How hard is inflation hitting students at Kansas State University?

MANHATTAN (KSNT) – A recent study completed by students at Kansas State University shows that Wildcats are being hit by inflation costs more than the average American.

K-State’s Economics Club has kept busy recently as they put together the 2025 Student Price Index (SPI), publishing the results of their findings in October. The SPI is a tradition that got started back in 2002 with the first edition and is based on prices collected on several things a typical student at the university buys, which are then compared to the previous year’s prices.

“Several students collaborated closely to collect and analyze the data, using the SPI as a way to apply economic concepts in a real-world context for our members,” said Landon DiLeonardo, vice president of the K-State Economics Club. “The steady prices of pizza and beer provide a welcome sense of consistency for students amid broader market fluctuations.”

The Economics Club found in its 2024 SPI that K-State students were experiencing a “slightly concerning” level of inflation at 3.1%. However, the 2025 SPI shows inflation has reached 3.6%, above the 2.9% inflation rate reported by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

“This is a great project for our students to work with real data and solve problems reflecting trends in our economy,” said Dan Kuester, faculty advisor to the Economics Club. “I am very proud of our club members who effectively collected data in a timely fashion and have suggested effective ways to deal with real world problems. Students found the relevance of the government shutdown to be interesting as we determined how to deal with the lack of current data.”

The 2025 SPI reports that several items, such as groceries, textbooks and internet costs, were impacted by higher rates of inflation when compared to other items commonly purchased by students. A big factor for increasing costs for students is the rise in tuition which, while K-State students are experiencing it at the same overall rate of inflation, has tripled since 2002’s SPI.

The Economics Club also recorded increases in housing costs, entertainment and gas. Despite the increases, DiLeonardo said overall inflation remains mild for the average student at K-State.

“Residents in Manhattan have generally found their dollar goes further compared to much of the country,” said Jacob Hofman, president of the Economics Club. “Despite higher-than-expected increases in grocery and internet costs, my own expenses have remained steady. My housing costs were up a bit this year, but I still feel as though my costs are manageable.”

• Breakdown of the 2025 SPI:
  • Gasoline: +3.6%.
  • Groceries: +7.0%.
  • Tuition: +3.5%.
  • Beer: unchanged.
  • Pizza: unchanged.
  • Off Campus housing: +5.3%.
  • On Campus housing (dorm): +3.1%.
  • On Campus housing (apartments): unchanged.
  • On Campus housing (Greek): unchanged.
  • Textbooks: +12.0%.
  • Movies: +5.0%.
  • ICAT: unchanged.
  • Internet: +10.0%.

You can read through the full 2025 SPI press release below. To learn more about the K-State Economics Club, click here.

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