This is not a promise that this is “the” university for your child. It is the first piece of the map: what this school is, in its own terms and by its own numbers.
What kind of university it is
Kansas State University is in Manhattan, Kansas, within Riley County, in what the government classifies as a metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is in the heart of a major city; it means there is an urban environment nearby. If your child were thinking about living at home and commuting every day, I recommend something simple: drive the route on a weekday, at the exact time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
It is a public four-year university. The federal system classifies it as an institution that offers programs through the doctoral level, and its academic profile places it among the universities with the highest level of research activity in that classification system. That says something about the size and ambition of the institution as a whole. It does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in connects with that level of research, or whether your child will be close to it. That is something to ask about by program.
It is also identified, in the official 2023 file, as a Land Grant Institution—a historical designation shared by 80 of the 3,012 institutions in this census. It is an institutional label, not a promise of support. Do not measure how much this university will support your child by that term. Look instead at things with names: what student center exists, what scholarship applies, and who answers your call in April.
One more point of context: in its undergraduate admissions profile, this university enrolls many students who transfer from another school. If your child were thinking about enrolling here after starting elsewhere, get in writing which courses will count and which will not before making the move.
The size of the community and who makes it up
Kansas State University reported 19,745 enrolled students in its official fall count. It is a large school—the government places it in the band of between 10,000 and 19,999 students, and compared with similar public schools, it is on the larger side: between one and three out of every ten comparable universities have more students.
But that large number hides something important. Of those 19,745, only 15,113 are undergraduates. The other 4,632 are already in graduate school—they have already completed an undergraduate degree. If your child is entering to pursue a bachelor’s degree, the number that really matters is 15,113, not the total.
And who makes up that undergraduate community? Out of every 100 students, 9 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with other selective public universities of the same type, it falls below the midpoint of the group. Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, and having many would not make it good—this number only counts who is enrolled. If your child will be one of the few, it is worth asking during the visit what student group or cultural center exists, or who in the offices speaks Spanish, and talking with a Latino student there before deciding.
The rest of the profile: the balance between men and women is nearly even (51 out of every 100 are women), students ages 25 to 64 are a minority (9 out of every 100), and just over seven out of every ten entering students already lived in Kansas before applying.
How the academic year works and how broad the offerings are
The year is organized into semesters—two terms of about 15 weeks each, with consistent dates for everyone. The university reported that it accepts credit for AP exams as well as what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”: independent study, work experience, licenses, and prior certifications. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program, and it accepts credit for military training.
Here is a hard truth that I do not want to soften: the university’s statement that it accepts AP does not mean it will grant credit for every exam your child takes. We do not know what scores it requires or how many credits it awards, or whether those credits will count toward the specific major your child chose. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for the range of majors: this university awarded 3,398 bachelor’s degrees in one year, distributed across 27 academic program families. No single family dominated—the largest was business and management, with just 20 out of every 100 degrees. Compared with similar universities, it is among those with the broadest offerings. But “27 families with a row in the report” does not mean 27 guaranteed majors: some of those rows may have had zero degrees that year. Verify by name the exact program your child is interested in.
Regarding class size, the university reports 18 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is a middle-range ratio on the overall scale, but compared with similar universities, it falls in the highest quartile—that is, among those with the highest ratios in its comparison group. This does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class: it is an institutional average, not a classroom measure.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken only at night or on weekends, and pathways that prepare students for teacher certification.
What it is like to get in: the admissions gate
Here is one of the numbers that matters most. Of the 13,437 students who applied for first-year admission in 2023, 10,663 were offered a place. That is 79 out of every 100 applicants admitted. Compared with similar selective public universities, it is a typical rate, slightly below the midpoint of the table.
Put simply: this school receives thousands of applications, and even so, nearly 8 out of every 10 receive a yes. Your child has a real reason to apply. Your child also has a reason to submit a complete application on time, because that number comes from a single cycle—it is not a fixed rule of the institution. When it is your child’s turn, you will need to check the updated figure.
The university does not have open admission: it reviews application components before deciding. Of nine possible considerations, it identifies two as required: the high school academic record and high school GPA. Other components—class rank, the curriculum completed, and work experience—it considers if you send them, although they are not required. The essay and letters of recommendation are not identified as considered in admission. IPEDS does not say how much weight each element carries, so this does not mean GPA is the deciding factor—only that it is required. Before completing the application, call admissions and ask about your child’s specific case: whatever they require this year takes precedence over this 2023 report.
The SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application proceeds just the same. Among students who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—only 6 out of every 100 did so—the middle half scored between 530 and 630 in reading and writing, and between 510 and 630 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who were already enrolled, not all applicants. That 530 is not a minimum that must be reached, and that 630 does not guarantee anything either.
The published application fee is $40.
One figure worth understanding clearly: out of every 100 students admitted for the first-year class of 2023, only 30 ultimately enrolled at Kansas State. The other 70 had an admission letter in hand and decided to go elsewhere. This does not measure how difficult it is to get in—it measures what other families decided after receiving the letter. When your child’s admission decisions arrive, this percentage should not decide for you: place the letters side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before the deposit deadline.
Regarding transfers: of the bachelor’s-degree-seeking class that entered in 2017, 18 out of every 100 transferred before completing a degree here and enrolled at another school. Transferring universities is not the same as failing—but if that possibility exists, your child should know beforehand how to request the paperwork needed to move. In the other direction, this university enrolls a great many transfer students: 1,210 entered here for the first time in the fall of 2023 after attending another institution.
The money: published price and what is actually paid
At Kansas State University, among 128 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $10,742. Among 171 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $14,458; among 457 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $21,843. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (128 students) and the average for the highest-income band (457 students) is $11,101. Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant, the average was $18,745.
$10,742 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving scholarships or grants, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Financial aid and loans
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students here, 77 received a scholarship or grant that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the average amount of that aid was $8,989 per year.
The Pell Grant—federal aid specifically for low-income families—reached 20 out of every 100 students. That figure is lower than the 77 above, and the difference may come from state, institutional, or other sources of aid that this breakdown does not allow us to attribute directly to the university.
Regarding loans: 37 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan in the 2022-23 school year. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,199 that year. That number is not the total debt with which someone graduates—it covers only one year and only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes take out, or bank or credit-card debt.
Here is a truth I prefer to state directly: this percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow depends on your child’s own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school—and before committing to it.
The university also reports a tuition installment payment plan and participation in a Promise-type program.
The campus, housing, and support services
Kansas State does have its own housing and meal plans, with a reported housing capacity of 5,696 spaces. Not all first-year students are required to live on campus, although that does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it. The availability of rooms does not guarantee a bed for your child—get this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or there is a waiting list in writing.
Regarding ROTC, the university reports an opportunity in two branches, the Army and Air Force. The Navy is not marked. Its presence in the report does not mean the program is offered on this specific campus—ask directly before building your child’s plan around it.
In athletics, it competes in the NCAA, with reported participation in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track. The membership belongs to the school, not your child—if your child is interested in competing, contact the coach directly and ask about a roster spot, division, and whether athletic aid is available, and get the answer in writing.
Regarding distance education, the university offers it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 10 take their entire course load online; the other 90 take at least one class in person.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual spending exceeds the threshold recorded by the federal government ($100,000). It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. That is a baseline, not a guarantee that specialized databases exist for your child’s major—that is something to ask about by program name.
Reported services also include combined academic and career counseling, employment services, job placement for graduates, on-campus childcare, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for military families, and a services page for people with disabilities.
If your child enrolls: how likely it is that your child will stay and graduate
For many families, this is the most important question of all.
Of the full-time class that entered in the fall of 2022, 87 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. That is a high figure—compared with similar universities, it falls in the upper part of the group. Among part-time students, that proportion drops to 54 out of every 100.
Now for graduation through completion. Of the bachelor’s-degree-seeking class that entered in 2017, 70 out of every 100 had a degree in hand six years later. At four years—the timeframe for which most families budget—the figure is only 47 out of every 100. There is a difference of 23 points between four and six years.
It is worth saying plainly: if your family budgets for four years of tuition, there is a real possibility that the fifth year—or part of it—will also need to be paid for. Before signing anything, get in writing how long your child’s specific program usually takes, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if it takes longer.
Compared with similar public universities, this six-year graduation rate places it in the highest quartile of the group—among the best in that respect within its comparison category.
Looking further out, at eight years: of a cohort that entered in 2015-16, 65 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by August 2023. Among Pell Grant recipients, that figure drops to 57 out of every 100—eleven points below those who did not receive it. The report does not explain why. If your family would qualify for Pell, it is worth asking the school directly what specific support is available: whether there is an assigned counselor, emergency assistance, and whether the institutional scholarship renews automatically each year. And get that answer in writing.
What this means for your plan
You now know, in considerable detail, one of the three pieces you need in order to decide: what Kansas State University is, how it admits students, how much it costs on paper and how much people actually end up paying, and how likely a student is to stay and graduate there.
The other two pieces are not found in any federal report. One is what your child wants to study, what your child has built so far, and how far away your child imagines living while studying. The other is what your family can actually afford and how far it is willing to stretch.
No number in this article decides for you. What it can do is help you avoid an expensive surprise in April, an unasked question during the visit, or an admission letter that is compared poorly with another. Your child has a part to play: study, explore, and decide what to pursue. You have yours: understand the money, ask the uncomfortable questions in time, and provide support without carrying the entire map alone.
With this, you can sit down and talk with your child about this university knowing that you both understand what you are discussing.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official data reported by Kansas State University to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Kansas State University or the United States government; this article organizes and explains public data and does not constitute personalized admissions advice.