4-year Colleges and Universities

The most common path that high school seniors are pushed to and pursue is the one that leads them towards a degree from a 4-year college or university. Wichita is home to Wichita State University, Friends University, and Newman University. Attending one of these can be beneficial because you don’t have to pay for on-campus housing, and you pay in-state tuition rates. The downsides include student debt, and having to decide on a career path at a very young age.

2-year Community College

Because of its affordability, many students opt to attend a community college for 2 years to receive their Associate’s degree. From their, you can either choose to finish your Bachelor’s degree at a 4-year while only attending it for the remaining 2 years or find a job that only requires an Associate’s. Also referred to as JUCOs, community colleges are especially appealing to athletes and musicians because of the large amount of scholarships and grants offered to them.

Technical Schools

WSUTech is Wichita’s technical school. With programs in aviation, healthcare, manufacturing, computer science, design, business, law enforcement, automotive, culinary & hospitality, and many other majors, WSUTech is great for students who want to go straight into the workforce or want a more hands-on, affordable education.

High school students entering their junior or senior year can get a head-start on their career with Jumpstart, which is where you take college classes specific to your degree while still in high school.

Military

Whether its because of the allure of free college or because you want to protect the country, many Americans join the armed forces. The Army, National Guard, Navy, and Air Force are the options.