State Hub

Colleges in Kansas

CampusPin tracks 60 colleges in Kansas, 33 universities and 27 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

60

Universities

33

Community colleges

27

Avg. in-state tuition

$15k

About college search in Kansas

How Kansas's higher-education landscape shapes a search

Kansas’s public higher-education sector is anchored by two flagship universities: the University of Kansas (Lawrence) and Kansas State University (Manhattan, the state’s land-grant). Wichita State, Emporia State, Pittsburg State, and Fort Hays State round out the state regents universities. The Kansas Board of Regents also coordinates 19 community colleges and several technical colleges. Washburn University in Topeka is a municipal university, a less common governance model in the U.S. The state operates the Kansas Promise Scholarship for two-year programs in targeted high-demand fields.

KU and K-State as twin flagships

The University of Kansas (Lawrence) and Kansas State University (Manhattan) are the state’s two major public research universities, KU is the broader flagship; K-State is the land-grant.

19 community colleges

Kansas operates 19 community colleges with formal transfer paths to the regents universities through the Kansas Core Outcomes Groups.

Kansas Promise Scholarship

Kansas Promise covers community-college tuition for eligible in-state students in targeted high-demand fields, with a service / employment commitment after graduation.

Washburn as municipal university

Washburn University in Topeka is operated by the city of Topeka rather than as part of the state regents system, an unusual governance model.

Public university system

Kansas Board of Regents (six regents universities)

The Kansas Board of Regents governs six regents universities: KU, K-State, Wichita State, Emporia State, Pittsburg State, and Fort Hays State.

Community college network

Kansas community colleges (19 institutions)

Kansas operates 19 community colleges and 6 technical colleges, with formal transfer paths to the regents universities.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

Kansas in-state public tuition is among the lower rates in the U.S. Out-of-state rates are higher; the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP) may reduce out-of-state cost for selected majors.

Top metros for college search

Where Kansas's higher-education density concentrates

  • Lawrence

    Lawrence is the home of the University of Kansas, the state’s primary public flagship.

  • Manhattan / Junction City

    Manhattan is built around Kansas State University, the state’s land-grant institution.

  • Wichita

    Wichita hosts Wichita State University, Friends University (private), Newman University (private), and Wichita Area Technical College.

  • Topeka

    Topeka is the state capital and home to Washburn University (municipal).

What Kansas actually costs

Median net price after grants
$10,914 for families under $30,000
$18,751 at $110,000 or more
Across 43 Kansas colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$11,921 with 30.9% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
21% of Kansas students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in Kansas

Filter all Kansas schools

Midwest region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in Kansas

Across Kansas (KS), CampusPin currently indexes 60 institutions: 33 public and 27 private, split between 33 universities and 27 community colleges. Students often balance affordability, campus culture, public systems, and the tradeoff between local value and out-of-state reach.

Use size and setting filters after your first pass to separate flagship, regional, and smaller-campus experiences.
Look closely at support services and career pathways when several schools seem similar on cost.
Keep community-college transfer routes in the mix when price discipline matters from day one.

Browse by major

Kansas colleges by program

Jump straight to Kansas colleges and universities that offer a specific major. Each page compares tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment for that program across Kansas.

Fields with a distinct set of Kansas colleges

67 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in Kansas are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. Showing the 36 with the most colleges. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the Kansas hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to Kansas so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for Kansas

Explore all colleges in KansasView community colleges in KansasView online programs in KansasRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in Kansas

Which is the public flagship university in Kansas?
The University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence is generally considered the state’s primary public flagship. Kansas State University in Manhattan is the state’s land-grant institution. Kansas is unusual in having two strong public research anchors.
How many HBCUs are in Kansas?
Kansas has no federally designated HBCUs.
How does the Kansas Promise Scholarship work?
Kansas Promise covers community-college tuition for eligible in-state students enrolled in two-year programs in targeted high-demand fields (such as healthcare, technology, education, and trades). Recipients commit to employment in Kansas after graduation. Verify current details with the Kansas Board of Regents.
What is Washburn University?
Washburn University in Topeka is a municipal university, operated by the city of Topeka rather than as part of the Kansas Board of Regents system. It offers undergraduate, graduate, and law programs.
How many Kansas colleges are flagged for lower earnings on the FAFSA?
12 schools in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 69 Kansas schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release flagged 13: 1 came off and 0 were added. Every one is named in the Kansas section of CampusPin's FAFSA lower earnings list. The notice is informational and does not affect financial aid, and it describes a whole school, not a program.
How many Kansas colleges cost more than a family can borrow from the federal government?
For families earning under $30,000, 1 of the 43 Kansas colleges reporting the complete federal net-price series charge more after grants than the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026; the median college there charges $10,914. For families earning $48,001–$75,000 it is 2 (median $14,458). Net prices are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any family, and Parent PLUS requires no adverse credit history.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a Kansas search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in Kansas

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with Kansas in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes Kansas.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore Kansas

More ways to explore Kansas colleges

By city

Colleges in Kansas cities

CampusPin publishes a directory for 2 cities in Kansas, every one where federal data reports at least five colleges.

Browse colleges by city nationwide

What this count of 60 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for Kansas, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
33 listed as universities and 27 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
33 public and 27 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for Kansas are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in Kansas. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/kansas