Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Hays

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Drees HouseDrees House · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0
Colleges in and near Hays

Hays is a college town: 21 of every 100 residents are students

Fort Hays State University (6,839 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Kansas, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town21% of residents are studentsFort Hays State University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Hays. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
6,839 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Fort Hays State
Residents in college
21%
Above KS (7%)
Nearest community college
45.9 mi
Barton County · $3,680 tuition
Nearest public university
1.3 mi
Fort Hays State · $5,923 in-state
Students on campus in Hays
6,839
next to 21,258 residents

What stands out about college in Hays

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town21 of every 100 Hays residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.A university in HaysFort Hays State University has 6,839 students on campus in Hays, 48% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Fort Hays StateLiving in Kansas, Fort Hays State University charges $5,923 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $17,741. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 45.9 miles awayBarton County Community College in Great Bend: tuition and fees $3,680 a year for Kansas residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Hays

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

21 of every 100 Hays residents are in college (KS: 7).

6,839students on campus at Fort Hays State University, next to 21,258 residents (dorm students count as residents)
3,144college students live in Hays households rather than dorms
30.2median age · KS 37.4
42%of homes rented · KS 33%
$922median rent · 13% below the state
Cost of living$922/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Hays’ other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 19.9% of Hays residents are below the poverty line, 12.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 57% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 21%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Hays’ median age is 30.2 (Kansas 37.4), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Hays

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Hays.

5 mi10 mi15 miFort Hays StateHays
University or collegeCommunity college
Fort Hays State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 6,839 on campus · In Hays90%admitted$13knet price48%graduate$49kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Hays’ median household income ($58,459) falls.

Fort Hays State UniversityIn Hays · sticker $19,909$11,941a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Hays: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Fort Hays State
Fort Hays State University48% graduate$49k earnings$21k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Hays

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Fort Hays State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 32%Education 13%Health professions 13%Social sciences 7%Computer science 6%Liberal arts 4%Everything else 26%

Biggest programs

Finance and Financial Management Services409 graduates a year
$65k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations381 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods143 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities141 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing131 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Psychology, General98 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas94 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Computer Programming82 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Hays

Is Hays a college town?

Yes. 21 of every 100 Hays residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Kansas. Fort Hays State University has 6,839 students on campus, next to 21,258 residents.

What colleges are in Hays?

Fort Hays State University is inside the city. Barton County Community College is 45.9 miles away in Great Bend.

Why is Hays’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 19.9% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

What is the closest community college to Hays, and what does it cost?

Barton County Community College in Great Bend, 45.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,680 a year for Kansas residents; the federal net price, $9,905, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Fort Hays State University?

Fort Hays State University admitted 90% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 970–1,140 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Hays. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →