Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Kansas State University graduates experience steady earnings growth from early to mid-career stages. Median earnings increase from $49,330 six years after enrollment to $52,622 at eight years and reach $57,262 at ten years, representing 16.1% growth from the six-year to ten-year measurement points.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings fall below the peer average for similar institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $21,250 in debt with typical earnings.
Kansas State University graduates carry a median debt load of $21,250, compared to a peer median of $20,000, representing $1,250 more borrowing than similar public institutions. Student debt spans from $7,500 at the 25th percentile to $27,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating variation in borrowing patterns across the student population.
Kansas State University achieves above average return on investment performance, ranking at the 71.6th percentile nationally with steady long-term outcomes. Graduates earn a median of $57,262 ten years after enrollment, ranking at the 64th percentile, while maintaining manageable debt levels of $21,250.
Approximately 21.9% of Kansas State graduates continue to graduate or professional school, with high confidence in this estimate based on program mix ...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Kansas State University's strongest earnings outcomes cluster in engineering and technical fields, led by Chemical Engineering graduates earning $97,457 and Construction Engineering Technology producing $90,782 median earnings. Mechanical Engineering graduates earn $79,131, while Computer Science programs generate $69,338.
Business programs demonstrate consistent mid-range performance, with Accounting Technology graduates earning $68,922, Banking and Financial Support Services producing $63,146, and Digital Marketing generating $61,965. Agricultural programs, representing Kansas State's historical strength, produce solid outcomes with Agribusiness graduates earning $61,185 and Agricultural Animal Breeding graduates earning $44,097.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings distribution at Kansas State shows meaningful variation across career paths, with graduates at the 75th percentile earning $82,952 compared to $38,852 at the 25th percentile. This 2.1:1 ratio reflects differences in program choice and career direction rather than extreme inequality.
