Kansas State University
Visit Kansas State University | Contact Administration

Kansas State University is a comprehensive, research, land-grant institution first serving students and the people of Kansas, and also the nation and the world.

Since its founding in 1863, the University has evolved into a modern institution of higher education, committed to quality programs, and responsive to a rapidly changing world and the aspirations of an increasingly diverse society. Together with other major comprehensive universities, Kansas State shares responsibilities for developing human potential, expanding knowledge, enriching cultural expression, and extending its expertise to individuals, business, education, and government. These responsibilities are addressed through an array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, research and creative activities, and outreach and public service programs. In addition, its land-grant mandate, based on federal and state legislation, establishes a focus to its instructional, research, and extension activities which is unique among the Regents' institutions.

Through quality teaching, the University is committed to provide all students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, understanding, and skills characteristic of an educated person. It is also pledged to prepare students for successful employment or advanced studies through a variety of disciplinary and professional degree programs. To meet these intentions, the institution dedicates itself to providing academic and extracurricular learning experiences which promote and value both excellence and cultural diversity. Kansas State University prepares its students to be informed, productive, and responsible citizens who participate actively in advancing cultural, educational, economic, scientific, and socio-political undertakings.

Research and other creative endeavors comprise an essential component of Kansas State University's mission. All faculty members contribute to the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge. These efforts, supported by public and private resources, are conducted in an atmosphere of open inquiry and academic freedom. Basic to the pursuit of this mission is the University's commitment to broad-based programs in graduate education at both the master's and doctoral levels.

Kansas State University's mission includes enriching the lives of the citizens of Kansas by extending to them opportunities to engage in life-long learning and to benefit from the results of research. The University addresses this charge through mutually supportive activities on its Manhattan and Salina campuses, research and extension sites at numerous locations, outreach programs offered throughout the State and nation, and international activities.

The mission of Kansas State University is enhanced by symbiotic relationships among the discovery of knowledge, the education of undergraduate and graduate students, and improvement in the quality of life through research applications. Coordinated teaching, research, and extension services help develop the highly skilled and educated work force necessary to the economic well-being of Kansas, the nation, and the international community.

Kansas State University earns raves as one of America’s “best value” public colleges: The Princeton Review ranks us as #5, and Consumers Digest rates us #16. Here’s a quick profile:

Quick facts
Undergraduate colleges: Arts and sciences; engineering; business administration; education; agriculture; human ecology; architecture, planning, and design; and technology and aviation (K-State at Salina).

Graduate study: The Graduate School offers 65 masters degrees, 45 doctoral degrees and 22 graduate certificates in multiple disciplines across campus.

Students: More than 23,000 from all 50 states and more than 90 countries.

Degrees: 200+ undergraduate majors and options are available. Grad students can choose from more than 100 masters, doctoral, and certificate programs.

Organizations: More than 375 student organizations and more than 20 club sports.

Sports: NCAA Division 1. Big 12 Conference. Club sports range from softball to water skiing.

Financial aid: More than $151 million in scholarships, grants, loans, and work study is distributed each year.

Locations: The main campus is located in Manhattan, Kansas. The “Little Apple,” with a population of 49,000, is a classic college town with a zoo, a mall, 21 parks, and a recreation trail that circles the city. The College of Technology and Aviation is located in Salina, home to the Smoky Hill River Festival.

Achievements
K-State ranks first nationally among state universities in its total of Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall scholars since 1986. Our students have won more than $2 million in those five competitions and have earned K-State a place among the nation’s elite universities. Check out other achievements:

History
K-State got its start in 1858, when Bluemont Central College was founded and 53 students enrolled. Five years later K-State became the first college in America to be officially designated a land-grant school.

By 2004 K-State’s enrollment had grown to more than 23,000.

Big 12
K-State is in the Big 12 Conference of collegiate athletics. The conference is made up of 12 institutions, sponsors 21 sports, and encompasses seven states in its geographical footprint.

Kansas Regents institutions
K-State is a member of The Kansas Board of Regents, a nine-member body which governs the six state universities, and supervises and coordinates 19 community colleges, five technical colleges, six technical schools and a municipal university.

Peer universities
K-State's five official academic peers are determined by land-grant status, student population, and other factors: Colorado State University, Iowa State University, North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University, Oregon State University

The main K-State campus is a 664-acre site in northeast Kansas.

The city of Manhattan is locally known as "The Little Apple". It has a 45,000+ population.

A second campus in Salina is a 149-acre site in central Kansas, 70 miles west of Manhattan. This campus is on the southwest side of the city of Salina, which has a population of 40,000+.