About Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University was founded in 1903, in vibrant and progressive southeast Kansas. Home to nearly 6,500 students, PSU provides all the benefits of a major college but with small class sizes and personalized experiences. The university offers more than 200 academic programs and emphasis areas across four colleges, including undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, EdS degrees, and a doctoral degree in Nursing. Our students enjoy an average class size of just 18 students and benefit from world-class faculty and a vibrant campus life. More than 65,000 alumni proudly declare, "Once a Gorilla, Always a Gorilla."

Pittsburg State University offers a rich college experience with a broad selection of academic and social amenities.

  • A beautiful 223-acre campus is home to state-of-the-art buildings that bring the real world to students, and include The Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, the Kansas Technology Center, the Tyler Research Center, the Robert W. Plaster Center, and much more
  • The surrounding Pittsburg community fully embraces the university and its students with a welcoming, family-like small city atmosphere
  • A variety of housing options give students living/learning opportunities, modern downtown apartments, group living, and more
  • Nearly 150 student organizations provide opportunities for engagement, community, and leadership
  • Our student population hosts a variety of cultural and social events on campus and in the community, exposing students to the traditions and lives from countries around the world
  • Home to the NCAA’s only Gorilla mascot, the university has a strong athletics tradition that showcases student athletes and brings together a community of dedicated fans
  • A growing selection of online classes, programs, and degrees provide flexibility and opportunity to students from all walks of life.

Pittsburg State employs well over 1500 part-time and full-time faculty and staff, students, graduate assistants, and researchers.

Pittsburg has a population of approximately 20,000 residents and is located in southeast Kansas, about thirty miles from Joplin, Missouri, which has a metropolitan area population of about 60,000. Kansas City is located 120 miles North; Tulsa, Oklahoma is 125 miles southwest; Wichita is 160 miles west; and Springfield, Missouri is 95 miles east. For more information see: http://www.pittks.org.