Public · University

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky · Distant town

#5 best value in Kentucky
85.7%
Admit rate
$9,096
Avg net price
61%
Graduation rate
$44,737
Median earnings

Murray State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Murray, Kentucky (distant town setting), enrolling 6,688 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 6,688 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 86% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Missouri Valley ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
85.7%
SAT (mid 50%)
940–1170
Avg GPA (est.)
3.25

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

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

About Murray, Kentucky

Murray is a home rule-class city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. Later, the name was changed to “Pooltown” after Robert Pool, a local merchant. The name was changed again to “Pleasant Springs” before its incorporation on January 17, 1844, when the present name was adopted to honor Rep. John Murray. The Clara M. Eagle Gallery is a multi-level art gallery that houses around 1,200 permanent artworks. The gallery has also been home to temporary shows, featuring contemporary art, African art, woodworking, and tapestries from Spain. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
351 miles
Nearest airport
40 miles to Barkley (PAH)

How Murray State University compares

Selectivity85.7%

More selective than 34% · #15 most selective of 26 in Kentucky

SAT average1133

Higher than 41%

Graduation rate61%

Higher than 62% · #8 of 30 in Kentucky

First-year retention76%

Higher than 48%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$44,737

Higher than 23% · #16 of 29 in Kentucky

Average net price$9,096

Cheaper than 93% · #5 cheapest of 29 in Kentucky

Median debt at graduation$20,500

Lower than 72%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment6,688

Larger than 83%

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

Murray State University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

8,857students
  • Undergraduate6,68876%
  • Graduate2,16924%

Undergraduates by gender

6,688undergrads
  • Women4,19063%
  • Men2,49837%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White78%
  • Black6.1%
  • Hispanic3.5%
  • Asian0.8%
  • Other or multiracial11%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
6,688
Graduate enrollment
2,169
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
33%
First-generation students
34%
Students over 25
9%
Median family income
$46,064
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$70,695
Endowment
$128,647,523

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 1,659 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Kentucky61%
  • Other U.S. states38%
  • International1.6%

A regional draw: about 61% of first-years come from Kentucky, the rest from elsewhere.

2% came from outside the U.S. 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
85.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
940–1170
SAT average
1133
SAT reading
480–600
SAT math
460–570
ACT composite
19–26
Average GPA (estimated)
3.25

Cost

In-state tuition
$9,900
Out-of-state tuition
$19,836
Room & board
$11,112
Books & supplies
$940
Total cost of attendance
$23,485
Average net price
$9,096

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)
61%
Graduated on time (4 years)
49%
First-year retention
76%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$38,473
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$44,737
Median debt at graduation
$20,500
Students with federal loans
35%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
50%

About 13% 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
49%
Low-income (Pell)
45%
First-generation
47%

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
3,052
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
46%
Housing charge (year)
$5,748
Meal plan (year)
$4,846
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Missouri Valley Conference
Varsity athletes
436 (191 men · 245 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 (11)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)136
Football110
Baseball40
Basketball31
Soccer28
Softball22
Golf21
Tennis13
Volleyball13
Rifle12
Cross Country10

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
31
Property offenses (2022–2024)
18

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 7 campuses (10,020 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.

16reported offenses a year
10 violent a year6.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
5.0
Fondling
3.7
Burglary
3.7
Motor vehicle theft
2.3
Aggravated assault
1.3
Robbery
0.3

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
$6,242
$30–48k
$6,347
$48–75k
$8,104
$75–110k
$12,811
$110k+
$15,450

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
$34,916

$8,104/year × about 4.3 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.

95%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$8,532
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 95% — get grant money from Murray State University itself, averaging $8,532, 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 1,360 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)
$44,737
Typical debt at graduation
$20,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
46%
Out-earn a HS grad
54%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.6 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
$41,350
Men
$52,452

Men out-earn women by $11,102 (27%) 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
89°F
Winter low
27°F
Annual rain
58.1″
Annual snow
6.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.95.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Murray, KY US station (0.9 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 Murray State University

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

Colleges near Murray 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.