PlainCollege

State profile · 81 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Kansas

Colleges in Kansas from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

81
Colleges
$43,995
Avg 10-yr earnings (74 of 81)
79.5%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Kansas · the picture in one line

Kansas's 74 of 81 colleges that report earnings average $43,995 in 10-year former-student earnings - 24th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#24
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$63,855
top earnings - Baker University
79.5%
avg acceptance (26 reporting)
37 / 26 / 18
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Kansas colleges with reported figures: Pratt Community College.

Kansas · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Kansas, University of Kansas leads by undergraduate enrollment (21,217 students, #1 of 69) but ranks #3 of 69 on 10-year median earnings ($61,945), while Baker University tops earnings at $63,855 (#1 of 69) with 1,100 students (#20 of 69). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

21,217
University of enrollment #1
$63,855
Baker University earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#3
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Kansas's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows University of Kansas is largest by enrollment; Baker University leads on 10-year earnings at $63,855.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Kansas returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Kansas as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Kansas by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Kansas

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Kansas colleges: earnings vs. cost

Kansas colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Kansas colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $33K $65K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $6K $29K Avg Net Price ($) University of Kansas: $62K earn · $18K net · 69% grad University of Kansas Kansas State University: $57K earn · $19K net · 71% grad Kansas State Unive… Johnson County Community College: $45K earn · $14K net · 30% grad Johnson County Com… Wichita State University: $52K earn · $13K net · 51% grad Wichita State Univ… Fort Hays State University: $49K earn · $13K net · 48% grad Fort Hays State Un… Butler Community College: $41K earn · $16K net · 31% grad Butler Community C… Washburn University: $50K earn · $15K net · 53% grad Pittsburg State University: $51K earn · $16K net · 57% grad Kansas City Kansas Community College: $41K earn · $17K net · 40% grad Hutchinson Community College: $43K earn · $7K net · 49% grad Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology: $39K earn · $9K net · 39% grad Barton County Community College: $40K earn · $10K net · 38% grad Benedictine College: $53K earn · $28K net · 63% grad Emporia State University: $48K earn · $16K net · 55% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Kansas ranks among the states

Kansas's average 10-year earnings of $43,995 place it in the 57th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Kansas: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$43,995 Top 43% higher than 57% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). This entry sits in this band. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Above this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. KS $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Kansas vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Kansas

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Kansas

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
81
Total Schools
$14,865
Avg In-State Tuition (60 of 81)
79.5%
Avg Acceptance Rate (26 of 81)
$43,995
Avg Median Earnings (74 of 81)
37 Public 26 Private NP 18 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Kansas

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 81 postsecondary institutions in Kansas. The ownership mix is 37 public institutions, 26 private nonprofits, and 18 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 60 of 81 Kansas institutions that report one is $14,865, and the average admission rate among the 26 that report one sits at 79.5%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 74 of 81 Kansas colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $43,995, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Kansas

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of Kansas Lawrence Public 21,217 93.5% $61,945
Kansas State University Manhattan Public 15,142 81.7% $57,262
Johnson County Community College Overland Park Public 11,332 - $45,387
Wichita State University Wichita Public 10,780 94.0% $51,532
Fort Hays State University Hays Public 9,733 90.3% $48,928
Butler Community College El Dorado Public 5,104 - $41,206
Washburn University Topeka Public 4,562 - $49,774
Pittsburg State University Pittsburg Public 4,210 89.4% $50,579
Kansas City Kansas Community College Kansas City Public 3,319 - $40,795
Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson Public 3,039 - $43,470
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology Wichita Public 2,828 - $38,679
Barton County Community College Great Bend Public 2,455 - $40,428
Benedictine College Atchison Private NP 2,272 98.1% $53,175
Emporia State University Emporia Public 2,239 97.7% $47,601
Cowley County Community College Arkansas City Public 1,543 - $37,723
Garden City Community College Garden City Public 1,474 - $41,704
Highland Community College Highland Public 1,279 - $41,291
Seward County Community College Liberal Public 1,166 - $41,445
Dodge City Community College Dodge City Public 1,106 - $45,427
Baker University Baldwin City Private NP 1,100 94.2% $63,855
Friends University Wichita Private NP 1,048 55.2% $52,113
MidAmerica Nazarene University Olathe Private NP 983 78.8% $62,972
Haskell Indian Nations University Lawrence Public 978 90.4% $37,043
Kansas Wesleyan University Salina Private NP 956 71.9% $51,152
University of Saint Mary Leavenworth Private NP 925 86.6% $59,483
Southwestern College Winfield Private NP 924 75.5% $55,646
McPherson College McPherson Private NP 872 76.8% $52,084
Ottawa University-Ottawa Ottawa Private NP 870 83.0% $55,552
Neosho County Community College Chanute Public 862 - $45,966
Newman University Wichita Private NP 851 74.0% $55,041
Coffeyville Community College Coffeyville Public 850 - $35,246
Colby Community College Colby Public 838 - $41,889
Allen County Community College Iola Public 810 - $40,059
Labette Community College Parsons Public 801 - $37,818
Wichita Technical Institute Wichita For-Profit 778 - $34,101
Cloud County Community College Concordia Public 762 - $39,883
Fort Scott Community College Fort Scott Public 693 - $37,213
Washburn Institute of Technology Topeka Public 615 - $49,774
Pratt Community College Pratt Public 579 - $51,892
Bethany College Lindsborg Private NP 569 56.0% $49,694
Sterling College Sterling Private NP 538 48.2% $45,846
Bethel College-North Newton North Newton Private NP 504 93.5% $49,898
Tabor College Hillsboro Private NP 494 64.6% $54,058
Independence Community College Independence Public 486 - $34,941
Fort Hays Tech North Central Beloit Public 441 - $46,928
Donnelly College Kansas City Private NP 395 - $35,715
Central Christian College of Kansas McPherson Private NP 380 52.7% $44,468
Hesston College Hesston Private NP 372 - $47,495
Rasmussen University-Kansas Topeka For-Profit 359 - $39,080
Flint Hills Technical College Emporia Public 352 - $47,007
Manhattan Area Technical College Manhattan Public 342 - $51,864
Salina Area Technical College Salina Public 330 - $42,175
Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College Goodland Public 315 - $38,616
Crave Beauty Academy Wichita For-Profit 303 - $26,589
Ottawa University-Online Overland Park Private NP 259 - $55,552
Z Hair Academy Overland Park For-Profit 235 100.0% $27,346
Galen Health Institutes-Wichita Wichita For-Profit 233 - $61,480
Ottawa University-Kansas City Overland Park Private NP 219 - $55,552
Bellus Academy Manhattan For-Profit 209 - $25,223
Paul Mitchell the School-Overland Park Overland Park For-Profit 179 - -
Barclay College Haviland Private NP 168 51.0% $36,355
Paul Mitchell the School-Wichita Wichita For-Profit 163 - $31,553
Eric Fisher Academy Wichita For-Profit 161 - $32,858
Manhattan Christian College Manhattan Private NP 146 100.0% $48,860
Kansas Christian College Overland Park Private NP 143 - -
Old Town Barber College Wichita For-Profit 97 - $21,295
Cleveland University-Kansas City Overland Park Private NP 95 69.2% $52,304
Mitsu Sato Hair Academy Overland Park For-Profit 85 - -
Hays Academy of Hair Design Hays For-Profit 83 - $23,712
WellSpring School of Allied Health-Wichita Wichita For-Profit 58 - $29,839
Heartland Welding Academy Andover For-Profit 47 - -
Hays Academy of Hair Design Salina For-Profit 46 - $23,712
WellSpring School of Allied Health-Lawrence Lawrence For-Profit 37 - $29,839
Sami Halaseh Institute Andover For-Profit 30 - -
Saint Paul School of Theology Leawood Private NP - - -
Kansas Health Science University Wichita Private NP - - -
Baker University School of Nursing Topeka Private NP - - $63,855
Coffeyville Technical Campus Coffeyville Public - - $35,246
Columbus Technical Campus Columbus Public - - $35,246
Coffeyville Community College - EMS Building Coffeyville Public - - $35,246
Rasmussen University - Overland Park Overland Park For-Profit - - $39,080

Featured Colleges in Kansas

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
21,217 students
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS
15,142 students
Johnson County Community College
Overland Park, KS
11,332 students
Wichita State University
Wichita, KS
10,780 students
Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS
9,733 students
Compare University of Kansas vs Kansas State University →

Explore more Kansas data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Kansas applicants

  • Kansas has 81 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Kansas colleges is 79.5% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.