Regional university
#3 Best colleges for criminal justice in KentuckyMurray State University
Murray, KY · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $9,096 a year
Median debt at graduation: $20,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
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 Kentucky
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.61%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.76%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,133 · ACT 22.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,232
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: $23,485 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) | 7,878 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 39% · Women 61% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 34% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 38% |
| Total students | 9,841 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $9,096 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $23,485 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $20,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 61% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 48% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 47% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 57% |
| First-year retention | 76% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $44,737 |
| Admission rate | 86% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $40 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 33% |
| Average SAT | 1133 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 480–600 |
| SAT math | 460–570 |
| ACT composite | 19–26 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 26% (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 |
|---|---|
| Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians | |
| Engineering Physics | |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | |
| Nursing | |
| Computer science | |
| Information science | |
| Accounting | |
| Business administration | |
| Drafting and design | |
| Public relations | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Other agricultural/animal/plant/veterinary science | |
| Marketing | |
| Finance | |
| Public health | |
| Business (general) | |
| Mathematics | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Biology | |
| History | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Experimental psychology | |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | |
| Liberal arts | |
| English | |
| Social work | |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | |
| Fine arts | |
| Teacher education | |
| Music | |
| Special education |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Animal Sciences, Arts management, Chemistry, Civil engineering, Computing and information science, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Economics, Electromechanical technology, Foods, Nutrition,, Geology and earth science, German, Graphic communications, Human services, Industrial technology, Information technology, International business, International relations, Journalism, Linguistics, Other foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics, Outdoor Education, Philosophy, Physics, Political science, Romance languages, Secondary education, Sociology, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Agriculture | |
| Health professions | |
| Education | |
| Liberal arts and general studies |
Campus life
| Setting | Town |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 9% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 9% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,112 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Missouri Valley Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 17 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 10%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 82%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $14,622IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 39% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Nashville International Airport (BNA)About 98 miles away |
| Town population | 18,080Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Nashville-DavidsonAbout 91 miles away |
| Typical weather | 37°F in January · 79°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Murray, KY |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.07 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.06 | 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 Murray State University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 42% 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 Murray State University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $9,096 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 Murray State University?
- Murray State University admitted 86% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Murray State University’s graduates do?
- 61% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $44,737; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 157401
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (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.
Compare side by side: Murray State vs The University of Tennessee-Martin · Murray State vs Northwest Missouri State · Murray State vs Youngstown State · Murray State vs University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
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