Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS · Public · Small city · Carnegie R1/R2 · K-State · KSU
Public institution in Manhattan, KS · 14,835 undergraduates · 79% acceptance rate · $57,262 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 8%Undergraduates
- Top 19%Full-time retention
- Top 20%Graduation rate (4-year)
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $17,883886th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $10,942680th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $27,8161,168th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $25,441714th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,250796th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $57,262673rd highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $49,330574th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 70.5%410th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 87.2%345th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 79.4%890th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1149531st highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 14,835169th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 18.0:11,713th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 19.3%1,750th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 430 mi (MSP)
On 4 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $40
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 87 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $75,989 | $70,456 |
| Industrial EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $74,105 | $70,456 |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $69,338 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $69,338 | $69,338 |
| Architectural EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $68,047 | $65,557 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $67,846 | $71,734 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $66,355 | $65,131 |
| Construction Engineering TechnologiesEngineering Technology | bachelors | $65,535 | $62,012 |
| Information Science/StudiesComputer Science | bachelors | $64,493 | — |
| Agricultural and Food Products ProcessingAgriculture | bachelors | $64,087 | $63,749 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $61,110 | $59,124 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $55,693 | $55,964 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1863source
- Motto: "Rule by Obeying Nature's Laws"source
- Athletic nickname: "Wildcats"source
- Mascot: Willie the Wildcatsource
- Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium seats about 50,000source
- Competes in Big 12 Conferencesource
- School colors: #512888source
- Campus size: about 668 acressource
- Formerly known as "Kansas State Agricultural College" (1863–1931)source
- Formerly known as "Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science" (1931–1959)source
- Athletic conference: Big 12source
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]]}} institutionsource
- Football rivalry: Colorado–Kansas State (since 1912)source
- Football rivalry: Farmageddon (since 1917)source
- Football rivalry: Kansas State–Missouri (since 1909)source
- Football rivalry: Kansas State–Nebraska (since 1911)source
- Football rivalry: Kansas State–Oklahoma (since 1908)source
- Plays for the "Governor's Cup" (since 1902)source
- Fight song: ""[[Wildcat Victory]]""source
- Notable alum: Juan Manuel Santossource
- Notable alum: Clyde Tombaughsource
- Notable alum: Kirstie Alleysource
- Notable alum: Vernon L. Smithsource
- Notable alum: Erin Brockovichsource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $9,424,612 (M $5,398,485 · W $4,026,127)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitek-state.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 155399)
- Compare colleges in KSRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in KansasEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Kansas State University vs Wichita State UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.