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Parks at Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
50 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
50
Optimistic
50
Base Case
46
Pessimistic
Earnings $37,083/yr (10% vs median)
AI Risk Moderate (34% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (508,800 openings/yr)
ROI 10.6x earnings multiple (4.2x out-of-state)
Ranked #20 of 45 Parks programs Top 50%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Parks graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $465K $466K $441K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 10.6x 10.6x 10.1x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 4.2x 4.2x 4.0x
Probability of Field Employment 42% 40% 32%
DegreeOutlook Score 50 50 46

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$43,768
Out-of-state: $111,264 (4.2x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$71,532
-63% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$21,500
7.0 months of Year 1 earnings

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $37,083 at Kansas State University come in 10% above the national median of $33,642 for Parks programs.

The 10.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 34% task exposure — and the 5% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $21,500 debt-to-$37,083 income ratio translates to about 7 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

Ranked #20 out of 45 programs, Kansas State University's Parks offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

About Kansas State University

Kansas State University accepts 79% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, serving 14,835 students in Manhattan, KS.

See all programs and financial aid at Kansas State University →

Top Career Paths

Facilities managers $104,690/yr
General and operations managers $102,950/yr
Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling $77,180/yr
View all 5 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 45 schools offering Parks →

Parks at Other Schools

Southern Connecticut State University ($46,274) University of Florida ($41,046) Illinois State University ($39,104) Southwestern Oklahoma State University ($38,506) University of New Hampshire-Main Campus ($38,201) North Carolina State University at Raleigh ($38,116) South Dakota State University ($38,076) Kean University ($37,884)

Other Majors at Kansas State University

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($78,758) Computer Engineering ($77,938) Industrial Engineering ($77,724) Chemical Engineering ($77,492) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($76,385) Agricultural and Food Products Processing ($76,052) Construction Engineering Technologies ($74,253) Architectural Engineering ($74,091)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Parks trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Kansas State University's Parks program score?
This program scores 50/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Parks graduates.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →