Kansas State University
Kansas State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Kansas State University Featured Rankings
- #2 Kansas's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #2 Best Colleges in Kansas 2026
- #2 Best Online MBAs Kansas
- #2 Best Public Colleges in Kansas 2026
- #2 Best Grad Schools in Kansas 2026
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Kansas
- #2 Most Affordable Online Bachelor's of Business Degree Programs
- #2 Best Research Universities in Kansas 2026
- #3 Online Colleges with Great Financial Aid
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #13 15 Colleges with the Happiest Freshmen
About Kansas State University
According to Wikipedia, Kansas State University is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public institution of higher learning in the state of Kansas. It had a record high enrollment of 24,766 students for the Fall 2014 semester.
Kansas State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13,437 | 82% | 86% | 71% | 1160 | 23 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Kansas State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $11,579 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $12,650 |
| 30K - 48K | $11,613 |
| 48K - 75K | $13,499 |
| 75K - 110K | $19,307 |
| 110K+ | $23,192 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Kansas State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Kansas State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $61,473 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Kansas State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 22,106 | 16,473 | 5,633 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Kansas State University?
Kansas State University is located at 919 Mid-Campus Drive, Anderson Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506.
How Safe is Kansas State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Kansas State University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.05%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is Kansas State University Known For?
Kansas State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Anthropology
- Economics
- Physics
- History
- Business
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- Education
- Political Science
- Communications
- Literature
- Sociology
- Medical
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Religious Studies
- Philosophy
Kansas State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Kansas State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Kansas State University ranks #89 in the U.S. and #394 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesKansas State University ranks #92 in the U.S. and #283 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesKansas State University ranks #106 in the U.S. and #390 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesKansas State University ranks #113 in the U.S. and #470 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesKansas State University ranks #123 in the U.S. and #349 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesKansas State University ranks #127 in the U.S. and #540 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesKansas State University ranks #145 in the U.S. and #579 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesKansas State University ranks #147 in the U.S. and #403 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesKansas State University ranks #148 in the U.S. and #439 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesKansas State University ranks #152 in the U.S. and #569 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesKansas State University ranks #156 in the U.S. and #635 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesKansas State University ranks #158 in the U.S. and #591 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesKansas State University ranks #176 in the U.S. and #687 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesKansas State University ranks #184 in the U.S. and #641 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesKansas State University ranks #198 in the U.S. and #564 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesKansas State University ranks #198 in the U.S. and #742 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesKansas State University ranks #211 in the U.S. and #725 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesKansas State University ranks #222 in the U.S. and #529 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesKansas State University ranks #237 in the U.S. and #550 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesKansas State University ranks #298 in the U.S. and #1267 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesKansas State University ranks #303 in the U.S. and #983 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWho Are Kansas State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Kansas State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Biology, and Anthropology. Here are some of Kansas State University's most famous alumni:
- Vernon L. Smith
- An American economist.
- Paul R. Ehrlich
- An American biologist and environmentalist noted for his warning about population growth being unsustainable.
- Samuel Wendell Williston
- An American paleontologist .
- Clyde Tombaugh
- An American astronomer .
- Hobart Muir Smith
- An American herpetologist .
- Sara Paretsky
- A Modern American author of detective fiction.
- Juan Manuel Santos
- A Former president of Colombia.
- David Fairchild
- A U.S. botanist .
- Alexander Wetmore
- An American ornithologist and avian paleontologist .
- Jay Laurence Lush
- An American geneticist .
- Russell C. Eberhart
- An American electrical engineer.
- Gary L. Wells
- An American psychologist.
Who Are Kansas State University's Most Influential Faculty?
Kansas State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Biology, and Anthropology. Here are some of Kansas State University's most famous faculty:
- Michael Wesch
- An American anthropologist.
- Pascal Hitzler
- A German American Computer Scientist.
- Sam Brinton
- An American nuclear waste disposal expert.
- Kirby Hocutt
- An American football player and coach, college athletics administrator.
- Zeyaur Khan
- An Indian agronomist and entomologist.
- Vikas Berry
- A Researcher.
- Krista S. Walton
- An American chemical engineer.
