More selective than 52% of Kansas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,402. College Scorecard.
Higher than 100% of Kansas colleges we cover and 80% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 85% of Kansas colleges we cover and 63% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Kansas State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 13,437 applicants, Kansas State University admitted 10,663 and 3,187 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1060–1260 on the SAT or 20–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Kansas State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Kansas residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Kansas State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Kansas State University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Kansas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,178 | $57,720 | 2.5 years |
| $30–48k | $14,143 | $61,946 | 2.7 years |
| $48–75k | $15,369 | $67,316 | 2.9 years |
| $75–110k | $20,110 | $88,082 | 3.8 years |
| $110k+ | $23,665 | $103,653 | 4.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (47% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($57,262) minus $34,216 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,046 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Kansas State University majors, earnings & careers
Kansas State University offers 94 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 22
- Engineering · 14
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Business & Finance · 11
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Trades & Applied Technology · 2
Highest-earning majors at Kansas State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $107,194 | $25,871 |
| Electrical Engineering | $95,640 | $23,105 |
| Industrial Engineering | $93,098 | $25,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | $92,068 | $24,750 |
| Construction Engineering Technology / Technician | $91,809 | $27,000 |
| Architectural Engineering | $91,336 | $27,000 |
| Agricultural and Food Products Processing | $91,040 | $23,250 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $88,533 | $25,000 |
Quick list of all 94 majors
- Accounting$79,008
- Agricultural and Food Products Processing$91,040
- Agricultural Business$66,387
- Agricultural Engineering$81,376
- Agricultural Mechanization$78,537
- Agricultural Public Services—
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs—
- Air Transportation$85,147
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$55,985
- Animal Sciences$50,941
- Anthropology$41,426
- Apparel and Textiles$57,576
- Architectural Engineering$91,336
- Architecture—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry$65,122
- Biology$57,718
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business$70,601
- Business Administration$69,735
- Chemical Engineering$92,068
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$83,453
- Communications$52,603
- Computer and Information Sciences$107,194
- Computer Engineering—
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician$91,809
- Criminology—
- Dietetics$59,824
- Economics$71,747
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,562
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,801
- Electrical Engineering$95,640
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians$72,544
- English$50,448
- Entrepreneurship$59,809
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$72,398
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$49,593
- Finance$75,705
- Food Science and Technology$78,367
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Gerontology$60,172
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$61,150
- History$50,016
- Hospitality Management$58,282
- Human Development and Family Studies$47,528
- Industrial Engineering$93,098
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies$53,389
- Journalism$56,418
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$85,396
- Marketing$69,837
- Mathematics$55,435
- Mechanical Engineering$88,533
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Music—
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other$53,401
- Natural Sciences$68,243
- Nutrition Science$62,128
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$50,522
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Physiology$65,677
- Plant Sciences$58,603
- Political Science$63,811
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology (Research)$53,337
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Real Estate Development—
- Social Sciences$50,681
- Social Work$50,480
- Sociology$51,237
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$61,621
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$39,991
- Theatre$39,598
- Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies / Technicians—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Zoology / Animal Biology$48,908
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Manhattan
Overall prices in the Manhattan, KS area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,107. Housing costs 28% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 36 inches of rain a year, 18 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Riley County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Riley County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Kansas State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Kansas by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State University | 82% | $19,406 | 71% | $57,262 | This school |
| University of Kansas | 93% | $18,059 | 69% | $61,945 | |
| Wichita State University | 94% | $13,194 | 51% | $51,532 | |
| Fort Hays State University | 90% | $12,569 | 48% | $48,928 | |
| Pittsburg State University | 89% | $15,784 | 57% | $50,579 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Kansas State University would cost you $1,347 more per year than University of Kansas, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Kansas State University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$1,878).
- University of Kansas gives aided families $696 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Kansas resident | Kansas State University | KU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,221 | $12,102 | −$881 |
| Books & supplies | $1,056 | $1,224 | −$168 |
| Housing & meals | $12,020 | $10,818 | +$1,202 |
| Personal & travel | $5,268 | $3,390 | +$1,878 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,163 | −$783 | −$1,380 |
| Sticker price | $27,402 | $26,751 | +$651 |
| Average grants | −$7,996 | −$8,692 | +$696 |
| You pay | $19,406 | $18,059 | +$1,347 |
“+” means Kansas State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Kansas State University
What is the Kansas State University acceptance rate?
Kansas State University accepts 82% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 10,663 of 13,437 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1060–1260 on the SAT or 20–27 on the ACT.
How much does Kansas State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,402 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,406 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,178 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,665.
How much do Kansas State University graduates earn?
Former Kansas State University students earn a median $57,262 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Kansas State University graduation rate?
71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% return for their second year.
How long does a Kansas State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Kansas State University costs about $67,316 after grants ($15,369 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $57,262 ten years after starting, $23,046 more than high school graduates in Kansas ($34,216), so the cost is repaid in 2.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Kansas State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/kansas-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).