Winona State University is a public university founded in 1858 — the oldest state university west of the Mississippi River — located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in Winona, Minnesota, and a member of the Minnesota State system. Enrolling approximately 5,300 undergraduates, WSU is nationally recognized for establishing the first Composite Materials Engineering program in the United States in 1991, and its nursing program consistently achieves NCLEX pass rates exceeding state and national averages. Additional strengths include education, business administration, computer science, and healthcare disciplines. WSU competes in NCAA Division II athletics as the Warriors in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Notably, admitted international students receive the Cross-Cultural Scholarship, which covers the difference between resident and non-resident tuition, making the effective cost for international students equivalent to Minnesota resident rates. WSU maintains sister-school relationships with institutions in ten countries across Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
—
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$10576
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $17,308
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
