Kentucky State University College Portrait

Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended

50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.

Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2011-12 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)

Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $16,212.00

The cost to attend Kentucky State University varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.

How much would I pay?

Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?

Scholarships & Grants

• 79% of 2011-12 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $6,591.00. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.

Annual Need-Based Loans

• 77% of 2011-12 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,362.00. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.

Percent of 2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid

NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.

82% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
42% of all undergraduates live on campus

The Kentucky State University Police Department’s mission is to provide a safe and secure environment for all members of our community. The department is staffed by professional, state-certified police officers who maintain personal safety and protection of property by providing a full array of law enforcement services to the community it serves. We strive to create a partnership with the university community by encouraging its members to work with us to provide a safe and secure environment in which to live, learn, and work.

The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/

Basic Type

Baccalaureate Colleges--Arts & Sciences

Size and Setting

Small four-year, primarily residential

Enrollment Profile

Very high undergraduate

Undergraduate Profile

Full-time four-year, inclusive

Undergraduate Instructional Program

Balanced arts & sciences/professions, some graduate coexistence

Graduate Instructional Program

Postbaccalaureate with arts & sciences (education dominant)

NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.

Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.

Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.

Group Learning Experiences

• 91% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
• 59% of seniors tutored or taught other students
• 24% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports

Active Learning Experiences

• 79% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
• 22% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
• 53% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
• 66% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
• 6% of seniors participated in study abroad
• 93% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year

Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success

• 94% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
• 79% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
• 58% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
• 98% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations

Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff

• 54% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
• 85% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
• 98% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
• 79% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class

Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas

• 60% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
• 89% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
• 54% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity

Student Satisfaction

• 73% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
• 76% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
• 80% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive

A 58% four-year success and progress rate means that 58% of students starting in Fall 2005 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.

Counts for the Fall 2005 entering class shown in the graph above.

• 366 First-Time, Full-Time Students
• 78 Full-Time Transfer Students

First-time students in Fall 2010 that returned for their second year: 49%

All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.

Kentucky State University values its roots as a historically black university, its status as an 1890 Land Grant Institution, and its focus on liberal arts education. In order to improve its quality and accomplish its mission, KSU develops, performs, and analyzes direct and indirect assessments that are then used to advance the university. As a learner-centered institution, student learning outcomes are assessed with a focus on improving student learning. The Rising Junior (CAAP) is performed as an evaluation of student learning outcomes progress in the general education core. The results are used to improve curriculum, pedagogy, and persistence. All programs on campus have comprehensive exit assessments. These are discipline-specific assessments used to help determine the effectiveness of the degree program.

Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.

2009 - 11 Results from the College Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP)

The Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) measures critical thinking and written communication using two test modules -- critical thinking and a writing essay. The critical thinking and writing scores are reported separately below.

Critical Thinking Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in critical thinking skills is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 54
Senior Score: 59
CAAP score range: 40 to 80

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 16
Senior Score: 18

Average SAT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 770
Senior Score: 834

Writing Essay Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in written communication skills is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 3
Senior Score: 3
CAAP score range: 1 to 6

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 18
Senior Score: 24

Average SAT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 903
Senior Score: 1070