1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Kansas State University](/school/kansas-state-university/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # Kansas State University Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/kansas-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/kansas-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/kansas-state-university/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/kansas-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/kansas-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at Kansas State University? Kansas State University’s reported acceptance rate is 81.7%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 81.7% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2025-26 **Applicants** 15,591 **Admitted** 13,642 Source: Kansas State University Common Data Set 2025-26, C1 · first-time, first-year students. How to interpret the acceptance rate Kansas State University admits 81.7% of applicants, a rate that sits close to the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The university's 2025-26 Common Data Set lists first-year admission counts. There were 15,591 applicants, 13,642 admitted students, and 3,775 enrolled students. ## What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled Kansas State University students report? In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that the middle half of enrolled first-year students who submitted ACT scores earned between 20 and 27. 80% of the entering class submitted ACT scores, so this range describes most of the cohort. For the smaller share who submitted SAT scores, the middle half ranged from 1040 to 1260. Only 7% of enrolled students submitted SAT scores, so that range reflects a narrow slice of the class. Among enrolled first-year students with a reported class rank, 29% placed in the highest tenth of their high school class and 56% in the highest quarter. These figures describe the students who reported a rank, not the entire entering class. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at Kansas State University. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. **7% of entering students submitted SAT scores** SAT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 1040 **Median** 1140 **75th percentile** 1260 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. **80% of entering students submitted ACT scores** ACT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 20 **Median** 24 **75th percentile** 27 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. Source: Kansas State University Common Data Set 2025-26, C9 · Enrolled first-time, first-year score submitters. ## Who enrolls at Kansas State University? **Pell Grant recipients** 20.7% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 26.7% **First-year retention** 85.6% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. Kansas State University is a public university in Manhattan, Kansas, serving 15,142 undergraduates. Its admission rate of 81.7% sits close to the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size), reflecting broad access. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 15,591 first-year applicants, 13,642 admitted students, and 3,775 enrolled first-year students. Pell Grant recipients make up 20.7% of undergraduates, and an estimated 26.7% of students enter as transfers or part-time students. The transfer path is well-established: in its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 2,961 transfer applicants, 2,077 admitted, and 1,212 enrolled. Pell-eligible and transfer applicants should connect early with the university's support offices, which help students from varied entry points stay on track toward a degree. Students who start at Kansas State University tend to stay and finish at rates that outpace comparable institutions. The federal first-year retention rate is 85.6%, above the peer median of 83.1% for institutions of the same type and size. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 71.1%, also above its peer median of 65.0%. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported a retention rate of 86% for the first-time, full-time fall 2024 entering class. Pell Grant recipients complete at a lower rate. Their six-year completion rate is 55.3%, which is 15.8 percentage points below the overall rate. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).