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Kentucky State University: Kentucky State University 2020
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Regional college

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $8,040 a year

Median debt at graduation: $25,938 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

C+Academic Excellence: C+ (grade C+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Solid
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.32%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.64%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 870 · ACT 15.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$6,140

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.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$10,225
$30,001–$48,000$6,739
$48,001–$75,000$5,256
$75,001–$110,000$1,958

Full cost of attendance before aid: $21,727 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.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
1,546
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 42% · Women 58%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
40%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
64%
Total students1,689
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$8,040
Cost of attendance (per year)$21,727
Median federal debt at graduation$25,938
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
32%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
26%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
26%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
24%
First-year retention64%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$36,382
Admission rate96%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $859 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants58%
Admitted students’ middle range:ACT 14–17
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT870
SAT reading & writing—
SAT math—
ACT composite14–17
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good (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).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Criminal justice$46,767
Psychology$42,743
Business (general)$42,392
Journalism$42,363
Secondary education$34,522

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Agriculture, Biology, Business administration, Chemistry, Computing and information science, English, Family and human development, Fine arts, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Music, Nursing, Political science, Public administration, Social sciences, Social work, Teacher education.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business16%
Psychology14%
Liberal arts and general studies9%
Parks, recreation and fitness8%
Criminal justice and security7%

Campus life

School colors
SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates11%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older7%
On-campus room and board (per year)$8,686
SportsNCAA Division II · Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member10 to 1
Faculty who are full-time56%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$13,977IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 76% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceBlue Grass Airport (LEX)About 18 miles away
Nearest major airportCincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)About 59 miles away
Town population28,503Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreLexington-FayetteAbout 24 miles away
Typical weather34°F in January · 77°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Frankfort Capital City Airport, KY, about 3 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.990.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

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.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Kentucky State University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). 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 Kentucky State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $8,040 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 Kentucky State University?
Kentucky State University admitted 96% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Kentucky State University’s graduates do?
32% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $36,382; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,938.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 157058
  • Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (diverse fields)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Report an error or a newer source
  • Respond as this school

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