October 9, 2024
Welcoming more learners to K-State: Next-Gen K-State monthly update from President Linton
Dear K-State community,
I am never shy about admitting that our learners are the most important part of Kansas State University. They are why we all bring our passion to the work we do every day. They are why we find new and exciting ways to educate the next generation. They are why we work so hard to fulfill our land-grant mission, expanding knowledge across the state, the country and the world.
Thanks to the collective efforts of our dedicated faculty, staff and students, we have exceeded our 2024 enrollment target, welcoming 20,295 students to K-State. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and innovative strategies we've implemented across our campuses.
One of the important data points among many that indicate our enrollment success this year is our student GPA. I am proud to share that this fall's incoming first-year class boasts an average 3.78 GPA, one of the highest in recent years. With this quality, our growth includes a 27.8% increase in Pell-eligible students and a 13% increase in first-generation students. Underrepresented minority students also grew by 16% from the previous year. K-State Salina has seen a 15% increase in headcount in the last five years, and this fall they expanded the professional pilot program into the Kansas City region. These increases reinforce that K-State is expanding access to an affordable, high-quality education across Kansas and beyond.
To reach these increases, it took efforts by all across our campuses, efforts that are as diverse as the new students they attract.
This year, our commitment to undergraduate recruitment, both first-year and transfer students, has yielded outstanding results. We significantly increased our outreach within the state, launching events such as high school recognition ceremonies to honor schools with the largest graduating classes and highest GPAs. Partnering with two local high schools to pilot our dual credit and pre-college pathway programs has led to more than 360 high school students enrolling at K-State, fostering a strong pipeline of future Wildcats.
Our engagement with out-of-state students has also widened; we expanded our student search initiatives, increased our presence at college fairs and hosted 10 receptions in key out-of-state markets. These efforts attracted students from 43 states and U.S. territories as our out-of-state enrollment increased by 14% in this year's first year class and was up 7.7% for out-of-state transfer student enrollment.
We proudly launched the Transfer Navigators program, which places K-State admissions representatives in community colleges across the state to support students as they plan to transfer to the university. We also revamped our K-State Transfer Pathways website, which now features hundreds of pathways for each college. Our DirectLink dual advising program saw a remarkable 58% increase in participation and we hosted Transfer Summits to support this vital population further.
Our new K-State Bound social media accounts have increased engagement with prospective students, and we implemented a multi-language widget on our admissions website to ensure our resources are accessible to a broader audience. The Graduate School has also developed a communications plan targeted to admitted students, including a series of informational webinars.
Our international recruitment efforts were bolstered through expanded high school outreach and partnerships with educational agents, including GEMS Education. Our digital advertising and webinars expanded our reach, making K-State more accessible to students around the globe. This includes our K-State Olathe campus, which has students attending this fall from Nepal, Ghana, Panama, China, India, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Responding to the diverse needs of our students, we introduced the Wildcat Opportunity Grant, offering support to middle- to low-income families. Additionally, we launched the Robert E. Campbell Scholarship, a substantial renewable scholarship for our University Honors Program, benefiting 43 high-achieving students this fall. A strategic investment was also made for a new Student Success Center at K-State Olathe to improve access and provide better support for all students.
As we celebrate these accomplishments and more, I want to thank each K-State family member for your unwavering commitment to our mission. Your hard work and collaboration create an incredible, unmatched student experience that makes students want to join the K-State community. This success would not be possible without every one of you, and I look forward to what we will achieve together in the future.
As always, Go 'Cats!
Richard Linton
President