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University or college · Public

Murray State University

Murray, KY2,032 online only

Murray State University is a public university in Murray, KY, with about 7,809 students on campus and 2,032 more studying only online.

Visit www.murraystate.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
7,809
plus 2,032 studying only online
Admission rate
86%
higher than at 66% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$9,096
lower than at 93% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
61%
higher than at 62% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$44,737
higher than at 60% of U.S. colleges
In brief

Murray State University, in brief

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Murray State University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, quality control and safety technologies/technicians graduates earn a median $84,705 four years out. Teacher education and professional development graduates earn $38,132. Majors ↓

The only college for 30 miles

No other degree-granting college with students on campus is within 30 miles of Murray State University. Nearby ↓

Students are a big part of Murray

25% of Murray’s 18,964 residents are enrolled in college. Living in Murray ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students.

★ What stands out · Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 16%Agriculture 15%Health professions 10%Education 8%Engineering tech 8%Liberal arts 8%Everything else 35%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other125 graduates a year · typical debt $17,000
$58k4 yrs out
Animal Sciences109 graduates a year
—not reported
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians99 graduates a year · typical debt $23,752
$41k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods92 graduates a year · typical debt $20,801
$38k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services90 graduates a year · typical debt $18,318
$64k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing85 graduates a year · typical debt $18,203
$72k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities83 graduates a year · typical debt $23,500
$42k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, General72 graduates a year · typical debt $17,500
$52k4 yrs out
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Murray State University?

86%

of applicants admitted

About 17 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
480–600
SAT math
460–570
ACT
19–26

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1133.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $23,485 a year

Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $19,836

Tuition & fees (in state) $9,900Room & board $11,112Books & supplies $940Other costs $1,533

After grants, the average family on aid pays $9,096.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$8,104

About $32,416 over 4 years · 65% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
61%
within 6 years · Pell students 49%
Come back for year two
76%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$44,737
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$20,500
about $217 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.8%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$217 a month against about $3,206 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

57%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 71% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$40k
Middle income$30–75k
$46k
Higher incomeover $75k
$53k
Who goes there

The students

6,688 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 78%Hispanic 4%Black 6%Asian 1%Two or more 4%International 4%

Women and men

Women 61%Men 39%
17 : 1
students per teacher
33%
get Pell grants (lower income)
35%
take federal loans
9%
undergrads 25 or older
9%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Murray

25% of Murray’s 18,964 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Murray pages.

Murray →
MurrayMurray, KY
$870/momedian rent · 10% below the state$209Ktypical home valueB−Safety Grade27° / 89°January low / July high · 7" of snowC−Health GradeAll colleges in and near MurrayCompare prices, admissions and outcomes

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.