Public · University

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, Kentucky · Distant town

#2 best value in Kentucky
96.1%
Admit rate
$8,040
Avg net price
32%
Graduation rate
$36,382
Median earnings

Kentucky State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Frankfort, Kentucky (distant town setting), enrolling 1,309 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

PublicSmall · 1,309 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 96% admitNCAA Division II with football · Southern Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Kentucky State University's admitted students.

Admit rate
96.1%
ACT (mid 50%)
14–17
Avg GPA (est.)
2.61

Enter a test score to see where you land against Kentucky State University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Kentucky State University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Frankfort, Kentucky

Frankfort is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Pioneer Stephen Frank was killed at the Kentucky River and the settlers thereafter called the crossing "Frank's Ford". This name was later elided to Frankfort. Cove Spring Park—240 acres (97 hectares), divided into three sections. The Lower Entrance features nature trails, picnic areas, and waterfalls. The Upper Entrance includes an archery range and the Sky Trail. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
245 miles
Nearest airport
18 miles to Blue Grass (LEX)

How Kentucky State University compares

Selectivity96.1%

More selective than 11% · #23 most selective of 26 in Kentucky

SAT average870

Higher than 1%

Graduation rate32%

Higher than 13% · #30 of 30 in Kentucky

First-year retention64%

Higher than 18%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$36,382

Higher than 9% · #28 of 29 in Kentucky

Average net price$8,040

Cheaper than 95% · #2 cheapest of 29 in Kentucky

Median debt at graduation$25,938

Lower than 26%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment1,309

Larger than 46%

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

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,536students
  • Undergraduate1,30985%
  • Graduate22715%

Undergraduates by gender

1,309undergrads
  • Women75558%
  • Men55442%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White7.8%
  • Black79%
  • Hispanic2.4%
  • Other or multiracial11%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,309
Graduate enrollment
227
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
58%
First-generation students
40%
Students over 25
7%
Median family income
$27,492
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$63,324
Endowment
$22,486,515

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 344 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Kentucky36%
  • Other U.S. states64%

A national draw — only 36% of first-years come from Kentucky; 64% arrive from other states.

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
96.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
870
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
14–17
Average GPA (estimated)
2.61

Cost

In-state tuition
$9,387
Out-of-state tuition
$13,658
Room & board
$8,686
Books & supplies
$1,560
Total cost of attendance
$21,727
Average net price
$8,040

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)
32%
Graduated on time (4 years)
14%
First-year retention
64%
Transferred to another college
20%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$29,640
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$36,382
Median debt at graduation
$25,938
Students with federal loans
56%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
17%

About 18% 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
14%
Low-income (Pell)
32%
First-generation
34%

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
1,171
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
89%
Housing charge (year)
$4,500
Meal plan (year)
$3,686
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
375 (271 men · 104 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 (9)

Football131
Track and Field (Outdoor)55
Track and Field (Indoor)53
Basketball33
Baseball30
Volleyball28
Cross Country22
Softball15
Golf8

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
10
Property offenses (2022–2024)
2

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,020 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.

4.0reported offenses a year
3.3 violent a year0.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
2.0
Aggravated assault
1.3
Burglary
0.7

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
$10,225
$30–48k
$6,739
$48–75k
$5,256
$75–110k
$1,958
$110k+

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
$25,495

$5,256/year × about 4.9 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.

91%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$2,320
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 91% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,320. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

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 324 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)
$36,382
Typical debt at graduation
$25,938
Debt vs. one year's pay
71%
Out-earn a HS grad
38%

Typical debt would take roughly 7.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Weigh it value

The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.

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
$36,221
Men
$36,874

Men out-earn women by $653 (2%) 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
88°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
47.3″
Annual snow
14.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Frankfort Capital City AP, KY US station (2.8 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 Kentucky State University

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

Colleges near Kentucky State University

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.