Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY
400 East Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40601-2355
502-597-6000

Kentucky State University (KSU) is a public university in Frankfort, Kentucky. It is a land-grant university and part of the Kentucky state university system. KSU was founded in 1886 as a Normal School to train black teachers. It became a state college in 1952 and a university in 1966. KSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in over 70 academic programs. The university's athletics teams are known as the Thorobreds and compete in the NCAA Division II.

KSU was founded in 1886 as the State Normal School for Colored Persons. The school was created in response to the 1879 state law that required separate schools for black and white students. The Normal School was the first public institution of higher education for black students in Kentucky. The school's mission was to train black teachers. The school's first class graduated in 1890. In 1952, the school became a state college and began offering bachelor's degrees. In 1966, the school became a university and began offering graduate degrees.

The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. KSU offers over 70 undergraduate and graduate programs. The university's athletics teams are known as the Thorobreds and compete in the NCAA Division II. KSU has a marching band, the Marching Thorobreds, which performs at university and community events.

Quick Facts

Enrollment: 2290

Acceptance Rate: 83.98%

Type: Public, 4-year or above

Main Website: https://www.kysu.edu/

Financial Aid: https://kysu.edu/administration-governance/enrollment-management-and-student-engagement/financial-aid/

Annual Costs

Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $17778

Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $21628

Return on Investment Rating

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The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Kentucky State University is $69345.65. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.

We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Kentucky State University. For graduates of Kentucky State University, we saw an average early-career income of $47800.00 and mid-career income of $69100.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.