Kansas State University Salina
Small by choice. Bold by nature.
About our campus
At Kansas State University Salina, we’re not a traditional college campus. We’re a launchpad, an innovation hub and a proving ground. We are fueled by a single purpose: to shape the future of aerospace and technology by turning ideas into impactful progress, leveraging strong industry partnerships, and delivering unmatched education that meets learners wherever they are. We are a destination where we don’t just study - we build, test, create and do.
Big ideas don’t need skyscrapers. Forward thinkers don’t need coasts. They need grit, a vision and a place to make it happen.
That place is K-State Salina.
We are intentionally small. That’s not a limitation—it’s our strength. Every student here is part of a tightly woven community where faculty know your name, industry mentors are within reach, and opportunities aren’t lost in the crowd.
We offer a curated experience that is focused, professional, and personal. Learners don’t just get an education, but an experience built around who they are and who they want to become.
We’re driving change and defining tomorrow through bold research and powerful collaboration. By working side by side with industry, we’re shaping the next generation of thinkers, doers, engineers, aviators, coders, and creators who will transform what’s possible.
We take our reputation seriously. Accreditation validates the quality of an institution as a whole, offering evaluated measurements of everything from academic offerings, governance, administration, mission, finances and resources. Kansas State University has been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1916.
Additional Degree Option Accreditation
ABET
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in mechanical engineering technology at Kansas State University Salina is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
Professional Pilot Accreditation
The bachelor’s degree option in professional pilot is AABI accredited.
For more than 60 years, Kansas State University Salina has evolved alongside industry with our deep roots in applied learning. We have grown from Kansas’ first technical school into a nationally recognized leader in aviation, engineering and technology.
More about us:
For 60 years, the Kansas State University Salina Campus has provided an innovative learning environment focused on preparing students for their professional careers. In 1965, when the property transformed from Schilling Air Force Base into Schilling Institute, it was the state’s only technical school offering two-year training programs in aviation, engineering and technology. Continuing the trend of connecting education with real-world application, a computer science technology degree was added two years later – the first program of its kind offered by any college in Kansas.
Schilling Institute was renamed Kansas Technical Institute in 1969, and during its almost 20 years under that title, expanded its degree options in both the aviation and technology fields. What is today’s nationally-known professional pilot program started as an associate degree in 1986 and graduated seven students in its first class.
The property evolved once again in 1988 into Kansas College of Technology with a statewide mission to provide the education of technicians and technologists. Then, in 1991, the school merged with Kansas State University, and the Salina Wildcat family was born. The campus became the university’s ninth college.
In 2017, K-State President Richard Myers charged a task force with creating a plan for growing Kansas State University's global prominence in aviation. In partnership with the City of Salina, the Salina Airport Authority, the Salina Community Economic Development Organization, and the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, Kansas State University commissioned an independent study to identify specific areas of opportunity. The work included in-depth discussions with industry, a comprehensive market analysis of the aerospace sector, and an alignment of findings with the Kansas Framework for Growth. The findings of this work suggested the campus could maximize its impact toward advancing the state’s economic prosperity by returning to its historical roots. The campus was rebranded in August 2021, and a vision was established that builds upon our historical strengths in aviation and technology, but also supports the enhancement of the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industry sectors for the state.
Today, the campus continues to offer our historical programs in aviation, engineering and technology while expanding the future of aerospace through advanced air mobility, robotics, and autonomous systems.