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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Kansas State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/kansas-state-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/kansas-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/kansas-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/kansas-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/kansas-state-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Kansas State University cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at Kansas State University is $27,402. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $10,601 and required fees of $978 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $11,520.

Out-of-state students face tuition of $28,555. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $19,406, which is $3,772 above the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Financial aid reduces the published cost by $7,996 on average. Azimuth ranks the university #584 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Affordability is the weakest pillar for Kansas State University, which Azimuth places in the 59th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $19,406.

That is above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,772. Median federal student debt for completers who borrowed is $21,250, which is above the peer median of $20,076 by $1,174.

Average net prices stretch from $13,178 for low-income families to $23,665 for high-income families, a spread of $10,487.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $13,178; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $14,143; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $15,369; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $20,110; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $23,665.

Pell Grant recipients make up 20.7% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,487.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$13,178

**$30–48K**
$14,143

**$48–75K**
$15,369

**$75–110K**
$20,110

**$110K+**
$23,665

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$19,406**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 29% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a reduction of $7,996 from the sticker price. The pattern across income bands is progressive: the lowest band averages $13,178, rising through $14,143, $15,369, and $20,110 to $23,665 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,487. That spread describes a pricing structure with more aid at lower incomes.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size). The peer median is the middle value for institutions in the same comparison group.

The published cost of attendance at Kansas State University is $27,402. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $13,178.

For the middle band, families earning $48,001–$75,000, it is $15,369, and for families earning over $110,000 it is $23,665. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,487.

Azimuth ranks the university #584 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 29% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $7,996 against the sticker price.

The average net price across all aid recipients is $19,406, which is above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,772. The median federal student debt at completion is $21,250.

About 89.5% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is above the peer median of $20,076 by $1,174.

For parents, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $27,283. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month if repaid over ten years.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is widespread at Kansas State University: 89.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among completers, the median federal student debt is $21,250.

That median is above the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,174. Parent borrowers, a separate population, carry a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan of $27,283.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 47% of a cohort of 2,199 bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source. The average cumulative debt per borrower was $25,718.

Of all graduates, 46% held federal loans averaging $19,442. A smaller group, 9% of graduates, took on private loans, where the average was $37,070.

Four years after completion, graduates of Kansas State University earn a median of $64,711, which places the university in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. They earn about $2,477 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that falls in the 64th percentile nationally.

Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix show a typical earnings level of $64,711, with a downside scenario of $48,227 and an upside scenario of $88,655. The median federal student debt at completion is $21,250, which is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month if repaid over ten years. Earnings that beat the model's expectation and a debt level that runs only slightly above the peer median point in the same direction.

The return picture here is solid, with the typical graduate's earnings providing a comfortable margin over the modeled loan payment.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $27,283. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $242.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$27,283

**Estimated parent payment**
$347/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |

The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$21,250

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$27,283

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$242/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$347/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$589/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $64,711, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**6.9%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=kansas-state-university#student-tool)

## 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.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.