Fort Hays State University was founded in 1902 as the Western Branch of Kansas State Normal School. The institution was originally located on the grounds of Fort Hays, a Nineteenth Century frontier military outpost. The state of Kansas initially intended the university’s academic programs to focus on agriculture, but it opened in as a “normal” or teacher’s college.
FHSU today is a regional comprehensive public university where determined, innovative and caring faculty and staff share a deep commitment to teaching and mentoring students. Our mission is to develop the engaged global citizen-leaders our world needs today. When you consider the quality of our academic programs, our unmatched affordability and the caring and supportive people who make the “Tiger Nation” special.
FHSU consistently ranks among the top regional universities in the American Midwest. A remarkable 95% of FHSU students secure jobs or higher education opportunities after they graduate. Employers tell us the combination of challenging academic programs, close faculty/student relationships, and the abundance of experiential learning opportunities our students enjoy while at FHSU set our students apart in a competitive job markets worldwide.