Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

Fort Hays State University

Hays, Kansas·Public, 4-year or above·Plains·fhsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
48%
-4.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
12,878
peer median 11,795
Avg net price
$13,493
-$2.0k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
2,619
2,619 candidates competed
Admitted
2,364
90.3% acceptance rate
Enrolled
989
41.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
48%-4.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
30%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
46%
Full-time retention
77%

Pell equity

8.0pp gap
Pell recipients
41%
Non-Pell
49%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 90 Title IV programs, 34 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 56 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
90
Passing
34
37.8% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

90programs
  • Passing34 · 37.8%
  • No Data56 · 62.2%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
5
Safe
29
No data
56

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

34
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+10.2%
$59,149 vs $53,672
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
+14.5%
$51,641 vs $45,084
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+14.8%
$51,758 vs $45,084
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+15.3%
$39,280 vs $34,058
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
+23.8%
$55,830 vs $45,084
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Other
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+29.4%
$66,697 vs $51,545
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+30.4%
$44,405 vs $34,058
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+32.7%
$45,190 vs $34,058

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

28
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
63%
$32,334 debt · $51,758 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
56%
$25,000 debt · $44,405 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
56%
$22,000 debt · $39,280 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
54%
$24,538 debt · $45,190 earn
Marketing
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
50%
$31,000 debt · $62,261 earn
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Other
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
42%
$27,971 debt · $66,697 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Master's Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
41%
$26,862 debt · $65,851 earn
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
40%
$24,491 debt · $60,958 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1915Next review Aug 2034

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 8

  1. Feb 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Sep 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  3. Apr 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
  4. Jul 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  5. Oct 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$9,964
$30–48k$10,228
$48–75k$12,389
$75–110k$16,573
$110k+$16,847

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$13,493
-$2,026vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $15,519
Federal loans
27.0%
In-state tuition
$5,633
Out-of-state
$16,811

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 3,126 students received $15.8M in Pell grants, alongside $32.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,126
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$15.8M
$15,822,867 total
Direct Loans
$32.1M
5,437 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
20
3k
21
3k
22
3k
23
3k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$8.1M
2,107 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$10.6M
2,219 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$12.2M
979 loan awards
Parent PLUS$1.1M
115 loan awards
Grad PLUS$137K
17 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 2,874 borrowers who entered repayment, 52 (1.8%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.8%
-0.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,874
Defaulted
52
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
6.5%
2017
7.1%
2018
5.7%
2019
1.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Fort Hays State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs65
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

2,811 total completions
01Business
81729.1%
02Education
76027.0%
03Health Professions
29610.5%
04Liberal Arts
1916.8%
05Social Sciences
1826.5%
06Computer Sciences
1505.3%
07Psychology
1334.7%
08English Language
1013.6%
09Public Admin
933.3%
10Agriculture
883.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
12,878
12-mo unduplicated
16,922
Undergraduate
13,253
Graduate
3,669

Gender split

Men
39%6,566
Women
61%10,356

Race / ethnicity composition

White
48.8%
Unknown
36.6%
Hispanic
5.7%
Black
2.5%
Two or more
2.5%
Non-resident
1.9%
Asian
1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
462
328 M · 134 W
Women athletes
29.0%
Athletic aid
$2.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$7.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.7M
$895K
Recruiting expense
$202K
$54K
Head-coach salaries
$75K
$49K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
140 M · 86 W
$418K
Football
150 M ·
$2.0M
Soccer
31 M · 33 W
$641K
Wrestling
33 M · 17 W
$509K
Baseball
38 M ·
$437K
Basketball
14 M · 14 W
$1.1M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.16
15 offenses · 12,949 students

3-year trend

0.272 yrs ago0.851 yr ago1.16Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
31
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
31
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
2
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
2

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
5
Fondling
4
Aggravated assault
4
Rape
2

By location

15total
  • On campus6
  • Non-campus9

Includes 6 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

2
Domestic violence
5
Dating violence
7
Stalking
14 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons30
Drugs142
Liquor21166

Residence-hall fires

  • Custer Hall1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
15.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
352

Fort Hays State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Fort Hays State selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectFort Hays State University
48%12,878$13,493Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Pittsburg State University
51%89.4%5,755$18,889Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Emporia State University
56%97.7%4,557$15,702Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Central Missouri
54%63.8%12,857$15,336Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Minnesota State University-Mankato
53%88.4%15,271$18,609Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Saint Cloud State University
39%94.8%10,732$14,485Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median52%89.4%11,795$15,519

Frequently asked questions about Fort Hays State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Fort Hays State.

What is the graduation rate at Fort Hays State University?

Fort Hays State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 48% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Fort Hays State University?

Fort Hays State University reports a total enrollment of 12,878 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Fort Hays State University?

The average net price at Fort Hays State University is $13,493 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Fort Hays State University?

Fort Hays State University's yield rate is 41.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Fort Hays State University located?

Fort Hays State University is located in Hays, Kansas 67601-4099.

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