despite having an offer of admission in hand, decided not to attend. Compared with similar schools, that is a low figure—a larger share of admitted students enroll at seven out of ten comparable schools.
Do not read that as a stain on the university. The federal record does not say why each person made that choice, and what others decided does not tell you what the university will offer your child. What matters is this: wait for the letter showing the net price—what the year would actually cost—before deciding whether this school stays on or comes off the list.
As for students who transfer from another university: in the most recent count, 397 undergraduates entered here for the first time after studying at another institution. That is a count of people, not a proportion, and it places Midwestern State in the lower half compared with similar schools—although this goes hand in hand with the school’s size and does not necessarily reflect how open it is to transfers. How many credits are accepted from incoming transfer students is a separate question, and one to ask the school directly.
The sticker price and what students actually pay
At Midwestern State University, among 226 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $9,575. Among 88 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $11,235; among 67 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $18,593. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (226 students) and that of the highest-income band (67 students) is $9,018. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $11,798.
The advertised price is not the same as the price paid. Here, for low-income students, the average net price was $9,575 in the 2022-23 academic year.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
The aid students receive and the debt they take on
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Midwestern State, 89 received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. That percentage places the university in the top quarter compared with similar schools. Among those who received some aid, the average for the year was $8,530. Remember: the percentage and the average should not be multiplied by each other because they do not share the same reference group. One indicates how many received something; the other indicates how much those who did receive it were awarded.
44 out of every 100 students received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for low-income families.
Now the other side: 42 out of every 100 undergraduates took out federal student loans that school year. More than two in ten, but less than half. Those who borrowed took out an average of $6,451 that year. That average covers a single year and only federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include loans taken out by parents, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduation; that would require adding together all the years, and that number is not in this report.
This loan percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would have to borrow comes from your child’s own financial aid letter. Wait until you have that letter in hand before ruling out the school and before committing to it. When it arrives, separate it into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters combine them in a single column, and that is where families become confused.
The university also reports formal payment mechanisms: a guaranteed tuition plan, an installment payment plan, and participation in a Promise program. It is worth asking about the details of each one.
Housing, military training, athletics, and campus life
Midwestern State has its own housing and does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week under the largest plan. Its reported maximum housing capacity is 1,536 students. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available for your child: ask in writing for the annual rate, the application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or your child will be placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC, the university indicated that an opportunity is available, with Air Force as the only branch confirmed in writing. Army and Navy are not marked. Not confirmed does not mean impossible—it means you need to ask directly if your child is interested in another branch.
In athletics, the university competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, and cross-country or track and field. That does not say which division each sport competes in or whether it offers athletic scholarships. The membership belongs to the school, not to your child: if your child is interested, contact the coach directly and request a written response.
The university offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduates, 21 took their entire course load online, while the other 79 took at least one class in person. It also reports at least one program in which all required courses can be completed through distance education, although the exact level and field must be confirmed.
The library operates with paid staff, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary lending. Its annual spending exceeds the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government—that is only a floor, not a guarantee that databases specific to your child’s field are available. Ask about that by the name of the field.
Finally, the university reports combined academic and career counseling services, employment for current students, job placement for graduates, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military service members, and a services page for people with disabilities.
How many stay and how many finish
Here we reach the numbers that carry the most weight when you are deciding whether to entrust four years of life and a significant amount of money to a university.
In the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, there were 773 students. One year later, 63 out of every 100 were still enrolled here or had already completed their degrees. Compared with similar selective public schools, this university ranks among those retaining the smallest share of their entering cohort: nine out of ten comparable schools retained a larger proportion.
That means 286 people from that cohort did not meet the retention criterion. The data do not say what happened to them—whether they transferred, paused their studies, started working, or left for any other reason. Not appearing as retained does not justify concluding that someone gave up.
Regarding graduation: of the 814 first-time, full-time students who entered bachelor’s-degree programs in 2017, 336 had earned a degree from this school six years later. That is 41 out of every 100. At four years—the time frame most families build into their budgets—the figure is only 23 out of every 100, eighteen points lower. Compared with similar schools, Midwestern State ranks in the bottom quarter: three out of four comparable schools graduate a larger proportion.
Put plainly: after six years, it is nearly an even split between those who have a degree from here and those who do not. The report counts outcomes; it does not explain the reasons for each individual case. Before deciding, ask directly what specific support the university offers to help students finish on time and how long the field your child is interested in typically takes to complete—because every additional semester carries a cost that does not appear in the sticker price.
There is one final angle, using a longer window: from a cohort of 1,799 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including first-time students and those who already had prior postsecondary experience—56 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school eight years later. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 50 out of every 100, nine points below the figure for those who did not receive one. Compared with similar schools, this proportion also ranks below the comparison group’s midpoint.
A family’s eligibility for Pell today does not determine the outcome for that family’s own child. But if your family would qualify, it is worth asking directly what specifically is available for those students at this university: whether they are assigned a counselor, whether emergency aid is available, and whether institutional aid is renewed each year. Ask for the answers in writing.
What you now know, and what remains yours to decide
None of these numbers makes the decision for you. It is up to your child to decide what to study, visit if possible, talk with current students, and see whether the place feels right. It is up to you to handle the money, the deadlines, the letters that must be read carefully, and the questions that must be asked in writing before signing anything. Neither of you has to figure it out alone.
This piece is part of the map, not the complete map. Combine it with what your child wants to study, what your child has built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A plan that truly works for your family comes from that combination, not from any single number.
Note on the source: the information in this article comes from data that Midwestern State University reported to the United States government through IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the Department of Education, in various reporting cycles between 2019 and 2023-24, as indicated in the text. Best College Aid does not represent Midwestern State University or any agency of the federal government.