Kentucky State University
Frankfort, KY · Public · Town (distant) · K-State · KSU
Public institution in Frankfort, KY · 1,317 undergraduates · 93% acceptance rate · $36,382 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 12%Pell Grant share
- Top 13%Average net price
- Top 22%Cost of attendance
- Top 23%Out-of-state tuition & fees
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
- $8,900257th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,214508th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $13,260462nd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $21,023435th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $25,9381,440th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $36,3821,760th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $29,6401,766th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 27.1%1,832nd highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 60.8%1,583rd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 92.5%1,327th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 9101,009th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,3171,196th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 14.0:11,172nd smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 56.5%256th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 175 mi (BNA)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- 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 26 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $58,334 | $58,402 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $39,927 | $26,353 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBusiness | bachelors | $37,856 | $37,856 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesFamily & Consumer Sciences | bachelors | $29,685 | $31,133 |
| Social WorkPublic Administration | bachelors | $27,048 | — |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $25,525 | $29,064 |
| JournalismCommunications | bachelors | $25,194 | $22,578 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $24,421 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $24,421 | $20,687 |
| Agriculture, GeneralAgriculture | bachelors | $22,771 | — |
| Area StudiesArea & Ethnic Studies | bachelors | — | — |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | — | $24,421 |
Campus facts
- A Historically Black College or University (HBCU)source
- Founded in 1886source
- Athletic nickname: "Thorobrettes"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: #0A8137 and #EDCB04source
- Motto: ""Onward, Upward.""source
- Campus size: about 915 acressource
- Formerly known as "State Normal School for Colored Persons (1886–1902),"source
- Formerly known as "Kentucky Normal and Industrial Institute (1902–)"source
- Formerly known as "Kentucky Normal and Industrial Institute for Colored Persons" (1902–1926)source
- Formerly known as "Kentucky State Industrial College for Colored Persons" (1926–1938)source
- Formerly known as "Kentucky State College for Negroes" (1938–1952)source
- Formerly known as "Kentucky State College" (1952–1972)source
- Athletic conference: SIACsource
- Notable alum: Yingluck Shinawatrasource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $727,046 (M $615,228 · W $111,818)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Golf
- Softball
- Track and Field (Indoor)
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitekysu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 157058)
- Compare colleges in KYRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in KentuckyEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Kentucky State University vs Thomas More 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.