Public · College

Keene State College

Keene, New Hampshire · Distant town

#3 best value in New Hampshire#5 graduation rate in New Hampshire
90.3%
Admit rate
$17,887
Avg net price
60%
Graduation rate
$54,368
Median earnings

Keene State College is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Keene, New Hampshire (distant town setting), enrolling 2,699 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 2,699 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 90% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

About Keene, New Hampshire

Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. In 1735, colonial Governor Jonathan Belcher granted lots in the township of "Upper Ashuelot" to 63 settlers who paid £5 each (equivalent to US$1,282.19 in 2025). It was settled after 1736 on Equivalent Lands. Keene has more than 20 churches, mostly Protestant, and one synagogue, Congregation Ahavas Achim. A significant landmark in downtown Keene is the United Church of Christ at Central Square, colloquially known in town as the "White Church" or the "Church at the Head of the Square". (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
72 miles
Nearest airport
43 miles to Manchester-Boston (MHT)

How Keene State College compares

Selectivity90.3%

More selective than 23% · #8 most selective of 11 in New Hampshire

Graduation rate60%

Higher than 60% · #5 of 13 in New Hampshire

First-year retention79%

Higher than 58%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,368

Higher than 52% · #8 of 15 in New Hampshire

Average net price$17,887

Cheaper than 60% · #3 cheapest of 13 in New Hampshire

Median debt at graduation$25,749

Lower than 27%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment2,699

Larger than 66%

Percentiles compare Keene State College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in New Hampshire.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,822students
  • Undergraduate2,69996%
  • Graduate1234%

Undergraduates by gender

2,699undergrads
  • Women1,52957%
  • Men1,17043%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White83%
  • Black2.4%
  • Hispanic5.6%
  • Asian1.4%
  • Other or multiracial7.2%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,699
Graduate enrollment
123
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
26%
First-generation students
23%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$85,480
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$92,574
Endowment
$61,452,755

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 728 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From New Hampshire54%
  • Other U.S. states46%

A regional draw: about 54% of first-years come from New Hampshire, the rest from elsewhere.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
90.3%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$14,784
Out-of-state tuition
$26,840
Room & board
$13,766
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$29,993
Average net price
$17,887

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
60%
Graduated on time (4 years)
51%
First-year retention
79%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,649
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,368
Median debt at graduation
$25,749
Students with federal loans
67%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
71%

About 9% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
51%
Low-income (Pell)
51%
First-generation
49%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,999
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
74%
Housing charge (year)
$8,616
Meal plan (year)
$5,040
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
570 (287 men · 283 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)147
Lacrosse72
Soccer61
Ice Hockey53
Other Sports46
Baseball40
Basketball33
Field Hockey27
Swimming and Diving (combined)23
Golf22
Softball19
Volleyball16
Swimming11

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
22
Property offenses (2022–2024)
3

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (2,848 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

8.3reported offenses a year
7.3 violent a year1.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
3.3
Rape
2.7
Aggravated assault
1.3
Burglary
1.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$12,192
$30–48k
$12,536
$48–75k
$16,045
$75–110k
$18,004
$110k+
$22,928

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$67,871

$16,045/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$8,573
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 100% — get grant money from Keene State College itself, averaging $8,573, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 707 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$54,368
Typical debt at graduation
$25,749
Debt vs. one year's pay
47%
Out-earn a HS grad
65%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$52,235
Men
$60,476

Men out-earn women by $8,241 (16%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
82°F
Winter low
10°F
Annual rain
46.1″
Annual snow
59.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Keene, NH US station (2.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Keene State College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Keene State College side by side →

Colleges near Keene State College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.