Murray State University

What is the cost of studying for a year at Murray State University?

Murray State's reported 2025-26 full-time undergraduate tuition and required fees total $9,900 for Kentucky residents and $16,672 for nonresidents. The difference makes residency classification a major budget question for applicants from outside Kentucky.

• 2024-25 Kentucky-resident tuition: $8,604; required fees: $1,296.
• 2024-25 nonresident tuition: $18,540; required fees: $1,296.
• Reported typical annual housing and dining charges together: $12,000.
• Reported annual books and supplies estimate: $950.

Adding those reported housing, dining, and book figures to tuition and required fees gives about $22,850 for a resident or $32,786 for a nonresident before transportation, personal expenses and any program-specific charges. These are illustrative sums, not complete cost-of-attendance budgets or an individual bill; actual housing and meal-plan selections can change the total.

Financial aid can make the amount a student pays lower than the published cost. Reported average net prices - which account for grant and scholarship aid - range from $6,347 for students in families earning up to $48,000 to $15,450 for those in families earning above $110,000. Averages within an income band do not determine an individual award. Students can use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to seek eligible federal and state assistance; institutional scholarships and veteran or military education benefits may have separate rules. Reported aid figures indicate that 35% of students received loans, a reminder that a loan reduces an immediate bill but must generally be repaid.

What are the work-study opportunities at Murray State University?

Murray State students can look for part-time work alongside their studies, including positions associated with university offices and services. Federal Work-Study, when included in an eligible student's financial-aid package, is one possible employment route; ordinary student jobs do not necessarily require Work-Study eligibility.

Work-Study is earned through paid work rather than paid out automatically like a grant. Eligibility depends on financial-aid rules and funding, and an award does not itself guarantee that a student will be hired for a particular job. Applicants should review the university's current student-job postings and ask financial aid how a proposed position and work schedule would affect their award.

For work related to a future profession, students can also use career counseling, résumé reviews, interview practice, employer recruitment and job fairs. An internship may offer academic credit, pay, both or neither, depending on the arrangement; Murray State does not require an internship of every student.