Marketing at Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State's marketing program sits right in the middle of Kansas offerings, outearning the state median by about $1,200 despite higher-than-average debt loads. While first-year earnings of $45,619 trail the state's flagship programs by roughly $3,000-$5,000, graduates avoid the financial strain common in many business programs—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 means most borrowers can manage payments on typical entry-level marketing salaries.

The debt figure deserves attention: at $31,000, it's about $5,000 higher than Kansas peers typically carry, though it remains well below the crushing burden seen at some private institutions. For Kansas families, this creates a straightforward calculation—your student will likely earn slightly more than the typical Kansas marketing graduate, but will need to service meaningfully higher loans in those crucial early career years.

The main caveat here is sample size. With fewer than 30 recent graduates reporting data, one or two outliers could be skewing these numbers in either direction. If Fort Hays offers your family a strong in-state tuition rate and your student connects with campus resources, the program delivers reasonable value. Just recognize you're not getting the earnings premium of Kansas State or KU, so the question becomes whether the cost difference justifies attending here versus those alternatives.