Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas · Public · 81.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 69/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Kansas State University, the flagship land-grant public in Manhattan, Kansas, posts a Fair Value ROI score of 69/100. The fundamentals are solid across the board: 71.1% completion rate, 9.8-year payback period, debt-to-earnings of 0.513, and an 81.2% repayment rate that shows graduates are servicing loans reliably. In-state tuition is $11,221, with a $19,406 net price after aid and a four-year total around $77,624 - reasonable for a research university with strong engineering and ag-science programs. Out-of-state tuition runs $28,568, materially higher. Median earnings six years after entry sit at $41,400, rising to $57,262 at ten years - that ten-year figure tells the real K-State story, because the engineering and tech majors push the upper half well into the $80,000-$100,000 range. The earnings premium over high-school grads is 28.7%, which is decent but reflects the wide spread of majors. What drives the 69 score up: high completion, strong repayment, and a reasonable debt load. What holds it back from elite tier: median early earnings are dragged down by the large education, animal-science, and biology cohorts that earn well below the engineering grads. Major choice matters here more than at most schools.
Kansas State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $11,221/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $28,568/yr |
| Average net price | $19,406/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $77,624 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $57,262 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $41,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $225 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 71.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 15,142 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $11,221/year ($28,568/year out-of-state). Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $19,406/year, or roughly $77,624 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $13,178/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,665/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $21,250 in federal loans, which works out to about $225 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $57,262 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.51, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $13,178 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,143 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,369 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,110 |
| $110,001+ | $23,665 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $13,178 per year net - meaningfully below sticker, thanks to Pell and state aid. Over four years that is about $52,712, well within reasonable bounds given $41,400 median earnings and the strong-program upside. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $14,143, still affordable. Lower-income students who pick a strong-ROI major do well at K-State.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income households ($48,001-$110,000) pay $15,369 to $20,110 per year. Four-year cost runs $61,000-$80,000. This is the bracket where K-State delivers most clearly: full-pay state-university quality at a meaningful discount versus private alternatives, with engineering and tech majors easily clearing payback in under a decade.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $23,665 per year net - roughly twice the published in-state tuition because more of the room/board and full-pay positioning shows up at this bracket. Four-year cost is $94,660, still below typical private-school numbers. For high-income Kansans, K-State remains a strong-value pick versus going out-of-state.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Kansas State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education | $46,562 | C |
| Animal Sciences | $50,941 | C |
| Finance and Financial Management | $75,705 | C+ |
| Marketing | $69,837 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $69,735 | B |
| Mechanical Engineering | $88,533 | B+ |
| Nutrition Sciences | $62,128 | D |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | $65,677 | D |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $53,337 | C |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $107,194 | B+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is K-State's signature program - 140 graduates a year earning $72,627 at one year and $88,533 at four years, with $25,000 median debt and a 0.344 debt-to-earnings ratio - a B+ ROI grade. This is the K-State pitch: top-quartile engineering outcomes at land-grant tuition. Strong placement in aerospace, energy, and manufacturing across Kansas, Texas, and the broader Midwest.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer sciences (106 grads) earn $76,385 at year one and $107,194 at year four - the highest four-year earnings figure on campus. Median debt of $25,871 and a 0.339 debt-to-earnings ratio yield a B+ ROI grade. The four-year jump from $76k to $107k reflects strong career progression in tech roles. Best-in-show major at K-State for raw ROI.
Teacher Education
Teacher education is the second-largest program at 221 graduates, but the financial profile is weak: $44,320 first-year earnings, $46,562 at four years (essentially no growth), $24,999 median debt, and a 0.564 debt-to-earnings ratio yielding a C ROI grade. Kansas teacher salaries cap the upside. The mission rationale is real; the financial rationale is not.
Animal Sciences
Animal sciences (211 graduates) is one of K-State's largest programs by volume but posts $38,868 first-year earnings, $50,941 at four years, $22,757 debt, and a 0.585 debt-to-earnings ratio - a C ROI grade. Many graduates pursue vet school or grad work where this serves as a feeder; for those stopping at the bachelor's, the earnings are modest relative to debt.
Finance and Financial Management
Finance (173 grads) earns $54,509 at year one and $75,705 at year four, with $24,990 median debt and a 0.458 debt-to-earnings ratio - a C+ ROI grade. The four-year earnings ramp is healthy and consistent with finance career progression. Solid mid-range outcome - not flashy, but a defensible pick for Kansas students staying in the regional finance and ag-finance economy.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 78.3% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 81.2% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 74.7% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 80.7% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Kansas State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 81.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 510-620 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 550-640 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 20-27 |
| Enrollment | 15,142 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 20.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,853 |
K-State admits 81.69% of applicants - moderately selective but accessible to most prepared in-state students. SAT mid-ranges are 510-620 math and 550-640 reading; ACT composite mid-range is 20-27. These are mainstream public-flagship numbers, signaling K-State takes a broad cross-section of Kansas students. The 71% completion rate is consistent with the selectivity profile - prepared students who arrive ready to study typically finish.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
K-State's Scorecard peers include Emporia State University and Fort Hays State University (regional Kansas publics with lower ROI scores due to fewer high-earning STEM programs), plus West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Rowan University in New Jersey, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Against this group, K-State's 69 ROI score is competitive - it benefits from a stronger engineering pipeline than the Kansas regionals and a lower cost than the East Coast peers. Engineering and ag-science programs put K-State materially ahead of the regional comparison set.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State University (this school) | 69 | $19,406 | $57,262 |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | 72 | $15,664 | $57,624 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 67 | $23,331 | $61,258 |
| Rowan University | 66 | $22,408 | $59,988 |
| Fort Hays State University | 52 | $12,569 | $48,928 |
| Emporia State University | 44 | $16,261 | $47,601 |
Who Thrives Here
K-State enrolls 15,142 students with a 20.71% Pell rate, a typical land-grant mix skewing rural and Kansas-resident. The fit is strongest for students targeting engineering (mechanical, electrical, chemical, industrial), agriculture (food science, plant science, ag business), and computer sciences - all of which post B or B+ ROI grades with median first-year earnings of $60,000-$78,000. Students drawn to soft sciences, animal science (211 grads, $38,868 first-year earnings, C grade), or general biology should weigh major selection carefully.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Kansas State University is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $19,406 a year after aid ($77,624 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $57,262 a decade out, the cost takes about 9.8 years to earn back. That's roughly average - not a bargain, not a mistake.
What it has going for it: its 71.1% graduation rate.
Median debt of $21,250 against $57,262 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.