Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Fort HaysHays, KS | Kansas StateManhattan, KS | Wisconsin-La CrosseLa Crosse, WI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 90.3% | 81.7% | 75.5% |
| SAT middle 50% | 970–1140 | 1060–1260 | Not reportedUniversity of Wisconsin-La Crosse did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class. |
| Average net price | $12,56922.8% on Pell grants | $19,40620.7% on Pell grants | $16,21014.4% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $5,923 in-state · $17,741 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $11,221 in-state · $28,568 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,070 in-state · $19,517 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 47.7% | 71.1% | 71.0% |
| First-year retention | 76.9% | 85.6% | 86.5% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 22.8% | 20.7% | 14.4% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $48,928 | $57,262 | $60,378 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,000 | $21,250 | $22,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 18:1 | 19:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 9,733 | 15,142 | 9,277 |
| Consensus percentile | 42Lower is better | 41Lower is better | 41Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 39 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 62 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 58 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Fort Hays | Kansas State | Wisconsin-La Crosse |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #101 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 | #158 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #28 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #213 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #375 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #660 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #536 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #714 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #330 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #567 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #107 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #619 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | #917 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Fort Hays State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Kansas State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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