Kansas State University Admission
Kansas State University Undergraduate Program
Kansas State University Application

The Facts

Kansas State University is a large, public university located in the town of Manhattan, Kansas, and is home to over 16,300 undergraduate students and approximately 4,000 graduate and part-time students. The school has an almost exclusive focus on preprofessional studies, and makes a point of preparing students for the real world to come when they begin their careers. The university is actually divided up into several smaller undergraduate colleges including schools of agriculture, architecture, planning and design, arts and sciences, business administration, education, engineering, human ecology, as well as technology and aviation. The wide range of schools offers students many internship and research opportunities, as well as over 200 majors; some of the most popular choices include journalism, mechanical engineering, animal science, psychology, and elementary education.

Admission to KSU is quite competitive, although not much more competitive than any other large state school in the country. Last year, over 8,000 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 4,700 of those students were accepted; of those, about 3,500 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1100 to 1320, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 21 to 26. Additionally, over 56% of those admitted were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of 3.52.

KSU has an impressive student to faculty ratio of 12:1, which is quite intimate, particularly for such a large state school. While many of the introductory core classes are held in large lecture halls with upwards of 150 students, most of the more specific upper-level classes are held in rather small seminars, and have a lot of hands-on work as well as discussions based on the studies. The university also has a unique PILOTS program, in which students can receive free tutoring, and be put into smaller classes where their voices can be more readily heard.

The Social Scene

The town of Manhattan, Kansas is definitely not to be confused with the East Coast urban island of the same name. It is a small town in comparison, although it is home to a large Army base, Fort Riley. The town has really embraced its college-town status, and offers students a great amount of entertainment, including student-friendly bars, restaurants, cafes, and shops. The school has a large amount of fraternities and sororities that are known for throwing some rowdy weekend parties that tend to be quite popular with the student population. Drinking is definitely a popular activity at KSU, and the party scene is not to be missed. Most students own cars, and the nearby city of Kansas City makes a popular weekend road trip destination for those who crave a bit more urban excitement. The school also boasts over 380 student-run clubs and organizations that span from the Opera Guild to the Quarter Scale Tractor Team. Interesting...

The dating scene is awesome, and reflects the fun loving nature of KSU students. Expect to meet some hot party animals that will be more than eager to take you to a party or two.

What’s Good

“The party scene is incredible at KSU; there’s always something going on either on or off campus, but usually both.”

“The research facilities here are like nothing I’ve ever seen. They are really incredible, and accessible to students.”

“Even though the school is huge, you do receive a lot of individualized attention from your professors.”

What’s Bad

“The party scene can get way too out of hand. If you actually want to study or work on the weekends, it’s nearly impossible.”

“The introductory classes are massive, and I don’t remember a thing from them.”

“The town of Manhattan is really boring, besides the one street with some shops and bars. It’s a cruel joke of fate that it’s got the same name as the best city in the country...”

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