Affordable Colleges in Kansas
All 52 colleges in Kansas, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.
The most affordable is Haskell Indian Nations University at about $3,134 a year; the costliest here is Bethel College-North Newton at $32,917. A typical Kansas school on this list lands near $14,176.
Cheapest first, that means Haskell Indian Nations University, Independence Community College and Dodge City Community College. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.
Narrow it down
- Most Affordable Community Colleges in Kansas25 community colleges · from $3,265/yr
- Most Affordable Public Universities in Kansas8 public universities · from $3,134/yr
- Affordable Private Colleges in Kansas17 private colleges · from $11,404/yr
Every college in Kansas, cheapest first · 52
Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.
- Haskell Indian Nations University
- Independence Community College
- Dodge City Community College
- Coffeyville Community College
- Fort Scott Community College
- Labette Community College
- Salina Area Technical College
- Seward County Community College
- Hutchinson Community College
- Cowley County Community College
- Colby Community College
- Garden City Community College
- Allen County Community College
- Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology
- Pratt Community College
- Barton County Community College
- Manhattan Area Technical College
- Neosho County Community College
- Highland Community College
- Central Christian College of Kansas
- Donnelly College
- Cloud County Community College
- Fort Hays Tech North Central
- Fort Hays State University
- Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College
- Wichita State University
- Johnson County Community College
- Washburn University
- Butler Community College
- Pittsburg State University
- Flint Hills Technical College
- Emporia State University
- Kansas City Kansas Community College
- University of Kansas
- Kansas State University
- Newman University
- Tabor College
- Sterling College
- University of Saint Mary
- Kansas Wesleyan University
- Rasmussen University-Kansas
- Baker University
- Hesston College
- McPherson College
- Bethany College
- Friends University
- Benedictine College
- Ottawa University-Ottawa
- Galen Health Institutes-Wichita
- Southwestern College
- MidAmerica Nazarene University
- Bethel College-North Newton
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable college in Kansas?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Haskell Indian Nations University at about $3,134 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much does college in Kansas cost on average?
- Across the 52 colleges in Kansas that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $14,176 a year after aid, running from $3,134 to $32,917.
- Are community colleges cheaper in Kansas?
- On this data, yes. The typical two-year college in Kansas has a net price around $8,805 a year, against about $22,519 at the typical four-year school — a difference of roughly $13,714 a year. Credits often transfer, so two years at a community college can cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 8% to 67%, with a middle of about 29%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free