Kansas State University
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University continues to build on its recent enrollment momentum, with student enrollment across all K-State campuses holding steady in fall 2026 as the university seeks and creates more opportunities to meet students of all types where they are.
This fall, across its Manhattan, Salina and Olathe campuses, K‑State is welcoming 21,283 students — representing a modest but meaningful increase from the prior year and another high-water mark this decade that continues the university’s growth trajectory and marks its highest enrollment since 2020.
The overall stability comes after three consecutive years of enrollment growth and reflects the university's ability to serve a broad and evolving population of students — from first-time freshmen choosing K-State for their college experience to transfer students, adult learners, online students and others seeking new opportunities to advance their education.
Through new and expanded academic programs, flexible learning opportunities, partnerships and initiatives designed to support student success, K-State continues to create pathways for students to pursue their goals while meeting the changing needs of Kansas and beyond.
"These steady enrollment numbers are proof of the success we've had in articulating the value of a K-State degree, and the long-term rate of return it has for those who choose to become Wildcats," said Provost and Executive Vice President Jesse Perez Mendez. "At the same time, we're also building on our relationships with learners who may be seeking different kinds of opportunities to learn or upskill. As a next-generation land-grant university, K-State is uniquely poised to do just that, ensuring educational access to meet the needs of the moment."
Meeting the needs of all learnersAs the higher education landscape shifts, Kansas State University is meeting a broader range of learning needs and creating more pathways for people to engage with the university.For some students, that means creating a bridge to a four-year degree through K-State's partnerships with community colleges across Kansas.
For others, it means providing a different starting point or a more flexible way to build toward their educational goals.Programs such as MHK and SLN Pathways give students who may need additional academic support an opportunity to remain connected to the K-State community while taking courses at either Manhattan Area Technical College or Salina Area Technical College and strengthening their academic record.
Another program, Comeback 'Cats, helps students finish degrees they may have started but never had a chance to finish — one of the fastest-growing segments of higher education students."I had an amazing experience online finishing my degree," said Alexia Kopf, an online student who was supported by the program as she returned to K‑State after an automobile accident derailed her educational journey.
"The coursework fit around my lifestyle, my full-time work and taking care of my family. I would highly recommend anyone come back to K-State to finish their degree."
Building on its base of four-year degree students, K‑State is also creating opportunities for other types of learners, with a goal of reaching at least 10,000 non-degree seeking students and 3,200 community learners by 2030.To that end, the university is expanding opportunities for these learners through online courses, microcredentials and certificates — such as the Urban Food Systems Certificate at K‑State Olathe — that allow people to gain new skills, advance in their careers or pursue areas of personal interest.
Getting students across the graduation stage — and to careersThe support does not stop once students arrive on campus or begin their classes.Initiatives like the Willie AI Virtual Assistant proactively check in on first- and second-year students to ensure they receive support and get connected to K‑State's wealth of campus resources and programs when students need them most.
Across the university, K‑State has overhauled its academic advising model to support each student better individually and holistically. Under the revamped approach, every advisor is equipped with the training, skills and technology needed to serve as a guide and champion for each student’s academic success.In addition to academic support, K‑State prioritizes providing a world-class university experience, and recent renovations to student spaces such as Boyd Hall and the historic Van Zile Dining Center offer modern amenities while maintaining the classic, collegial feel students increasingly seek.Collectively, K-State's track record of strong student support programs, combined with its commitment to providing a high-quality education at an accessible cost, contributed to the university's recognition by U.S. News & World Report as a top-50 Best Value School for In-State Students.
In the 2027 rankings, K-State was No. 46, the best in Kansas, among national universities for in-state student value.This overall investment in students is reflected in K-State's retention and graduation rates.
Eighty-seven percent of first-time freshmen return for their second year, while 58.5% of students graduate within four years. K‑State graduates 72.9% of its first-time freshmen within six years — a leading rate for the state of Kansas and far above the national average of 64.6% for four-year universities.
And K-State's commitment to student success extends beyond graduation. The university's latest post-graduation outcomes report found that 97% of K-State's 2025 graduates were employed or continuing their education, demonstrating the value of a K-State education as students take their next steps into careers, graduate and professional programs and other opportunities.
"We're always encouraged when we can attract more students to begin their academic journeys at K-State," said Karen Goos, vice provost for enrollment management. "The real celebration, though, is when we can get even more of them across the graduation stage, and every degree earned and job attained is tangible proof of the people, programs and resources K-State invests to deliver an unmatched student experience."See more data and statistics in the Office of Data, Assessment and Institutional Research's Interactive Factbook.