Kansas State University Top Questions

What are the academics like at Kansas State University?

Cody

Here at Kansas State University class sizes can range from large lectures to small classroom settings. K-State does an amazing job of keeping their class sizes small for the most part, with the average class size 23 students it is extremely easy to become close to your professors. I have multiple professors that know my name even after the semester in which they taught me and are always checking in and making sure that my college experience is going well. Large lecture classes all have what is call a recitations once a week as well where students will have a small classroom setting of 20-25 students as well as a teacher's assistant to go more in depth over lectures as well as assign homework. This service is a great benefit to students because they will always have a small classroom setting where they will be able to contact a teacher or professor at any time. With class choices from accounting to astronomy it is easy to find your academic niche here at Kansas State University. Personally, my favorite classes are Leadership Studies. Kansas State University has a one of a kind minor known as Leadership Studies where students can grow culturally and develop themselves to be stronger leaders within the workplace. The Leadership Studies minor is one of the few nationally as well as the fastest growing minor here at K-State. Academically Kansas State is known the Ivy League of the Midwest. As the leader in Rhodes, Truman, Marshall and Udall scholarships the University has proven it's success in academics.

Cody

Here at Kansas State University class sizes can range from large lectures to small classroom settings. K-State does an amazing job of keeping their class sizes small for the most part, with the average class size 23 students it is extremely easy to become close to your professors. I have multiple professors that know my name even after the semester in which they taught me and are always checking in and making sure that my college experience is going well. Large lecture classes all have what is call a recitations once a week as well where students will have a small classroom setting of 20-25 students as well as a teacher's assistant to go more in depth over lectures as well as assign homework. This service is a great benefit to students because they will always have a small classroom setting where they will be able to contact a teacher or professor at any time. With class choices from accounting to astronomy it is easy to find your academic niche here at Kansas State University. Personally, my favorite classes are Leadership Studies.

Cody

Here at Kansas State University class sizes can range from large lectures to small classroom settings. K-State does an amazing job of keeping their class sizes small for the most part, with the average class size 23 students it is extremely easy to become close to your professors. I have multiple professors that know my name even after the semester in which they taught me and are always checking in and making sure that my college experience is going well. Large lecture classes all have what is call a recitations once a week as well where students will have a small classroom setting of 20-25 students as well as a teacher's assistant to go more in depth over lectures as well as assign homework. This service is a great benefit to students because they will always have a small classroom setting where they will be able to contact a teacher or professor at any time. With class choices from accounting to astronomy it is easy to find your academic niche here at Kansas State University. Personally, my favorite classes are Leadership Studies.

Nikita

The academics here are great! My favorite class would be Mass Communications in Society because the professor really tries to explain everything in detail and he really does get to know his students on a personal level. I'm double majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Mass Communications and I'm minoring in Law. I feel like the education at this school will help prepare its' students for future jobs and developing within themselves.

Morgan

Kansas State views academics with high regard. A large number of our students are a member of a Greek house, all of which require a minimum GPA of 2.5. Campus-wide, we have a high average GPA as well. Some classes are very large, around 500 students per lecture hall, and others are very small, with around 20 students. Many off the entry-level classes are quite large since many students are enrolled in those classes. Once you start taking more major-specific classes, the smaller and more personal the classes will be. No matter the size of the classroom, however, most all of the professors are very invested in their students' success, and are willing to get to know you if you let them. Hale, our main campus library, is located in the center of campus. I was told by Dr. Bosco, Vice President of Student Life & Dean of Students, that Hale was placed in the center of campus purposely because academics is our #1 goal here at KSU. Oppositely of what most people would expect, going to the library here is very common for all students, and it's not considered nerdy at all. Going to Hale to study is a norm on our campus, and most students go to the library regularly, not just the week of finals. Although our campus believes academics to be very important, it doesn't completely consume our lives. Our administrators want us to enjoy our time at Kansas State, and they do a good job of making school fun.

Heather

When

Jessie

For your general requirements to be able to graduate those classes are very large, so it's a little more difficult for professors to get to know students on a personal level, but all are very willing to help students with any questions outside of class and have an open door policy. Once you get into you start taking classes geared towards your major class sizes are a little bit smaller and professors do get to know their students.With me since I am a student with a disability no matter the class size my professors know who I am and I normally have regular contact with them and all are very willing to help me succeed in their class.I have a dual major in Advertising and Criminology - both departments are amazing and very interesting. The education here at K-State is geared toward employment, but also making you more knowledgeable about the subject matter.

Katie

I really love the academics at K-State! Like most schools, we have more students in the general education classes than in major-related but even then, all the professors have been great and really do know my name. Classes are hard for those who don't pay attention or show up, but if you make an effort to learn the material and do the work classes can be as enjoyable and educational as you want them to be. The only thing that I think more students and prospectives need to realize is there is an attendance policy in most classes, where skipping does affect their grades.

Siniva

One of the things that attracted me most about K-State was the family aura that surrounded it. Here unlike many other large universities students are able to really connect with their professors which really motivates the students to work hard. Although there are a number of lecture halls students can enroll in, there are even more small classroom courses that really encourage students to feel more comfortable asking questions and being involved. The professors really express their desire for their students to do well and go over and beyond to make themselves available as often as possible. As a student in the school of journalism studying Mass Communications and Public Relations it was very important that I was provided an advisor that could get me all the right classes and keep me on track to graduation and that's exactly what I got! My advisor and I were able to sit-down face to face (unlike many other universities) and discuss my academic and career goals to get me in the right classes. We were able to plan out my courses for every semester here which was incredible and really helped keep me on track. She would even email me from time to time to see how I was doing with my classes and ask if there was anything she could do to assist me, which I appreciated greatly. I made sure many of my courses were small class sizes because coming from a small school it was what I felt most comfortable with. These small classrooms also allowed me to meet new people through group projects which also made studying for exams easier. I often scheduled my classes for every other day so that on my days off I could work or spend the day studying which worked out wonderfully. The professors also try to teach you the best ways to learn and study in their specific courses which I believe helped me tremendously.They also encourage you to push yourself not just so that you can graduate and get a good job but so that you can learn as much about yourself and of the world as you can.

Sarah

I am a person who needs a challenge. So, naturally, I choose to switch from an already difficult major to a more time-consuming, difficult major. I started out in the Pre-Veterinarian Sciences major; yes, the classes were difficult, (this is coming from a 4.0 HS student) but NOT unmanageable. You just have to learn to manage your class load. Meaning, do NOT take Biology and Chemistry I at the same time, or Genetics 500, MacroEconomics, and Chemistry II in the same semester. BAD IDEA. I ended up being super stressed and got B's in all of those classes! Which, if you are trying out for a super-competitive position in the KSU Veterinary program, is a no-no. I basically was consumed by academics, however, despite the hard classes, I still managed to have TONS of time with my friends and was able to attend many on-campus activities which our school so graciously provides. Some things happened this last year which made me make the awesome decision to switch to the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design. I couldn't be more happy with my decision! However, the program is extremely time intensive! So, learn to manage your time early and consider taking a smaller class load so that you will have extra time to work on projects. The rumors are NOT all true about having to pull all-nighters. I have never pulled an all-nighter before, and I have turned in two of my projects early. All you have to do is learn how to manage your time. So, K-state has many challenges available, in case you're looking. Just be sure to learn how to manage your course load and your time. Make an effort to take a break now and then to hang out with friends on the weekends or go home and visit the family. Never make yourself feel overstressed with something (classes, projects) when you have plenty of time for it later. Enjoy college. It goes by fast!