US CollegesColleges in Kansas: cost, admission and results
40 degree-granting colleges and universities in Kansas, with the admission rate, net price, graduation rate and earnings of each. The largest are University of Kansas (21,217 undergraduates), Kansas State University (15,142 undergraduates), Johnson County Community College (11,332 undergraduates).
Kansas at a glance
- Colleges on this site
- 40
- Public / private nonprofit / for-profit
- 13 / 25 / 2
- Median in-state tuition and fees
- $17,984
- Median net price a year
- $19,034
- Median admission rate
- 82%
- Median graduation rate
- 48%
- Median earnings 10 years on
- $55,478
No college in this list matches.
| College | Admission rate | Net price a year | Graduation rate | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen County Community CollegeIola, KS · Public | not reported | $3,011 | 34% | $42,612 |
| Baker UniversityBaldwin City, KS · Private nonprofit | 94% | $25,038 | 55% | $69,658 |
| Barclay CollegeHaviland, KS · Private nonprofit | 51% | $15,864 | 56% | $40,829 |
| Benedictine CollegeAtchison, KS · Private nonprofit | 98% | $24,687 | 65% | $58,102 |
| Bethany CollegeLindsborg, KS · Private nonprofit | 56% | $28,538 | 31% | $56,377 |
| Bethel College-North NewtonNorth Newton, KS · Private nonprofit | 94% | $31,503 | 50% | $58,029 |
| Butler Community CollegeEl Dorado, KS · Public | not reported | $16,838 | 33% | $44,647 |
| Central Christian College of KansasMcPherson, KS · Private nonprofit | 53% | $14,036 | 32% | $46,855 |
| Cleveland University-Kansas CityOverland Park, KS · Private nonprofit | 69% | $37,185 | 100% | $55,666 |
| Donnelly CollegeKansas City, KS · Private nonprofit | not reported | $4,090 | 48% | $41,558 |
| Emporia State UniversityEmporia, KS · Public | 98% | $14,364 | 57% | $50,860 |
| Fort Hays State UniversityHays, KS · Public | 90% | $16,333 | 53% | $53,030 |
| Friends UniversityWichita, KS · Private nonprofit | 55% | $26,384 | 51% | $54,046 |
| Galen Health Institutes-WichitaWichita, KS · Private for-profit | not reported | $30,703 | not reported | $69,188 |
| Haskell Indian Nations UniversityLawrence, KS · Public | 90% | $8,507 | 27% | $38,914 |
| Hesston CollegeHesston, KS · Private nonprofit | not reported | $17,352 | 68% | $56,182 |
| Independence Community CollegeIndependence, KS · Public | not reported | $2,571 | 31% | $38,746 |
| Johnson County Community CollegeOverland Park, KS · Public | not reported | $12,359 | 34% | $49,934 |
| Kansas Christian CollegeOverland Park, KS · Private nonprofit | not reported | $19,753 | 54% | not reported |
| Kansas Health Science UniversityWichita, KS · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS · Public | 82% | $18,210 | 71% | $61,473 |
| Kansas Wesleyan UniversitySalina, KS · Private nonprofit | 72% | $22,165 | 42% | $57,332 |
| Labette Community CollegeParsons, KS · Public | not reported | $9,779 | 34% | $45,236 |
| Manhattan Christian CollegeManhattan, KS · Private nonprofit | 100% | $27,504 | 47% | $47,738 |
| McPherson CollegeMcPherson, KS · Private nonprofit | 77% | $28,431 | 43% | $51,560 |
| MidAmerica Nazarene UniversityOlathe, KS · Private nonprofit | 79% | $30,947 | 42% | $70,804 |
| Newman UniversityWichita, KS · Private nonprofit | 74% | $17,430 | 53% | $55,478 |
| Ottawa University-Kansas CityOverland Park, KS · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | $59,897 |
| Ottawa University-OnlineOverland Park, KS · Private nonprofit | not reported | $13,986 | not reported | $59,897 |
| Ottawa University-OttawaOttawa, KS · Private nonprofit | 83% | $27,572 | 26% | $59,897 |
| Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg, KS · Public | 89% | $14,291 | 48% | $53,785 |
| Rasmussen University-KansasTopeka, KS · Private for-profit | not reported | $24,957 | 53% | $47,524 |
| Saint Paul School of TheologyLeawood, KS · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Southwestern CollegeWinfield, KS · Private nonprofit | 76% | $30,086 | 39% | $58,452 |
| Sterling CollegeSterling, KS · Private nonprofit | 48% | $24,297 | 39% | $50,326 |
| Tabor CollegeHillsboro, KS · Private nonprofit | 65% | $19,034 | 32% | $58,789 |
| University of KansasLawrence, KS · Public | 93% | $20,004 | 70% | $67,963 |
| University of Saint MaryLeavenworth, KS · Private nonprofit | 87% | $20,881 | 46% | $66,336 |
| Washburn UniversityTopeka, KS · Public | not reported | $11,023 | 52% | $53,102 |
| Wichita State UniversityWichita, KS · Public | 94% | $10,307 | 52% | $56,003 |
"Not reported" means the Department of Education has no figure, often because the college is small, new, or does not take first-time students. Medians are the middle value of the colleges listed here.
The colleges of Kansas in brief
Of the 40 colleges listed for Kansas, 13 are public, 25 are private nonprofit and 2 are private for-profit. By level, 28 mainly award bachelor's degrees, 10 mainly award two-year associate degrees and 2 mainly award graduate degrees. Together they teach about 103,069 undergraduates, 85% of them at public colleges. The three largest, University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Johnson County Community College, hold 46% of the total, and the middle-sized college has 860 undergraduates. The towns with the most colleges are Overland Park (5), Wichita (5) and McPherson (2).
What college costs in Kansas
At the public colleges, the median published tuition and fees are $6,111 a year for students from Kansas and $10,256 for students from elsewhere. At the private nonprofit colleges the median is $35,842. Published prices are not what most families pay. Counting colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the lowest average net price after grants is at Independence Community College ($2,571) and Allen County Community College ($3,011) and the highest at Bethel College-North Newton ($31,503) and MidAmerica Nazarene University ($30,947). The median net price across the state, $19,034, is 10% above the national median of $17,357.
Getting in
25 of the 40 colleges report an admission rate. The hardest to get into are Sterling College (48% admitted), Barclay College (51% admitted) and Central Christian College of Kansas (53% admitted). 18 of them admit at least seven applicants in ten. 12 colleges have an open admission policy and report no rate: they do not turn applicants away on grades or test scores.
Finishing and earning
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the highest share of students finishing their course is at Kansas State University (71%), University of Kansas (70%) and Hesston College (68%). The median graduation rate of the state's colleges is 48%, against 49% for the country. Ten years after starting, former students with federal aid earn the most at MidAmerica Nazarene University ($70,804), Baker University ($69,658) and University of Kansas ($67,963). The state median for that measure is $55,478, 4% above the national $53,132. Students who finish leave with a median federal loan debt of $21,750 (national median $19,994). Earnings follow the subjects a college teaches as much as its quality, so compare like with like.
Questions about colleges in Kansas
How many colleges are there in Kansas?
This site lists 40 open, degree-granting colleges and universities in Kansas, out of 3,161 on the whole site. Schools that mainly give short certificates are not counted.
What is the largest college in Kansas?
University of Kansas in Lawrence, with about 21,217 undergraduate students.
Which college in Kansas has the lowest net price?
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, Independence Community College: students with federal aid paid an average of $2,571 a year after grants. Students from other states or countries usually pay more.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.