Murray State University
Murray, KY · Public · Town (distant) · MSU
Public institution in Murray, KY · 6,646 undergraduates · 86% acceptance rate · $44,737 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 14%Average net price
- Top 18%Undergraduates
- Top 23%Cost of attendance
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
- $9,121275th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,708558th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $19,452829th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $21,475464th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $20,500685th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $44,7371,373rd highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $38,4731,327th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 59.5%799th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 76.1%903rd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 86.2%1,109th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1110659th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 24421st highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 6,646390th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 16.0:11,471st smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 31.4%1,125th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 98 mi (BNA)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 59 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $64,706 | $66,969 |
| Engineering PhysicsEngineering | bachelors | $55,964 | $47,260 |
| Civil Engineering Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $55,512 | $55,964 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $55,286 | $53,775 |
| Information Science/StudiesComputer Science | bachelors | $54,661 | $50,856 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $53,868 | $58,142 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $39,009 | $38,289 |
| Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences, OtherAgriculture | bachelors | $38,906 | $35,213 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $36,130 | $38,289 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $36,042 | $44,091 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $35,416 | $36,221 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $33,993 | $34,615 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1922source
- Athletic nickname: "Racers"source
- Roy Stewart Stadium seats about 16,800source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- Mascot: Racer One (live mascot) / Dunker (costumed)source
- Campus size: about 43 acressource
- Formerly known as "Murray State Normal School" (1922–1926)source
- Formerly known as "Murray State Normal School and Teachers College" (1926–1930)source
- Formerly known as "Murray State Teachers College" (1930–1948)source
- Formerly known as "Murray State College" (1948–1966)source
- Athletic conference: MVCsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Plays for the "Red Belt" (since 1931)source
- Fight song: ""Murray State Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: Jim Varneysource
- Notable alum: Ja Morantsource
Athletics — 11 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $5,133,585 (M $2,599,370 · W $2,439,489 · Coed $94,726)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Golf
- Rifle
- Soccer
- Softball
- 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 websitemurraystate.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 157401)
- 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: Murray State University vs University of the CumberlandsHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 11 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.