Fort Hays State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Emporia, Kansas · Public · Open access
Fort Hays State University is a public university in Emporia, Kansas that admits about 98% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $15,702 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.2 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Fort Hays State University is a public institution located in Emporia, Kansas. For the most recent reporting cycle, Fort Hays State University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 98%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT around 1090. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,702 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Fort Hays 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 Fort Hays State University?
Fort Hays State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. 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 Fort Hays State University typically admits
The middle-50 ACT composite range is 18–24. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Fort Hays State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $7,356 for in-state students and $15,669 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $10,542 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $15,702 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 34% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Fort Hays State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Fort Hays State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. Across all programs, Fort Hays State University confers roughly 500 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods program report a median income of about $47,669 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 143 | $47,669 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 86 | $70,173 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 76 | $46,340 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 60 | $63,189 |
| Psychology, General | 49 | $50,193 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 33 | $44,658 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 32 | $72,650 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 21 | $42,347 |
Is Fort Hays State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Fort Hays State University disclosed 5 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.2 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 3 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 Fort Hays State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Fort Hays 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 Fort Hays State University
What GPA do I need for Fort Hays State University?
Fort Hays State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Fort Hays State University typically admit?
The middle-50 ACT composite range is 18–24.
How much does Fort Hays State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Fort Hays State University after grants and scholarships is $15,702 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 Fort Hays 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, Fort Hays 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 Fort Hays State University?
Fort Hays State University accepts about 98% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Fort Hays State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Fort Hays State University is a public institution located in Emporia, Kansas.
What are the most popular majors at Fort Hays State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Fort Hays State University by annual graduates are Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. The school awards about 500 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Fort Hays State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Fort Hays State University reported 5 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.2 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.