Kansas State University

Kansas State University

Motto	Rule by Obeying Nature's Laws
Type	Public, State, Flagship,Land-grant, Space Grant, University
Established	February 16, 1863 (1863-02-16)
Affiliation	Kansas Board of Regents
Academic affiliation	APLU, ASAIHL, AAC&U
Endowment	$475.6 million (2016)
Budget	$818.6 million
President	Richard Myers
Provost	April Mason
Academic staff	1,404
Students	23,779 (Fall 2016)
Location	Manhattan, Kansas, U.S. 39°11′30″N 96°34′51″W / 39.19167°N 96.58083°W / 39.19167; -96.58083Coordinates: 39°11′30″N 96°34′51″W / 39.19167°N 96.58083°W / 39.19167; -96.58083
Campus	College town Urban; 668 acres (2.70 km2)
Colors	Royal purple
Nickname	Wildcats
Mascot	Willie the Wildcat
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – Big 12
Website	k-state.edu

Kansas State University, commonly shortened to Kansas State or K-State, is a public doctoral university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. Kansas State was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 – the first public institution of higher learning in the state of Kansas. It had a record high enrollment of 24,766 students for the Fall 2014 semester.

Branch campuses are in Salina and Olathe. The Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus in Salina is home to the College of Technology and Aviation. The Olathe Innovation Campus is the academic research presence within the Kansas Bioscience Park, where graduate students participate in research bioenergy, animal health, plant science and food safety and security.

The university is classified as a research university with highest research activity (R1) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Kansas State's academic offerings are administered through nine colleges, including the College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Technology and Aviation in Salina. Graduate degrees offered include 65 master's degree programs and 45 doctoral degrees.

Kansas State University, originally named Kansas State Agricultural College, was founded in Manhattan on February 16, 1863, during the American Civil War, as a land-grant institution under the Morrill Act. The school was the first land-grant college created under the Morrill Act. K-State is the third-oldest school in the Big 12 Conference and the oldest public institution of higher learning in the state of Kansas.