While many people seek affordable alternatives for college, they don’t always think of a technical college as a viable option for beginning their college coursework. Although we do not have “community college” in our name, Wichita Area Technical College offers many of the same benefits a community college offers:

  • Transferable courses in English, math, humanities, social sciences and sciences
  • Affordable tuition (comparable to that of a community college)
  • Excellent instructors (many of the same instructors who teach at local community colleges)
  • Low student-to-instructor ratios
  • Convenient schedules
  • Face-to-face, hybrid and online classes
  • Interactive instruction

While Sedgwick County does not have a community college, students interested in the advantages of a community college can begin at WSU Tech.

Transferring credits

Transferring credits to other colleges has never been easier. WSU Tech offers 35 courses guaranteed to transfer from one Kansas Board of Regents school to another (wsutech.edu/transfer). The list includes basic skills courses such as Comp I and II, College Algebra and Speech, as well as a variety of humanities, social sciences and science classes. Even those classes not yet included on the Board of Regents list transfer smoothly in almost all cases. Regents schools include all public two-year and four-year colleges in Kansas (kansasregents.org/universities_colleges/public_institutions).

Shocker Pathway

Our agreement with Wichita State University also provides no-hassle transfer opportunities. The Shocker Pathway is designed for students who want to begin their education at WSU Tech and then transfer into one of WSU’s programs. Shocker Pathway students earn 50 hours at WSU Tech plus 15 hours at WSU to complete an Associate of Arts degree. Most students use the associate degree as a stepping stone to a bachelor’s degree. Our dual advising program provides students guidance from both WSU Tech and WSU advisors and ensures that students get the classes they need for their WSU program without paying for unnecessary hours.

Get started on college while you’re still in high school

High school students have a great opportunity to earn college credit through dual enrollment opportunities. Currently, we have dual credit agreements with 18 area high schools. Ask your counselor about classes you can take to earn both high school and college credit. The cost of these classes through WSU Tech is $149 flat rate per course, up to 3 credit hour, or $199 flat rate per course, over 3 credit hours, compared to $250 – $380 per credit hour if you took the class at a state university. With such significant savings, taking dual credit classes makes a lot of sense.