University overview, mission and vision

Overview

Founded in 1863 as the nation's first operational land-grant university, Kansas State University has grown into a comprehensive research university with more than 20,200 students, 1,300 faculty and 3,000 staff members. It spans three physical campuses: the main campus in Manhattan; K-State Salina, home to aviation and technology programs; and K-State Olathe, which serves the industry and workforce needs of Greater Kansas City.

K-State has nine colleges, Graduate School and K-State Online and offers more than 400 degrees and options, from bachelor’s to doctoral degrees. K-State Research and Extension also serves the citizenry with a presence in every county throughout Kansas and supports research in more than 20 K-State departments. K-State has an annual budget of more than $900 million.

With more than 200,000 living graduates, the K-State Alumni Association ranks in the top 10 among Power Five conferences for the percentage of graduates who are members.

Private giving to the university is around $200 million per year, and the value of K-State’s long-term investment pool is $1 billion. The university and foundation recently completed a major fundraising campaign that raised $1.6 billion.

Mission

K-State's mission is to foster excellent teaching, research and service that develop a highly skilled and educated citizenry necessary to advancing the well-being of Kansas, the nation and the international community. The university embraces diversity, encourages engagement and is committed to the discovery of knowledge, the education of undergraduate and graduate students, and improvement in the quality of life and standard of living of those we serve.

Next-Gen K-State Strategic Plan

In September 2023, K-State launched its Next-Gen K-State Strategic Plan, which charts our path forward, driven by ambitious goals and a deep connection to our mission and vision. The plan was supported by a strategic planning process that engaged more than 10,000 members of the K-State community — students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and community members all lent their voices to the planning effort.