National university
#4 Best colleges in KansasKansas State University
Manhattan, KS · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $19,406 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,250 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
K-State Campus Tour · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#160 of 1,046
- Best colleges for social work in America#122 of 605
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#371 of 1,829
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#196 of 950
- Best colleges for accounting in America#254 of 1,132
- Best colleges for business in America#372 of 1,563
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In Kansas
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Kansas#1 of 21
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Kansas#2 of 27
- Best colleges for education in Kansas#2 of 25
- Best colleges for psychology in Kansas#2 of 23
- Best colleges for history in Kansas#2 of 22
- Best colleges for mathematics in Kansas#2 of 22
Show 17 more
- Best colleges for accounting in Kansas#2 of 21
- Best colleges for art and design in Kansas#2 of 21
- Best colleges for chemistry in Kansas#2 of 21
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Kansas#2 of 21
- Best colleges for English in Kansas#2 of 21
- Best colleges for music in Kansas#2 of 21
- Best colleges for marketing in Kansas#2 of 19
- Best colleges for business in Kansas#3 of 26
- Best test-optional colleges in Kansas#3 of 24
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Kansas#3 of 23
- Best colleges for finance in Kansas#2 of 15
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Kansas#3 of 21
- Best colleges in Kansas#4 of 27
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Kansas#2 of 11
- Best colleges for economics in Kansas#2 of 10
- Best colleges for social work in Kansas#2 of 10
- Best colleges for engineering in Kansas#2 of 9
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.71%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.86%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,151 · ACT 23.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.19 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$12,603
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $27,402 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 15,113 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 49% · Women 51% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 22% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 27% |
| Total students | 19,745 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $19,406 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $27,402 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,250 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 71% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 55% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 53% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 68% |
| First-year retention | 86% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $57,262 |
| Admission rate | 82% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $40 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $875 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 21% |
| Average SAT | 1151 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 550–640 |
| SAT math | 510–620 |
| ACT composite | 20–27 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good · Top 36% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computing and information science | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | |
| Architectural Engineering | |
| Agricultural and Food Products Processing | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Management information systems | |
| Air Transportation | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Agricultural Engineering | |
| Accounting | |
| Agricultural Mechanization | |
| Food Science and Technology | |
| Finance | |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Economics | |
| Business (general) | |
| Marketing | |
| Business administration | |
| Natural Sciences | |
| Agricultural business | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Political science | |
| Nutrition Sciences | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Design | |
| Gerontology | |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | |
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Plant Sciences | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Biology | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Journalism | |
| Allied health | |
| Mathematics | |
| Other natural resources and conservation | |
| Global studies | |
| Experimental psychology | |
| Communication studies | |
| Sociology | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Social sciences | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | |
| Social work | |
| English | |
| History | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | |
| Secondary education | |
| Family and human development | |
| Teacher education | |
| Anthropology | |
| Fine arts | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agricultural Public Services, Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs, Architecture, Area studies, Automotive technology, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Broadcasting, Chemistry, Clinical laboratory science, Computer engineering, Criminology, Education (general), Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Ethnic and gender studies, Foods, Nutrition,, General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations, Geography, Geology and earth science, Information science, Information technology, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Music, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Physics, Pre-health, Public health, Public relations, Real Estate Development, Statistics, Visual and performing arts.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Agriculture | |
| Engineering | |
| Education | |
| Biology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 8% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 9% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $12,830 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big Twelve Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 19 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 6%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 90%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $54,472IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 38% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK)About 6 miles away |
| Nearest major airport | Kansas City International Airport (MCI)About 100 miles away |
| Town population | 54,239Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Kansas CityAbout 109 miles away |
| Typical weather | 29°F in January · 80°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Manhattan, KS |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.16 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.15 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.03 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Kansas State University’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 28% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Kansas State University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $19,406 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Kansas State University?
- Kansas State University admitted 82% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Kansas State University’s graduates do?
- 71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $57,262; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,250.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 155399
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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