The Wichita State University Board of Trustees has approved up to $750,000 to fund
a comprehensive feasibility study exploring the creation of Kansas’ first dental school.
This is inclusive of support from Fort Hays State University, a partner in the project,
which aims to address the state’s shortage of dentists, particularly in rural communities.
The study, to be completed by fall 2026, will evaluate the scope, scale and structure
of a potential dental school based in Wichita, with a presence in rural Kansas through
Fort Hays State. Key areas of focus include cohort size, faculty and staff needs,
accreditation requirements, facility planning and potential partnerships with Federally
Qualified Health Centers to expand clinical access.
If found feasible, the proposed dental school would be part of Phase II of the Wichita
Biomedical Campus. Phase I of the campus is a joint initiative between Wichita State
and the University of Kansas to strengthen the state’s health care education pipeline.
Phase I — currently under construction in downtown Wichita — is expected to be completed
in 2027 and will house health sciences programs from both institutions.
Kansas faces significant gaps in oral health care, with many rural counties lacking
practicing dentists. Today, close to 600,000 Kansans have little to no access to professional
dental care. Additionally, 20 Kansas counties currently have no practicing dentists,
and more than 80% of the state’s 105 counties are experiencing a serious shortage
of dentists.
This challenge impacts Kansas’ children, the elderly, and low-income families the
hardest, as only one in four dentists in our state serve Medicaid patients. The lack
of a doctoral dental education program in Kansas means that the state does not benefit
from an annual influx of dental program graduates, who are more likely to establish
a practice in the state.
Wichita State President Rick Muma said the study is a bold step toward solving one
of the state’s most pressing health care challenges.
“Access to dental care should not depend on your ZIP code,” Muma said. “By partnering
with Fort Hays State and the dental community, we can design a program that educates
future dentists in Kansas, keeps them in Kansas and ensures every Kansan can get the
care they need.”
The study will provide the foundation for building a program that serves Kansas residents
statewide, and the process will be guided by data, collaboration and a statewide focus.
“This study will allow us to map out the facilities, faculty, partnerships and accreditation
pathways needed to launch a high-quality dental school that meets the realities of
our state,” said Monica Lounsbery, Wichita State’s senior executive vice president
and provost. “It’s about creating a sustainable model that strengthens our health
care workforce and improves lives for generations to come.”
“Nowhere is the critical shortage of access to professional dental care more pressing
than in the rural Kansas counties served by Fort Hays State University,” said FHSU
President Tisa Mason. “We are honored to join Wichita State University in this important
initiative.”
The feasibility study will engage stakeholders from across the state, including dental
professionals, policymakers and health care providers, to ensure the proposed program
is responsive to Kansas’ unique needs.
Learn more about the Wichita Biomedical Campus
About Wichita State University
Wichita State University is Kansas’ only urban public research university, enrolling
more than 23,000 students between its main campus and the WSU Campus of Applied Sciences
and Technology (WSU Tech), including students from every state in the U.S. and more
than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student-centered
and innovation-driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in
the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),
Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of
applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering
R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one
of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing
over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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About Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University was founded in 1902 as the Western Branch of Kansas State
Normal School on the grounds of Fort Hays, a 19th-century frontier military outpost.
We are a regional comprehensive public university that serves more than 16,000 students
on campus in Hays, worldwide through FHSU Online, and on our network of International
Partnership campuses in Africa, Asia, and South America.
FHSU is an innovative community of teacher-scholars and education professionals that
excels at developing engaged global citizen-leaders through affordable, flexible,
challenging, and innovative academic and co-curricular programs designed to push the
boundaries of knowledge and human experiences.
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