West Virginia vs Kansas State - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
Real money goes to international students at West Virginia ($21,636 on average), while Kansas State stops at $5,729.
Candidates with higher SAT scores go to Kansas State: a midpoint of 1150 against 1110, a difference of 40 points.
Both universities have a small international community (at most 1.7% of students), which is worth weighing if that environment matters to you.
Tuition is practically the same ($28,608 against $28,568), so financial aid, not the sticker price, will decide the cost.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Kansas State is the more selective of the two (82% vs 89% acceptance). Median earnings 10 years after enrollment are effectively tied ($56K vs $57K). Kansas State has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,568 vs $28,608 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose West Virginia for: a larger aid package.
Choose Kansas State for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Kansas State is more selective (82% vs 89% acceptance); Kansas State has a higher median SAT (1150 vs 1110).
Kansas State graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($57K vs $56K); Kansas State has a higher 6-year graduation rate (71.1% vs 64.7%).
Kansas State has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,568 vs $28,608); West Virginia offers a larger average aid package ($16,730 vs $15,968).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | West Virginia | Kansas State |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #501-600 | #501-600 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 89% | 82% |
| Yield rate | 26.5% | 27.5% |
| Median SAT | 1110 | 1150 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.70 | 3.81 |
| Number of applications | 20,150 | 15,432 |
| International students | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $56K | $57K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $36K | $39K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $84K | $83K |
| Graduation rate | 64.7% | 71.1% |
| Retention rate | 83.4% | 85.6% |
| Median debt | $22,500 | $21,250 |
| Tuition · year | $28,608 | $28,568 |
| Avg. aid package | $16,730 | $15,968 |
| % of need met | 63% | 77% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $36,010 | $25,179 |
| Application fee | $65 | $40 |
| Enrollment | 23,643 | 20,295 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into West Virginia or Kansas State?
It's harder to get into Kansas State. West Virginia accepts 89% of applicants, while Kansas State accepts 82%.
Do West Virginia or Kansas State graduates earn more?
Earnings are practically equal - 10 years after enrollment, the median is $56K at West Virginia and $57K at Kansas State.
How much is tuition at West Virginia vs Kansas State?
Sticker-price tuition is $28,608 per year at West Virginia and $28,568 per year at Kansas State.
What SAT score do you need for West Virginia or Kansas State?
The median admitted SAT score is 1110 at West Virginia and 1150 at Kansas State; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - West Virginia or Kansas State?
The average aid package is $16,730 at West Virginia and $15,968 at Kansas State.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern