May 2015 Volume 15, Issue 5 A publication of the Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau
Purple Pride permeates
May flowers bloom and graduation bells ring around K-State campus for commencement ceremonies May 1516. Meanwhile from a cost perspective, K-State is not only the best college value in Kansas as ranked by the financial website SmartAsset, average starting salary is also tops among the state schools. Here’s how K-State compares to some state averages. State avg. K-State Starting salary $41,255 $45,200 Tuition $14,705 $8,047 Living costs $12,537 $12,100 Retention rate 68% 81%
Data compiled by 2013 National Center for Educational Statistics, 2014 Payscale, 2013 College InSight
K-State represents in many regional/ national rankings: • Enrollment increased to the university's largest at 24,766 (fall 2014); remains top choice among Kansas high school grads. • President Kirk Schulz chairs the board of governors, NCAA's highest-ranking committee. • For 18 years No. 1 in the Big 12, percentage of grads who are members of alumni association. • Leader among state-supported universities in recipients of Goldwater, Truman scholarships. • Commitment to diversity recognized nationally for excellence; associate provost for the office named a National Role Model.
• Ranks 3rd in best quality of life, 5th for great campus/community relations and 7th for happiest students according to Princeton Review's 2015 edition of "Best 379 Colleges". • One of the happiest schools in the nation (The Daily Beast) with a “Would Do It All Over Again” rating of 9.9. • Confucius Institute affiliation creates exchanges with Chinese academic institutions; focus on promoting research collaborations in animal health and food safety.
K-State graduates about 4,500 students each year and two-thirds of those are May grads. Hotel room capacities approach 95 percent
occupancy for spring semester graduation. By comparison, high attendance football weekends surge to around 90 percent occupancy. “K-State's goal of becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025 shows our commitment to success is striking a chord with students, their families, our alumni and our donors and supporters,” President Schulz has stated.
Suffice to say, K-State is on the move. Congratulations 2015 graduates!