More selective than 12% of Kentucky colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $21,727. College Scorecard.
Higher than 4% of Kentucky colleges we cover and 14% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 0% of Kentucky colleges we cover and 6% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Kentucky State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,001 applicants, Kentucky State University admitted 1,852 and 345 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Kentucky State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Kentucky 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 Kentucky State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Kentucky State University took 4.7 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 Kentucky. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,225 | $47,751 | 16.7 years |
| $30–48k | $6,739 | $31,471 | 11.0 years |
| $48–75k | $5,256 | $24,546 | 8.6 years |
| $75–110k | $1,958 | $9,144 | 3.2 years |
| $110k+ | n/a | — | not available |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.7 years, the average time graduates took (15% 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 ($36,382) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $2,866 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.
Kentucky State University majors, earnings & careers
Kentucky State University offers 23 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Science & Math · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Education · 2
- Humanities & Languages · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Kentucky State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice | $46,767 | $28,162 |
| Psychology | $42,743 | $33,746 |
| Business | $42,392 | $30,750 |
| Journalism | $42,363 | — |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $34,522 | $26,436 |
Quick list of all 23 majors
- Accounting—
- Agriculture—
- Biology—
- Business$42,392
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$46,767
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$34,522
- English—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Journalism$42,363
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$42,743
- Public Administration—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Studio Art—
— 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 →Business → 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
Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Frankfort
2 bedrooms $1,145.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 15 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Franklin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Franklin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Kentucky State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Kentucky 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky State University | 96% | $8,040 | 32% | $36,382 | This school |
| Morehead State University | 77% | $9,793 | 52% | $43,197 | |
| Murray State University | 86% | $9,096 | 61% | $44,737 | |
| Northern Kentucky University | 68% | $8,191 | 52% | $50,220 | |
| Western Kentucky University | 94% | $10,990 | 56% | $43,889 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Kentucky State University would cost you $1,753 less per year than Morehead State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Kentucky State University, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$756).
- Kentucky State University gives aided families $1,519 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Kentucky resident | Kentucky State University | Morehead State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,387 | $10,024 | −$637 |
| Books & supplies | $1,332 | $480 | +$852 |
| Housing & meals | $8,186 | $8,942 | −$756 |
| Personal & travel | $2,995 | $2,894 | +$101 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$173 | −$379 | +$206 |
| Sticker price | $21,727 | $21,961 | −$234 |
| Average grants | −$13,687 | −$12,168 | −$1,519 |
| You pay | $8,040 | $9,793 | −$1,753 |
“+” means Kentucky 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 Kentucky State University
What is the Kentucky State University acceptance rate?
Kentucky State University accepts 96% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,852 of 2,001 applicants were admitted.
How much does Kentucky State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $21,727 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $8,040 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,225 and families earning $110k+ pay —.
How much do Kentucky State University graduates earn?
Former Kentucky State University students earn a median $36,382 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Kentucky State University graduation rate?
32% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 64% return for their second year.
How long does a Kentucky State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Kentucky State University costs about $24,546 after grants ($5,256 a year for 4.7 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $36,382 ten years after starting, $2,866 more than high school graduates in Kentucky ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 8.6 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: “Kentucky State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/kentucky-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).