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Compare University of Kansas vs Pittsburg State University

Lawrence, KS · Pittsburg, KS

University of KansasPittsburg State University
Cost
Price after aid (average)$18,059/yr$15,784/yr
Price after aid (family income under $30k)$12,544/yr$11,968/yr
Typical loan debt at graduation$21,000$18,969
Price after aid ($30k–$48k income)$12,942/yr$11,453/yr
Price after aid ($48k–$75k income)$15,154/yr$14,676/yr
Price after aid ($75k–$110k income)$19,169/yr$18,873/yr
Price after aid (income over $110k)$22,544/yr$20,237/yr
Typical loan payment after graduation$223/mo$201/mo
Room & board (on campus)$11,358/yr$10,234/yr
Room & board (off campus)$10,144/yr$10,980/yr
Borrowers who default0%0%
Books & supplies$1,224/yr$1,200/yr
Other living costs (on campus)$4,124/yr$5,506/yr
Sticker price (before aid)$26,751/yr$22,099/yr
Tuition (in-state)$12,102/yr$8,400/yr
Tuition (out-of-state)$30,432/yr$19,744/yr
Students with Pell Grants20%30%
Students taking federal loans37%41%
Getting in
Students who get accepted93%89%
SAT range (middle 50%)1070–1300No data reported
SAT average11901050
ACT range (middle 50%)20–2817–24
ACT sections (middle 50%)English 20–27 · Math 18–27English 15–23 · Math 16–23
Admissions data fromFall 2023Fall 2023
Applications received19,2262,856
Students accepted16,9582,518
Students who enrolled5,259877
Accepted students who enroll31%35%
Enrolled who sent SAT scores11%0%
Enrolled who sent ACT scores68%17%
High-school GPARequiredRequired
High-school transcriptNot consideredNot considered
EssayNot consideredNot considered
Recommendation lettersNot consideredNot considered
Class rankNot consideredNot considered
College-prep programNot consideredNot considered
Demonstrated competenciesNot consideredNot considered
Work experienceNot consideredNot considered
English proficiency testRequiredRequired
Other admission testsNot consideredNot considered
Legacy consideredNot consideredNot considered
SAT/ACT policyOptional (considered if sent)Optional (considered if sent)
Graduation & earnings
Students who graduate69%57%
Freshmen who come back86%77%
Typical earnings 10 years in$61,945/yr$50,579/yr
Earnings range 10 years in$40,390–$88,093$34,185–$71,917
Finish within 8 years (anywhere)67%60%
White students graduating71%61%
Black students graduating45%43%
Hispanic students graduating63%36%
Asian students graduating79%67%
Typical earnings 6 years in$51,217/yr$43,793/yr
Earn more than a HS grad80%72%
Graduate on time55%36%
Pell students who graduate58%46%
First-gen students who finish51%44%
Low-income students who finish47%41%
Students who transfer out21%26%
Typical earnings 8 years in$57,994/yr$47,079/yr
Majors & programs
Top 3 programsBusiness, Management & Marketing 23% · Health Professions 9% · Engineering 9%Liberal Arts & General Studies 38% · Business, Management & Marketing 14% · Engineering Technologies 9%
Most popular programBusiness, Management & Marketing — 23% of degreesLiberal Arts & General Studies — 38% of degrees
2nd most popular programHealth Professions — 9% of degreesBusiness, Management & Marketing — 14% of degrees
3rd most popular programEngineering — 9% of degreesEngineering Technologies — 9% of degrees
4th most popular programPsychology — 8% of degreesHealth Professions — 7% of degrees
5th most popular programCommunication & Journalism — 6% of degreesEducation — 6% of degrees
Highest-paying major (1 year out)Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing — $144,859/yrQuality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians — $69,750/yr
Degrees in STEM19%13%
Campus & students
Undergrad enrollment21,2174,210
Students per professor18 : 114 : 1
Graduate students7,7071,283
Average professor pay$11,338/mo$8,130/mo
Full-time professors78%66%
Fully onlineNoNo
Accredited byHigher Learning CommissionHigher Learning Commission
Median family income$64,240$49,467
SettingCity (small)Town (distant)
LocationLawrence, KSPittsburg, KS
RegionPlainsPlains
Founded18641903
Public or privatePublicPublic
Main degree offeredBachelor's degreesBachelor's degrees
Carnegie classificationDoctoral Universities: Very High Research ActivityMaster's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Main or branch campusMain campusMain campus
International students2.8%1.6%
Men46%49%
Women54%51%
White students69%78%
Black students4.3%3.2%
Hispanic or Latino students11%8%
Asian students6%0.9%
Two or more races5.7%6.5%
Other / not reported1.1%2.2%
Special typeNoneNone
First-generation students22%32%
Part-time students7.8%7.6%
Students age 25+6.9%9.3%
Spent on teaching per student$22,979/yr$9,572/yr
Endowment$2.5B$110.7M
Campus life
Campus data from20232023
On-campus housingYes — dorms on campusYes — dorms on campus
Beds in campus housing6,2081,150
Required to live on campusNoNo
Room charge (campus housing)$6,378/yr$5,386/yr
Meal plan charge$4,440/yr$3,324/yr
Meal plan offeredYesYes
Meals per weekVaries by week21 meals/week
Academic calendarSemesterSemester
Federal designationNoneNone
Study abroadYesYes
Undergraduate researchYesNo
ROTCYes — Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air ForceYes — Army
Accepts AP creditYesYes
Accepts dual-enrollment creditNoNo
Credit for life experienceNoYes
Online classesYesYes
Whole degrees onlineYesYes
Weekend & evening classesYesNo
Teacher certificationYesYes
Academic & career counselingYesYes
Job help while you studyYesYes
Job placement for graduatesYesYes
On-campus day careYesYes
Program for students with intellectual disabilitiesYesNo
Yellow Ribbon (GI Bill) schoolYesNo
Credit for military trainingYesYes
Student veteran organizationYesYes
Tuition payment planYesYes
Guaranteed (locked) tuitionNoNo
Prepaid tuition planNoNo
Athletics
Athletics data from2024-252024-25
College sports levelNCAA Division I-FBSNCAA Division II with football
Football teamYesYes
Varsity teams1410
Student athletes539307
Athletic scholarships$14.7M$3.1M
Athletics budget$159.9M$12.4M
Athletics revenue$173.7M$12.4M
Recruiting spend$2.4M$169,649

Data: U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard 2026-06-10, EADA athletics, IPEDS admissions — each on its own survey year. Campus life: IPEDS institutional characteristics, retrieved from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-BY 1.0). Founding year, logo, campus photo and links via Wikidata / Wikipedia. SHMACS is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any institution shown.