“Public research university in Dayton, Ohio, named for the Wright brothers”
Wright State University is a public research institution located in Fairborn, Ohio, just outside Dayton and adjacent to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base — one of the largest Air Force installations in the country and the reason the school carries the name of aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright. Founded in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State and made independent in 1967, Wright State today enrolls roughly 11,900 students across its main Dayton-area campus and its smaller Lake Campus in Celina, with a historically strong research footprint in aerospace, human factors, neuroscience, and medicine anchored by the Boonshoft School of Medicine. Academically, Wright State is organized around eight colleges including the Raj Soin College of Business (AACSB-accredited, home to one of the few student-run trading labs in Ohio), the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the College of Liberal Arts, and the nationally known School of Professional Psychology. Popular undergraduate programs include nursing, mechanical and biomedical engineering, computer science, psychology, and motion pictures — the film program is the largest in Ohio and produces a steady stream of working industry professionals. Research partnerships with Wright-Patterson give engineering and computing students unusual access to Department of Defense–funded projects and internships. Student life revolves around a compact, walkable main campus connected by a two-mile underground tunnel system that links every academic building — an accessibility-first design rare among U.S. universities. The Raiders compete in NCAA Division I (Horizon League), the student body is predominantly commuter but growing more residential, and the suburban setting balances quiet study space with quick access to downtown Dayton's museums, breweries, and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. International enrollment, while smaller than at flagship state universities, is supported by a long-standing University Center for International Education and dedicated merit scholarships up to $12,000 per year.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Research Activity
Carnegie Classifications (2021)
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourcePriority
Priority deadline — decision by Dec 15
Regular
Regular deadline — decision by Feb 15
Rolling
Rolling admission after Feb 1 up to start of fall term
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$11,522
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$21,222
/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.
Home to mechanical, electrical, biomedical, computer, and materials engineering plus computer science, with deep Department of Defense research ties via nearby Wright-Patterson AFB.
AACSB-accredited college featuring a student-managed $1M trading lab, a student-run coffee shop, and strong programs in management information systems, accountancy, and entrepreneurship.
Houses Wright State's flagship nursing program, teacher preparation, social work, and sports science — one of the largest colleges on campus.
Includes the Motion Pictures program (the largest in Ohio), the School of Music, and strong departments in English, history, psychology, and communication.
Undergraduate pathway into the Boonshoft School of Medicine and home to biological sciences, chemistry, physics, and earth/environmental sciences.
Wright State's medical school, known for primary care training and a strong aerospace medicine residency linked to Wright-Patterson AFB.
4 years
The largest film production program in Ohio, offering hands-on training in directing, editing, producing, and screenwriting with industry-standard soundstages and equipment.
4 years
ABET-accredited program combining engineering design with health sciences, with access to research at the Boonshoft School of Medicine and Wright-Patterson Medical Center.
4 years
STEM-designated program with strong ties to DoD and defense-contractor internships; concentrations include cybersecurity, AI, and software engineering.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $21,222
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.
