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Fort Hays State University

Hays, Kansas

6,942 Students on Campus
Hays Location
25,000 Metro Population
6,942 Students on Campus
Hays Location
25,000 Metro Population

About This Campus

Our Tiger Family at FHSU is ready to welcome students from all over the world. Our faculty are among the best, and our academic programs are recognized worldwide. We are a top-rated, advanced institution that continues to break the mold with our more than 70 majors, 300 intramural activities, and 120 student groups and organizations. Whether you are an on-campus or an online student, FHSU is a place that will make your educational journey unforgettable. On our campus, you will feel at home amongst our 5,000 on-campus students in our beautiful limestone buildings nestled along Big Creek on the outskirts of town. In our community of Hays, you will experience a welcoming atmosphere and a quaint downtown with a renowned Wild West history showcasing our old Fort Hays dating back to the late 1800s. Students love our live music, theatre performances, art exhibits, cultural festivals, and great food. Our steadfast student support will transform today's Tigers into genuine, inclusive leaders.

ART & DESIGN New 43,000 square-foot facility with Graphic Design, Interior Design, Motion Design, Ceramics, and more

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY A 58,000 square-foot facility with Industrial Technology and Technology & Engineering Education programs

INFORMATICS Information Enterprise Institute – the home of the National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education

Helpful Information

Students have an excellent chance of placement at FHSU. Registration and course selection are manageable, though there might be restrictions for courses with prerequisites or in some of our notable programs. Commuting is simple and stress‑free—Hays is a small, friendly town where most off‑campus housing is within a short drive or bike ride to campus. Daily life as an FHSU student is relaxed and community‑oriented, with approachable faculty, numerous student organizations, and a campus culture that values connection and involvement. Overall, FHSU provides a smooth transition for exchange students seeking an academically engaging and culturally supportive experience.

Location Information

Fort Hays State University is located on the western end of our great Sunflower State. We are 4 hours from Denver, Colorado, and 4 hours from Kansas City, KS. Hays has a regional airport that services many of our incoming students. Hays is a rural farming community with easy access to Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Our central location in the United States offers many unique travel opportunities to students living in Hays.

Academics

REGISTRATION:
TERM DATES:

Fall Start Date: 08/18/2025 - Fall End Date: 12/12/2025

Spring Start Date: 01/20/2026 - Spring End Date: 05/15/2026

CLOSED PROGRAMS:

Diagnostic Imaging and Nursing

RESTRICTED/LIMITED PROGRAMS:

Nursing, elementary & secondary education, athletic training, and medical diagnostic imaging courses will be limited for NSE exchange students. Other programs such as communication sciences and disorders, graphic design, or business courses may require prerequisites for upper-level courses.

OTHER ACADEMIC INFORMATION:

None.

NOTABLE ACADEMICS PROGRAMS:
  • Applied Technology — FHSU offer’s accredited programs that identify new opportunities and solve problems for students seeking careers in the rapidly changing fields of technology. The Center for Applied Technology features computer CAD labs, instructional and graphics labs, STEM labs, woodworking labs, metalworking labs, plastic labs, power and energy labs, robotic labs, construction management labs, sculpture studios, metal foundry studios and flexible spaces for workshops and events.
  • Art & Design programs — The new, two-story, 43,000 square foot facility provides lab spaces for Graphic Design, Interior Design, Motion Design, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Ceramics, Art Education, Art History, and Photography. The facility also includes departmental office space, a multi-purpose lab, a traditional classroom, woodshop, graduate studios, commons area, and ceramics kiln yard.
  • Business Management — The Department of Management at Fort Hays State University offers on-campus and online undergraduate programs in business management that prepare you to develop, lead, mentor and inspire teams and spark organizations to reach ambitious goals in product research and development, service enhancement and new business growth.
  • Communication & Sciences Disorders — The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Fort Hays State University provides students with applied learning through clinical experiences at the undergraduate and graduate level on and off campus. The department's content instruction, paired with applied experiences, equips undergraduate students to be positive, effective collaborators in educational and healthcare settings. Students get real-world experience with clients at our Herndon Clinic on campus.
  • Informatics — Innovative, in-depth on-campus classes with our students work with state-of-the-art software and equipment. Small classes are taught by knowledgeable experts in advanced technology lab spaces. The Information Enterprise Institute is the home of the National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education here at FHSU. The Institute for New Media Studies has a laboratory and collaboration space dedicated to the transdisciplinary study of new media as it impacts human communication
OPTIONS:

Honors Access: No

UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS OPEN TO NSE STUDENTS:

Conditions

GPA AND OTHER ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS:
EXCHANGE PREFERENCES:
  • Full Year Exchange: Preferred
  • Single Term Exchange: Accepted
  • Summer Exchange: Not Available
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (Visa Students):
  • Receive from Canada: Will Accept Home Pay
  • Does your campus accept International Students (those already in the U.S. on a student visa)?
CANADIAN EXCHANGE:
Learn More
  • Accept international students studying in Canada on a visa? - No
  • Accept Canadian students on J1 visa or F1 visa? -

Tuition/Finance

Figures per Semester are current as of 10/22/2025
TUITION:
  • Campus Budget
  • Fees are subject to change without notice
  • Home Tuition Payment: Available
  • Away Tuition Payment: Not Available
MAXIMUM CREDIT HOURS PER SEMESTER:
MISCELLANEOUS FEES:
Purpose
Amount
Period
Plan
Status
Admission Fee
$30
Year
Home
Mandatory
Housing Fee
$40
Year
Home
Mandatory
Parking Fee
$25
Year
Home
Optional
ID Card
$10
Year
Home
Mandatory

Canadian students may incur additional fees relating to their student visa and services provided by the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office.

Financial Aid for NSE Students. Regardless of Payment Plan, financial aid is awarded by and disbursed from your home campus.

Room/Meals

Figures per Semester are current as of 10/24/2025
ON-CAMPUS HOUSING PER SEMESER:
  • Is on-campus housing available? Yes
  • Is on-campus living required? No
  • Number of reserved housing spaces: 0
  • Average Room Cost (per term): $0
  • On-Campus Housing
Off-CAMPUS HOUSING:
NOTES ABOUT ON-CAMPUS HOUSING:

Details about the specific residence halls can be found HERE. Current housing rates can be found HERE. Important dates for housing can be found HERE. FAQS & Forms, including the housing application, can be found HERE.

NOTES ABOUT OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING:

The average monthly cost for off-campus housing is estimated at $600. Ask the NSE Coordinator about off-campus housing options.

MEAL PLANS:
  • Are meal plans available on campus? Yes
  • Is a meal plan purchase required for on-campus, non-apartment residence halls? No
  • Average Meal Plan Cost (per term): $2100
  • Campus Meal Plans
NOTES ABOUT MEAL PLANS:

All students living on campus within two years of high school graduation must have a meal plan. $2217/semester =Open Access including $900 in Dining Dollars per year ($450/semester) $2118.50/semester =10 Swipes per week and $1,000 in Dining Dollars per year ($500/semester) $2087/semester =7 Swipes Plan including $1,200 in Dining Dollars per year ($600/semester) Meal plans can also include Dining Dollars each semester to use throughout campus. The amount is determined by the meal plan type. Many room plans can include the meal plan. See our website for more details: https://www.fhsu.edu/reslife/

Fees are subject to change without notice.

Chance of Acceptance

Priority Placements for Academic Year 26/27

If this is your top choice campus...

Home Tuition Payment Plan

Open

This campus usually accepts all eligible applicants. Apply and start packing your bags!

Away Tuition Payment Plan

N/A

This campus is not accepting students on this tuition payment plan.

If this is your alternate choice campus...

Home Tuition Payment Plan

Open

This campus usually accepts all eligible applicants. Apply and start packing your bags!

Away Tuition Payment Plan

N/A

This campus is not accepting students on this tuition payment plan.

Resources

CAMPUS SOCIAL MEDIA: