Quad
Murray State UniversityMurray, KY · Public

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other (9% of graduates). 17 students for every faculty member, more than at 78% of colleges. 82% of faculty are full-time. Spends $10,232 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

1,559 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 32% of graduates; 61 programs in 21 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other 01.99998.7% 136
    Graduates in this field earn $57,686 4 years out
  2. General Studies 24.01026.5% 101
    Graduates in this field earn $41,797 4 years out
  3. Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 51.38016.5% 101
    Graduates in this field earn $72,462 4 years out
  4. Accounting 52.03015.9% 92
    Graduates in this field earn $64,269 4 years out
  5. Animal Health 01.09034.5% 70

Fastest-growing field: Agriculture, 11% → 15% of graduates since 2014–15 (233 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians$87,573 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $58,970

    4 years after completion$87,573
    National median: $76,549Above typical

    Median federal debt: $22,250 · 61 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Engineering Physics$86,713 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $58,025

    4 years after completion$86,713
    National median: $89,154About typical

    Median federal debt: $19,521 · 64 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians$84,705 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $66,418

    4 years after completion$84,705
    National median: $86,525About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $77,657 · Non-Pell: $81,517(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $24,561 · 102 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians$79,974 1 yr out

    1 year after completion: $79,974

    4 years after completion: Too few graduates to report

    Median federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 19 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$72,462 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $68,608

    4 years after completion$72,462
    National median: $88,910Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $62,737 · Non-Pell: $63,650(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $18,203 · 176 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college17 to 1
17 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 78% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 16 to 1 in its Common Data Set (7,656 students, 491 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

64%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 3% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–968235%
10–1955329%
20–2939721%
30–3919210%
40–49482%
50–99493%
100+40%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Accelerated program
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • Dual enrollment
  • English as a Second Language
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Liberal arts/career combination
  • Student-designed major
  • Teacher certification
  • Study abroad

Requires coursework in arts, computer literacy, English composition, a foreign language, history, humanities, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty82%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$70,683

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$10,232
$10,232
← Lessmore than 45% of 557More →
Endowment per student$16,760
$16,760
← Lessmore than 64% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Murray State University Common Data Set 2021–22, Fall 2021;Murray State University Common Data Set 2021–22, 2021–22;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)