Emporia State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Olathe, Kansas · Private nonprofit · Moderately selective
Emporia State University is a private nonprofit university in Olathe, Kansas that admits about 73% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $29,520 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.0 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Emporia State University is a private institution located in Olathe, Kansas with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Emporia State University admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 73%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1016 and an ACT composite around 20. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $29,520 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Emporia State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Emporia State University?
Emporia State University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Emporia State University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 465–548, with an EBRW midpoint near 438. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 17–23. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Emporia State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $36,120 for in-state students and $36,120 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $10,760 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $29,520 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 28% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Emporia State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Emporia State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. Across all programs, Emporia State University confers roughly 309 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $78,687 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 171 | $78,687 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 61 | $67,246 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 25 | $49,338 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 15 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 10 | — |
| Psychology, General | 10 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 9 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 8 | — |
Is Emporia State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Emporia State University disclosed 2 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.0 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 0 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Kansas parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Emporia State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Emporia State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Emporia State University
What GPA do I need for Emporia State University?
Emporia State University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Emporia State University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 465–548, with an EBRW midpoint near 438. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 17–23.
How much does Emporia State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Emporia State University after grants and scholarships is $29,520 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Emporia State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Emporia State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Emporia State University?
Emporia State University accepts about 73% of applicants. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is Emporia State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Emporia State University is a private nonprofit institution located in Olathe, Kansas.
What are the most popular majors at Emporia State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Emporia State University by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Business Administration, Management and Operations and Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. The school awards about 309 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Emporia State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Emporia State University reported 2 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.0 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.