Is Washburn University Worth It?

Washburn University gives you a moderate, low-risk financial return. With a net price around $13,000 a year and median debt near $18,000, you graduate owing less than a single year of the typical $49,774 salary. That debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable, and it's the main reason Washburn works as a safe bet even though the payoff is middling.

Your major decides everything here. Computer and Information Sciences leads at $64,493, roughly $18,000 more per year than a business degree at the same school. Nursing pays $54,812 but comes with the heaviest debt load on the list at $22,062, so it earns more but costs you more to get there. Allied Health lands near $50,856 with lighter debt. Business Administration and Engineering-Related Fields sit at the bottom of the top five, both under $47,000, which barely clears the school's overall median. If you enroll planning to major in business, know you're picking one of the weaker-earning paths on campus.

The real risk is finishing. Only 69% of first-year students return, and just 53% graduate. If you borrow and drop out, you carry the debt without the degree that pays it back. That completion risk matters more than debt size here.

The net price tiers reward lower-income families. If your family earns under $30,000, you pay about $9,589, versus roughly $17,500 above $110,000. That's a genuine break for families with less to spend.

Washburn fits you if you're staying in the Topeka area, want to keep debt low, and can commit to a health, computing, or allied health major. Look elsewhere if you want a business or engineering-related degree and expect strong earnings, since those pay near the school median while carrying above-average debt.