Economics at Kansas State University

Kansas State's Economics program shows modest earnings that edge slightly above both national and state medians, with graduates starting at $52,490—beating the Kansas median by about $1,800. The 60th percentile ranking among Kansas economics programs is decent but not exceptional, especially considering the University of Kansas trails behind at $45,420. More impressive is the 30% earnings growth to $68,155 by year four, suggesting graduates build valuable career momentum after their initial jobs.

The $20,312 in typical debt sits comfortably below both national and state averages, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39 that most families can manage. This means graduates would owe less than 40% of their first-year salary—well within the "safe zone" for student debt. Combined with K-State's 79% admission rate making it accessible to a wide range of students, this represents a relatively low-risk path into economics careers.

However, the small sample size here matters. With fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, one or two outlier careers could significantly skew these numbers in either direction. The actual experience might vary more than these figures suggest. That said, the combination of below-average debt, steady earnings growth, and accessible admission standards makes this a reasonable in-state option for Kansas families, just not a standout compared to top-performing programs elsewhere.