Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is the fourth-largest of the six public universities governed by the state of Kansas. The main FHSU campus, which is roughly 200 acres, is located in the city of Hays. The school serves approximately 11,000 total students — undergraduate, graduate, and online — each year.
| Overall Score (about) | 70.2 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $18,048 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 18 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 73% / 51% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 15,523 |
FHSU offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as a select few specialized degrees. The university is comprised of four colleges:
The colleges consist of more than 30 academic departments which offer over 70 majors. Fort Hays is an accredited member of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges’ Higher Learning Commission, and individual programs have also received accreditation from various agencies, including:
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education; the Kansas State Board of Nursing; the National Association of Schools of Music; the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education; the Kansas State Board of Education; the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology; the Council on Social Work Education; the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education; the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Agriculture
The school began with a heavy agricultural focus and continues to be a leader in agricultural research and studies in Kansas and across the United States. FHSU is one of few schools to offer Agriculture as a major, with either a scientific or a business focus. The prestige of this academic department is backed up by the fact that the school has its own farm where a variety of livestock species are housed and crops grown for research and educational purposes.
Virtual College
The university has had much success with its Virtual College, an online distance learning platform that provides students with the ability to pursue associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in several areas of study as well as certain professional certificates through online classes.
All degrees obtained via the Virtual College program are accredited by the same authorities as their corresponding learning programs on campus, and in almost all cases the same instructors teach courses online as well as in person if the classes are offered in both formats.
Prospective freshmen applicants who attended a high school in the state of Kansas must meet the following requirements to qualify as a degree-seeking student at FHSU:
OR
Minimum requirements vary for high school graduates who attended school in other states, homeschooled students, GED recipients, transfer students, and new college students who are over the age of 21. The FHSU office of admissions can supply more information to all interested students.
Fort Hays State University prides itself on being an affordable way for students to pursue further education, but financial aid is available for students who qualify. The Financial Assistance Office can provide students with information about scholarships, grants, loans, and benefits for students who are veterans.
To determine eligibility for financial aid, students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible. The FAFSA must be completed each academic year.
The Center for Student Involvement points out that college students who get involved on campus are more satisfied with college life in general, and Fort Hays students have hundreds of co-curricular opportunities and organizations at their disposal. Recognized student organizations and clubs include campus-wide groups, departmental groups associated with a particular academic department, honor societies, religious and/or spiritual organizations, groups that are comprised of students who live in a particular residence hall, and Greek fraternities and sororities.
FHSU’s Kelly Support Services offers a variety of services for students as well as faculty and staff. Many students can benefit from free and confidential alcohol and drug counseling sessions, personal counseling for other life- and college-related issues such as stress management, dealing with the numerous changes and transitions that are a normal part of the college experience, family or personal problems, and more. Academic support and tutoring sessions are also offered.
The university’s athletic teams are known as the Fort Hays State University Tigers. The Tigers are an NCAA Division II member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Men’s sports include:
Women’s sports include:
The Tigers also have a cheerleading squad and dance team. Athletics facilities on campus include the Gross Memorial Coliseum, Schmidt-Bickle Indoor Training Facility, multiple stadiums, tennis courts, and a track.
Home to FHSU, Hays is the largest city in Northwestern Kansas with a population of roughly 20,000 residents. The city has an outstanding medical facility, the Hays Medical Center, ranked as one of the best rural care centers in the country. The local airport gives residents frequent services to nearby metropolitan areas such as Denver and Kansas City, keeping the city plugged in with other, larger communities.
In addition to the outstanding Center for Health Improvement and other fitness and sports centers like the Smoky Hill Country Club and the Hays Municipal Golf Course, the natural surroundings are ideal for running and biking; furthermore, two major lakes are within less than an hour’s drive from the campus, providing boating, fishing and swimming activities.
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