Graduates of Kentucky State University earn median 4-year earnings of $46,766, placing Kentucky State University in the 8.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing Kentucky State University in the 56.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Kentucky State University #1242 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to KY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects Kentucky State University's concentration in business and applied fields. Subject-Specific Teacher Education is the largest program with 15 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $34,522, performing at 0.7× the national benchmark for the field. General Studies enrolls 14 graduates, while Psychology, General with 14 graduates earns median 4-year earnings of $42,743 at 0.8× the national benchmark. Journalism rounds out the largest programs with 12 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $42,363 at 0.8× the national benchmark. This program mix—anchored in Business and complemented by applied professional fields—supports stable career pathways and earnings outcomes that align with regional labor-market demand.
Graduates of Kentucky State University earn median 4-year earnings of $46,766, placing Kentucky State University in the 8.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing Kentucky State University in the 56.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Kentucky State University #1242 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to KY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects Kentucky State University's concentration in business and applied fields. Subject-Specific Teacher Education is the largest program with 15 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $34,522, performing at 0.7× the national benchmark for the field. General Studies enrolls 14 graduates, while Psychology, General with 14 graduates earns median 4-year earnings of $42,743 at 0.8× the national benchmark. Journalism rounds out the largest programs with 12 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $42,363 at 0.8× the national benchmark. This program mix—anchored in Business and complemented by applied professional fields—supports stable career pathways and earnings outcomes that align with regional labor-market demand.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Kentucky State University earn median 4-year earnings of $46,766, placing Kentucky State University in the 8.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing Kentucky State University in the 56.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Kentucky State University #1242 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to KY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects Kentucky State University's concentration in business and applied fields. Subject-Specific Teacher Education is the largest program with 15 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $34,522, performing at 0.7× the national benchmark for the field. General Studies enrolls 14 graduates, while Psychology, General with 14 graduates earns median 4-year earnings of $42,743 at 0.8× the national benchmark. Journalism rounds out the largest programs with 12 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $42,363 at 0.8× the national benchmark. This program mix—anchored in Business and complemented by applied professional fields—supports stable career pathways and earnings outcomes that align with regional labor-market demand.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Kentucky State University's program mix is anchored in business, education, and applied professional fields—a portfolio reflecting the institution's regional public-university mission. Business Administration is the largest program with 31 graduates, followed by Subject-Specific Teacher Education, General Studies, Psychology, General, and Journalism. The dominant program family, Business, accounts for a substantial share of the institution's degree output across 11 total programs. Among the institution's ranked programs, several deliver solid four-year earnings outcomes. Criminal Justice leads with median earnings of $46,767 four years after enrollment, with 12 graduates. Psychology, General graduates earn median earnings of $42,743, while Journalism and Subject-Specific Teacher Education deliver median earnings of $42,363 and $34,522 respectively. These programs represent the institution's strongest early-career earnings outcomes and reflect fields where regional employers actively recruit. The program-mix signature—concentrated in Business at 21%, Education at 12%, and Social Sciences at 6%—positions Kentucky State as a regional professional-education institution. Many of these programs are direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates enter stable, in-demand sectors including business, education, and public service. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how these program families align with regional and national labor-market demand.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Kentucky State University earn median 4-year earnings of $46,766, placing Kentucky State University in the 8.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn at roughly the same level as similar students at comparable institutions, placing Kentucky State University in the 56.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Kentucky State University #1242 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to KY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects Kentucky State University's concentration in business and applied fields. Subject-Specific Teacher Education is the largest program with 15 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $34,522, performing at 0.7× the national benchmark for the field. General Studies enrolls 14 graduates, while Psychology, General with 14 graduates earns median 4-year earnings of $42,743 at 0.8× the national benchmark. Journalism rounds out the largest programs with 12 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $42,363 at 0.8× the national benchmark. This program mix—anchored in Business and complemented by applied professional fields—supports stable career pathways and earnings outcomes that align with regional labor-market demand.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories