| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public technical college affiliated with Wichita State University and governed under the Kansas Board of Regents; campus-based |
| Campuses | 4 campuses in Wichita, KS: the National Center for Aviation Training (main campus), WSU Tech South, City Center and NICHE; plus a partner site in Pittsburg, KS (Southeast Kansas CTEC) that also teaches adults |
| Credentials | Associate of Applied Science (AAS), technical certificates and certificates of completion; the Shocker Pathway transfer associate degree with Wichita State |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission (member since 2008); ACEN, CAAHEP, AVMA and ASE Education Foundation for individual programs; FAA-approved aviation maintenance curriculum |
| Federal aid | Yes; Kansas Promise Scholarship on most programs |
| 2026-27 tuition | $139 to $391 per credit hour, depending on the program; no separate out-of-state rate published |
| Students | 6,637 in fall 2026; record 6,689 in fall 2025 |
| Founded | 1965; Wichita Area Technical College until it became WSU Tech in 2018 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
WSU Tech: Wichita State’s public technical college
WSU Tech is the brand name of the Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, a public technical college governed under the Kansas Board of Regents. It began in 1965, became Wichita Area Technical College in 1995 with authority to award AAS degrees, and took its current name when its affiliation with Wichita State took effect on 1 July 2018.
Its main campus, the National Center for Aviation Training, opened in 2010 next to Jabara Airport and holds all of the college’s aviation programs, including an FAA-approved aviation maintenance curriculum. Healthcare, business and IT are taught at WSU Tech South, vehicle and building trades at City Center, and culinary arts at NICHE downtown. Fall 2026 headcount was 6,637, which Wichita State called WSU Tech’s second-highest fall headcount, after a record 6,689 in fall 2025; adults made up 3,302 of the fall 2026 total.
Programs at WSU Tech, and where they are taught
WSU Tech awards the AAS, technical certificates (often in Cert A, B or C stages) and shorter certificates of completion. The table shows the main career programs with the total program cost from the 2026-27 catalog, which excludes online fees, books and tools and assumes the lowest-cost combination of electives.
| Program | Credential | Campus | Accreditation or exam | 2026-27 catalog total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nurse (A.D.N.) | AAS; LPN-to-ADN bridge | WSU Tech South | ACEN (initial, 2025); NCLEX-RN | $19,401 (bridge $19,042) |
| Practical Nursing | Technical certificate | WSU Tech South | Kansas State Board of Nursing approved; NCLEX-PN | $14,147 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS | WSU Tech South | CAAHEP; Certified Surgical Technologist exam | $15,098 |
| Veterinary Nursing | AAS | WSU Tech South | AVMA, as the college states it; VTNE | $23,323 |
| Emergency Medical Services | Technical certificate; EMT certificate of completion | WSU Tech South | EMT-Basic (not paramedic) | $5,054 |
| Aviation Maintenance Technology | AAS; Airframe, Powerplant and General certificates; accelerated certificates | NCAT | FAA-approved; FAA airframe and powerplant exams | $33,680 (AAS) |
| Welding Technology | AAS; Level 1 and Level 2 certificates | NCAT and City Center | American Welding qualification tests; OSHA 10 | $18,405 |
| Machining Technology | AAS, certificate; CNC Operator and Multi-Axis certificates also listed | NCAT (Machining AAS) | – | $14,450 |
| Manufacturing Technology | AAS, certificates | NCAT | – | $14,648 |
| Automotive Technology | AAS, certificate | City Center | ASE Education Foundation accredited | $14,628 |
| Climate & Energy Control (HVAC) | AAS, Cert B and Cert C; HVAC Automation AAS | City Center | EPA practices taught | $14,902 (Automation $15,914) |
| Construction Technology (carpentry) | AAS, Level 1 and Level 3 certificates, Apprenticeship AAS | City Center | – | $14,411 (Apprenticeship $2,500) |
| Culinary Arts | AAS, certificate | NICHE (one college page says WSU Tech South) | – | $18,703 |
| Logistics and Supply Chain Management | AAS, certificate | WSU Tech South | – | $11,700 |
Other programs include avionics, composites, aerospace coating and paint, nondestructive testing, professional pilot and unmanned aircraft systems at NCAT; robotics and architectural and engineering design; electrical technology, electric power distribution, masonry, heavy equipment operation and mobile equipment technology; and business, accounting, digital marketing, IT, interior design and criminal justice at WSU Tech South.
There is no paramedic program (Emergency Medical Services trains EMTs only), no sonography program and no medical assistant program. The Radiography certificate in the aviation group is industrial nondestructive testing, not medical X-ray work.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree Nurse and the LPN bridge
The ADN is an AAS that the college says typically takes two years, with clinical rotations in inpatient and outpatient settings, and it prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN. ACEN granted it initial accreditation at its April 2025 meeting, with no stipulations, backdated to 1 November 2023; the next site visit is in fall 2029. Licensed practical nurses can take the LPN-to-ADN bridge instead, which requires an active, unencumbered Kansas LPN license, IV therapy certification, and Pathophysiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Composition 1 and General Psychology passed with a B or better and a 3.0 GPA.
Construction Technology and HVAC at City Center
Construction Technology is the catalog’s carpentry program. Students can take a Level 1 or Level 3 technical certificate, the full AAS, or an Apprenticeship AAS. Climate & Energy Control, the HVAC program, runs as an AAS with Cert B and Cert C technical certificates, and the catalog says students learn proper EPA practices. A separate HVAC Automation AAS is also offered. Both programs are taught at City Center on South Grove Street, alongside automotive technology and welding.
Surgical Technology
Surgical Technology is an AAS accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of ARC/STSA, and it prepares graduates for the Certified Surgical Technologist exam run by the NBSTSA. The college describes it as typically a two-year program including prerequisites. Clinical experience comes through two unpaid clinical courses, SGT119 and SGT129. The college publishes first-attempt exam pass rates and retention for each October and May cohort, but it does not publish a job placement rate for the program.
Aviation Maintenance Technology
The program is taught at the National Center for Aviation Training and uses a curriculum approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. The college says it meets the requirements for students to take the exams for the FAA airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. Students can take the full AAS, or separate Airframe, Powerplant and General technical certificates; accelerated Airframe and Powerplant certificates of completion are also offered, though they are not eligible for the Kansas Promise Scholarship. Aviation maintenance courses are in one of the college’s higher tuition tiers.
Welding Technology
Welding is the one main trade taught at two campuses, NCAT and City Center. Students can stop after the Level 1 or Level 2 technical certificate or continue to the AAS. The catalog says the program prepares students for one or more American Welding qualification tests and teaches welding to AWS specifications, and OSHA 10 safety training is part of it. WSU Tech’s partner site in Pittsburg, Kansas, the Southeast Kansas Career & Technical Education Center, also teaches welding to high-school and adult learners.
Tuition and how students pay
WSU Tech charges tuition per credit hour, and the rate depends on the program. The college’s tuition-by-program list for 2026-27 sets these tiers:
| 2026-27 tuition per credit hour | Programs billed at this rate (examples) |
|---|---|
| $139 | General education, accounting, business administration, criminal justice |
| $185 | Nurse aide and related aide courses, home health aide, interior design |
| $227 | IT (computer support, cloud computing), digital marketing, logistics |
| $268 | Core aviation courses, architectural design, automotive, HVAC, construction, machining, manufacturing, patient care technician, surgical technology |
| $309 | Electrical, EMT, healthcare administration, robotics, nondestructive testing, unmanned aircraft systems, mobile equipment |
| $350 | Aviation maintenance, registered nursing, welding, culinary arts, veterinary nursing, professional pilot |
| $391 | Composite technology, CATIA |
International students pay 30% more than the listed rate. The college publishes no separate out-of-state rate for US students, so anyone from outside Kansas should confirm with the college what they will pay. The catalog’s total program costs, shown in the programs table above, do not include online fees, books or tools.
WSU Tech takes federal student aid and publishes net price calculators. Most programs are eligible for the Kansas Promise Scholarship; exceptions include Veterinary Nursing, Veterinary Assistant, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Heavy Equipment Operation, Masonry, Culinary Arts and the accelerated aviation maintenance certificates. Kansas high-school juniors and seniors can take technical courses tuition-free through Excel in CTE.
Open admission, with entry steps for some programs
WSU Tech has open admission to the college, but some programs set their own requirements. The LPN-to-ADN bridge, for example, needs a Kansas LPN license, IV therapy certification and prerequisite courses passed with a B or better and a 3.0 GPA. Check each program page for its entry steps and start terms.
High-school students can take WSU Tech courses through Excel in CTE and other pathways, and the Veterinary Nursing and EMS programs list lower high-school pathway prices. The FutureReady Centers are Wichita Public Schools career centers for high-school students, not WSU Tech campuses. The Shocker Pathway, offered with Wichita State since 2015, is a transfer associate degree for students heading to a bachelor’s degree.
Accreditation and results
WSU Tech is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and has been a member since October 2008, according to its catalog. An HLC team visited in February 2024 for the college’s full ten-year reaffirmation review; check HLC’s website for the outcome and the next review date. For individual programs the college lists ACEN (Associate Degree Nurse), CAAHEP (Surgical Technology), AVMA (Veterinary Nursing), the ASE Education Foundation (Automotive Technology) and an FAA-approved aviation maintenance curriculum; Practical Nursing is approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 95.28% (Kansas average 93.57%) | 2024, Kansas State Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 78.22% (Kansas average 92.79%) | 2025, Kansas State Board of Nursing |
| Associate Degree Nurse, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | Under 80%, well below the Kansas average | Recent years, Kansas State Board of Nursing; check the board’s latest report |
| Surgical Technology, first-attempt CST pass rate | 56% to 83%, depending on the cohort | October and May cohorts of 2023-24 and 2024-25, college program page |
We found no college-wide job placement rate, and no published VTNE pass rate for Veterinary Nursing.
Before you enroll
- Nursing exam results are mixed. Recent Kansas State Board of Nursing data show the ADN’s first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates under 80%, well below the state average, and the Practical Nursing pass rate fell from 95.28% in 2024 to 78.22% in 2025, against a Kansas average of 92.79%. Check the board’s latest report before choosing a nursing program.
- There is no paramedic, sonography or medical assistant program. Emergency Medical Services trains EMTs only.
- The per-credit rate varies a lot by program: $139 for general education but $350 for registered nursing, welding, culinary arts, veterinary nursing and aviation maintenance, and $391 for composites. Catalog program totals leave out online fees, books and tools, and no out-of-state rate is published, so confirm the full cost.
- Criminal Justice is a general degree. The catalog does not describe it as police academy or officer certification training.
- Culinary Arts is placed at NICHE on South Broadway in the catalog, but one college page lists culinary programs at WSU Tech South. Confirm where classes meet.
Four Wichita campuses: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Main programs |
|---|---|---|
| National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT), main campus | 4004 N. Webb Road, Wichita, KS 67226 | All aviation programs, machining, manufacturing, robotics, design technology, welding |
| WSU Tech South | 3821 E. Harry, Wichita, KS 67218 | All healthcare and nursing programs, veterinary nursing, business, IT, interior design, criminal justice, general education |
| City Center | 301 S. Grove, Wichita, KS 67211 | Automotive, HVAC, construction technology, welding |
| NICHE | 124 S. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202 | Culinary Arts, Food Business Management |
WSU Tech also works with partner and employer sites that are not its own campuses, including the Southeast Kansas Career & Technical Education Center in Pittsburg and the Textron Aviation Career & Learning Center, which trains Textron Aviation employees.
Clinicals and apprenticeships
Associate Degree Nurse students complete clinical rotations in inpatient and outpatient settings, and Surgical Technology students take two unpaid clinical courses. Construction Technology has an Apprenticeship AAS, listed at $2,500 in the 2026-27 catalog.
What students say
On Niche, WSU Tech is rated 4.01 out of 5 from 126 reviews, with an overall grade of B+ (checked 10 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise understanding teachers, a welcoming campus, hands-on training and small classes. The most common complaints are uneven teaching quality from one instructor to another and little campus or social life. The reviews cover the whole college rather than one campus or program, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked October 2026: 2026-27 catalog · Tuition and fees · Accreditation · Surgical Technology program · Kansas State Board of Nursing NCLEX-PN results · Kansas State Board of Nursing NCLEX-RN results · Wichita State fall 2026 enrollment · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Associate Degree Nurse (A.D.N.)
- LPN-to-ADN Bridge
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Surgical Technology
- Emergency Medical Services (EMT-Basic)
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Certified Nurse Aide
- Certified Medication Aide
- Home Health Aide
- Patient Care Technician
- Mental Health Technician
- Healthcare Administration & Management
Veterinary
- Veterinary Nursing (Vet Tech)
- Veterinary Assistant
Aviation
- Aviation Maintenance Technology (Airframe and Powerplant)
- Avionics Technology
- Aerospace Manufacturing Technology
- Aviation Sheetmetal Assembly
- Composite Technology
- Aerospace Coating & Paint
- Nondestructive Testing
- Professional Pilot
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Manufacturing and Design
- Machining Technology
- CNC Operator
- Multi-Axis Machining
- Manufacturing Technology
- Robotics
- Automation Engineer Technology
- Quality Assurance Inspection
- Architectural Design Technology
- Engineering Design Technology
Welding
- Welding Technology
Construction and Building Trades
- Construction Technology
- Climate & Energy Control (HVAC)
- HVAC Automation
- Electrical Technology
- Electric Power Distribution
- Masonry Construction
- Heavy Equipment Operation
Automotive and Equipment
- Automotive Technology
- Alternative Fuel Vehicle Maintenance & Advanced Electronics
- Mobile Equipment Technology
Business
- Business Administration
- Accounting
- Digital Marketing
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management
- Operations Management & Supervision
Information Technology
- Computer Support Specialist
- Cloud Computing
- Cloud Application Development
- Cloud Programming
Culinary and Hospitality
- Culinary Arts
- Food Business Management
Design
- Interior Design
Criminal Justice
- Criminal Justice
Campus Locations
Wichita, KS 4004 N. Webb Road, Wichita, KS 67226
Wichita, KS 3821 E. Harry, Wichita, KS 67218
Wichita, KS 301 S. Grove, Wichita, KS 67211
Wichita, KS 124 S. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202