Murray State University
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Murray, Kentucky
Net price / year
$9,096
after grants & scholarships
lower than 78% of public 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
86%
Graduation rate
60%
within 150% of normal time
higher than 76% of public 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$50,487
4 years after graduating
lower than 83% of public 4-year colleges
Murray State University at a glance
- What is the tuition at Murray State University?
- In-state undergraduate tuition and fees are $9,900 for the 2024-25 academic year, or $19,836 for out-of-state students.
- What is the cost of attendance at Murray State University?
- The average cost of attendance is $23,485 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Murray State University?
- The average net price for in-state students is $9,096 a year after grants and scholarships (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Murray State University?
- About 86% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- What SAT and ACT scores are typical at Murray State University?
- The middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores had an SAT total of about 940–1170 and an ACT composite of 19–26 (fall 2024). Test policy reported: Considered if submitted, but not required.
- What is the graduation rate at Murray State University?
- 60% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of Murray State University earn?
- The median graduate earns $50,487 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 2.4 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- At $9,096 a year, the average net price is lower than 78% of public 4-year colleges.
- 60% of students graduate on time or within 150% of normal time, higher than 76% of public 4-year colleges.
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $6,242 a year on average, versus $15,450 for families earning over $110,000.
- Pell Grant recipients completed within 150% of normal time at a rate of 49%, compared with 60% for all students, a gap of 11 points.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Murray State University
Average net price (in-state)
$9,096 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Murray State University net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$36,384
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $6,242
- $30–48k $6,347
- $48–75k $8,104
- $75–110k $12,811
- $110k+ $15,450
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $23,485
- Tuition & fees$9,900
- Books & supplies$940
- Room & board$11,112
- Other expenses$3,622
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $9,900
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $19,836
Murray State University acceptance rate and SAT/ACT scores
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Considered if submitted, but not required
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Murray State University
Graduation rate
60%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
76%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$217
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
2.4 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.4×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 5.2%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 61%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $30,046 · median $44,737 · 75th percentile $66,231
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
How borrowers are doing
One year after leaving school and entering repayment, here is where the 3,269 federal-loan borrowers from this college stood. It covers borrowers only, not students who did not take federal loans.
Repayment status one year after entering repayment
- Paid in full 7%
- Making progress 9%
- Not making progress 12%
- Delinquent 3%
- Default 0%
- Forbearance 58%
- Deferment 11%
- Discharged 0%
What the terms mean
- Paid in full:
- The borrower has paid off the loans completely.
- Making progress:
- Payments are reducing the loan balance, not just covering interest.
- Not making progress:
- The borrower is paying, but not enough to shrink the balance.
- Delinquent:
- Payments are late but the loan is not yet in default.
- Default:
- The borrower has missed payments for so long that the loan is officially in default.
- Forbearance:
- Payments are temporarily paused or reduced, and interest may keep adding up.
- Deferment:
- Payments are on hold for an approved reason, such as returning to school.
- Discharged:
- The loan was cancelled, for example because of a disability or a school closure.
3,269 borrowers · Data period: Borrowers who entered repayment in the AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 cohorts (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Murray State University ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's · Graduates: 34 | $87,573 | 1 yr$58,9704 yrs$87,5735 yrs$71,522 | U.S. median $76,549 U.S. middle half $61.9K–$91.2K · Above the U.S. median | $22,250 |
| Engineering Physics Bachelor's · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $86,713 | 1 yr$58,0254 yrs$86,713 | U.S. median $89,154 U.S. middle half $69.2K–$111.3K · Below the U.S. median | $19,521 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's · Graduates: 93 | $84,705 | 1 yr$66,4184 yrs$84,7055 yrs$85,864 | U.S. median $86,525 U.S. middle half $66.5K–$106.9K · Below the U.S. median | $24,561 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's · Graduates: 125 | $72,462 | 1 yr$68,6084 yrs$72,4625 yrs$74,353 | U.S. median $88,910 U.S. middle half $67.9K–$114.5K · Below the U.S. median | $18,203 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 27 Small sample | $67,173 | 1 yr$36,9384 yrs$67,1735 yrs$87,954 | U.S. median $107,009 U.S. middle half $74.8K–$152K · Below the U.S. median | $23,475 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 26 Small sample | $66,204 | 1 yr$43,1784 yrs$66,2045 yrs$89,111 | U.S. median $85,294 U.S. middle half $59.8K–$116.9K · Below the U.S. median | $19,037 |
| Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 41 | $64,269 | 1 yr$42,3224 yrs$64,2695 yrs$50,198 | U.S. median $76,194 U.S. middle half $56.2K–$97.2K · Below the U.S. median | $18,318 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's · Graduates: 26 Small sample | $63,679 | 1 yr$40,8044 yrs$63,679 | U.S. median $68,257 U.S. middle half $47.6K–$93.6K · Below the U.S. median | $21,061 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's · Graduates: 31 | $58,862 | 1 yr$53,0854 yrs$58,8625 yrs$48,363 | U.S. median $71,753 U.S. middle half $56.8K–$86K · Below the U.S. median | $22,500 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Bachelor's · Graduates: 95 | $58,265 | 1 yr$38,0544 yrs$58,2655 yrs$44,245 | U.S. median $63,560 U.S. middle half $45.9K–$83.7K · Below the U.S. median | $21,235 |
Show all 32 programs
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Bachelor's · Graduates: 25 Small sample | $57,764 | 4 yrs$57,7645 yrs$52,954 | U.S. median $54,562 U.S. middle half $39K–$73K · Above the U.S. median | $22,925 |
| Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other Bachelor's · Graduates: 129 | $57,686 | 1 yr$45,0964 yrs$57,6865 yrs$45,641 | U.S. median $65,543 U.S. middle half $46K–$83.8K · Below the U.S. median | $17,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $56,780 | 1 yr$45,0424 yrs$56,7805 yrs$51,087 | U.S. median $69,303 U.S. middle half $49.7K–$93.2K · Below the U.S. median | $21,997 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 37 | $56,263 | 1 yr$43,3204 yrs$56,2635 yrs$56,973 | U.S. median $83,343 U.S. middle half $60.8K–$111.5K · Below the U.S. median | $20,500 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 16 Small sample | $51,848 | 1 yr$38,7534 yrs$51,848 | U.S. median $58,808 U.S. middle half $42K–$79.2K · Below the U.S. median | $20,699 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 76 | $51,818 | 1 yr$37,2854 yrs$51,8185 yrs$47,257 | U.S. median $68,407 U.S. middle half $48.2K–$94.6K · Below the U.S. median | $17,500 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $51,771 | — | U.S. median $69,562 U.S. middle half $49.1K–$97.4K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 52 | $50,387 | 4 yrs$50,3875 yrs$45,661 | U.S. median $58,928 U.S. middle half $45K–$73K · Below the U.S. median | $19,369 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections Bachelor's · Graduates: 23 Small sample | $48,437 | 1 yr$32,0414 yrs$48,4375 yrs$54,066 | U.S. median $55,378 U.S. middle half $40.2K–$74.4K · Below the U.S. median | $21,411 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 27 Small sample | $48,370 | 1 yr$25,9144 yrs$48,3705 yrs$54,903 | U.S. median $57,214 U.S. middle half $38.9K–$79.2K · Below the U.S. median | $24,033 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 24 Small sample | $46,739 | 1 yr$27,8314 yrs$46,739 | U.S. median $50,680 U.S. middle half $36.3K–$66.7K · Below the U.S. median | $21,750 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication Bachelor's · Graduates: 23 Small sample | $45,127 | 1 yr$28,0414 yrs$45,1275 yrs$44,736 | U.S. median $50,497 U.S. middle half $33.7K–$70.1K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology Bachelor's · Graduates: 53 | $44,800 | 1 yr$23,6744 yrs$44,8005 yrs$41,388 | U.S. median $55,695 U.S. middle half $38.1K–$76.5K · Below the U.S. median | $20,500 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management Bachelor's · Graduates: 23 Small sample | $43,844 | 1 yr$28,7514 yrs$43,844 | U.S. median $45,338 U.S. middle half $34.2K–$59.3K · Below the U.S. median | $21,417 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's · Graduates: 122 | $41,797 | 1 yr$34,3044 yrs$41,7975 yrs$44,106 | U.S. median $53,072 U.S. middle half $35.8K–$73.3K · Below the U.S. median | $23,500 |
| English Language and Literature, General Bachelor's · Graduates: 25 Small sample | $41,383 | 1 yr$25,5434 yrs$41,3835 yrs$42,652 | U.S. median $48,590 U.S. middle half $33.7K–$63.8K · Below the U.S. median | $25,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 126 | $41,165 | 1 yr$31,6924 yrs$41,1655 yrs$39,311 | U.S. median $51,790 U.S. middle half $39.2K–$64.2K · Below the U.S. median | $23,500 |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians Bachelor's · Graduates: 127 | $40,839 | 1 yr$33,5364 yrs$40,8395 yrs$35,030 | U.S. median $44,115 U.S. middle half $34.9K–$57.6K · Below the U.S. median | $23,752 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 24 Small sample | $38,192 | 1 yr$21,7154 yrs$38,1925 yrs$37,409 | U.S. median $41,367 U.S. middle half $26.2K–$56.7K · Below the U.S. median | $22,500 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's · Graduates: 132 | $38,132 | 1 yr$36,8714 yrs$38,1325 yrs$39,712 | U.S. median $47,382 U.S. middle half $38.4K–$56.1K · Below the U.S. median | $20,801 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 27 Small sample | $36,697 | 1 yr$34,0984 yrs$36,6975 yrs$46,197 | U.S. median $42,892 U.S. middle half $26K–$58.8K · Below the U.S. median | $26,731 |
| Special Education and Teaching Bachelor's · Graduates: 36 | $36,657 | 1 yr$36,1974 yrs$36,6575 yrs$39,132 | U.S. median $50,499 U.S. middle half $41.4K–$60.1K · Below the U.S. median | $18,687 |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 78.4%
- Black or African American 6.1%
- Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
- Asian 0.8%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0%
- Two or more races 3.6%
- U.S. nonresident 4.1%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 3.4%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 39.5%
- Women 60.5%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
9%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 6,688
- Part-time students
- 9%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 33%
- Receive federal loans
- 35%
- Students per faculty member
- 17 : 1
- Setting
- Town
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Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Murray State University?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Murray State University reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $9,900 for in-state students and $19,836 for out-of-state students. These are published prices before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Murray State University?
The average cost of attendance at Murray State University is $23,485 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $9,096 a year. That is lower than 78% of public 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Murray State University get?
33% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 35% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $6,242 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $15,450 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Murray State University?
Murray State University admitted about 86% of applicants in fall 2024. That means most applicants are admitted.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Murray State University?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% had an SAT total of about 940–1170 and an ACT composite of 19–26 (fall 2024). That is a guide, not a cutoff. Reported test policy: Considered if submitted, but not required.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Murray State University?
60% of first-time, full-time students at Murray State University finish within 150% of normal time. 76% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Murray State University graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $50,487 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $38,962.
Is Murray State University worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Murray State University, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 2.4 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $20,500, about 0.4 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 60% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things