About Wright State
Wright State University is a public research university in Dayton, Ohio, with nearly 18,000 students from 59 countries and all 50 states. Wright State is named after Orville and Wilbur Wright, Dayton’s aviation pioneers who changed the world forever. Their exceptional ingenuity, courage, and perseverance inspire our commitment to research, community engagement, and teaching.
Wright State offers more than 230 degree programs from eight colleges and three schools, including the Boonshoft School of Medicine, plus a regional campus in Celina, Ohio. We see the potential in every student and intentionally create pathways for students to succeed through exceptional programs at an exceptional value.
Here’s more you should know about Wright State:
- Wright State originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of The Ohio State University and Miami University. Three years later, in 1967, Wright State became an independent institution with 5,704 students.
- We take pride in the fact 21 percent of Wright State undergraduates are first-generation college students. Our new Student Success Center offers innovative mentoring and academic support services to help students transition to college.
- Wright State is next door to one of the largest Air Force bases in the world, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, home of the Air Force Research Laboratory, Materiel Command, and National Air and Space Intelligence Center. The university’s close ties with the base offer unique research and career opportunities to students and graduates.
- Tom Hanks has long appreciated Wright State’s students. The Tom Hanks Center for Motion Pictures opened in April 2016, with the Hollywood icon on hand to celebrate with us. He also also co-chairs Wright State’s Rise. Shine. fundraising campaign, along with Amanda Wright Lane, the great-grandniece of the Wright brothers.
- One of the world’s most complete collections of Wright brothers materials is at the Dunbar Library’s Special Collections and Archives. The collection includes the Wrights’ technical and personal library, family papers, and film documenting the invention of the airplane.
- Wright State is a national innovator in services for students with disabilities. In 1970, decades before the Americans with Disabilities Act, Wright State was one of the first universities to create an Office of Disability Services. College Success for Students with Physical Disabilities rates Wright State as a Top 5 disability-friendly school.
- Nearly two miles of tunnels (10,436 feet) create an accessible path beneath 20 of the 22 buildings in the academic section of Wright State’s Dayton campus.
- Our state-of-the art Veteran and Military Center offers a dedicated space for military-affiliated students and veterans. Student mentors and trained staff offer academic tutoring, GI Bill services, and other student services. Victory Media, owner of G.I. Jobs magazine, has named Wright State “military friendly” for nine consecutive years.
- Wright State participates in 15 NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic programs, and many students compete in intramural sports programs. The Wright State University Nutter Center, a 12,000-seat entertainment and sports complex, and other recreational and workout facilities are available to students on a daily basis.
2013 in Review
Wright State hosted the Science Olympiad National Tournament in 2013.
