Kansas State University is growing the talent pool of agriculturists, engineers, business leaders and changemakers for Kansas and beyond, fulfilling its promise as a next-generation land-grant university. This fall, university enrollment grew by 2.8% for 2024.Continuing an upward trajectory, this is the second year of enrollment increases, as K-State's overall headcount this semester grew to 20,295 students across all campuses.
"Our plan to broaden the university's reach in a strategic and measured manner is a responsibility we take seriously every day," said Provost and Executive Vice President Jesse Perez Mendez. "But it is also one we celebrate, especially when we see such positive results. These numbers aren't just 20,000-plus students — they're 20,000-plus stories and opportunities to change lives."
Total undergraduate enrollment grew by 3.6%, while graduate enrollment declined 1%. The College of Veterinary Medicine increased by 3.6%.K-State's efforts over the past several years to significantly expand access to its quality educational offerings have established a strong sense of momentum as key elements of the university's Next-Gen K-State strategic plan, Mendez said.
A standout first-year class highlights K-State's fall 2024 enrollmentThis semester's increase is driven by a 9.4% increase in first-time freshmen, with this year's first-year class of 3,493 being the largest since 2018. This growth did not sacrifice quality: incoming first-time freshmen averaged a high school grade point average of 3.78 — one of the highest for K-State in recent years
.Focusing on its land-grant mission of access, K-State is making significant strides in enrolling low-income, first-generation and underrepresented minority students, especially among its first-year class, said Karen Goos, vice provost for enrollment management. Pell-eligible first-year students, as a group, grew by 27.8%, while first-generation enrollment increased 13%. Enrollment from traditionally underrepresented minority groups also grew, up 16% from the previous year. In-state enrollment among those freshmen is up 7.7%, with students coming from 95 of Kansas' 105 counties. Out-of-state enrollment in this year's first-year class increased 14%, with K-State attracting students from 43 states and U.S. territories. K-State also drew students from nearly 400 different institutions, as out-of-state transfer student enrollment increased by 7.5%.