Best-Value Colleges in Kansas
8 Kansas 4-year colleges ranked by return on investment — 10-year graduate earnings per dollar of net price — among schools that beat the state median on earnings and graduation rate.
The best-value college in Kansas is Wichita State University, Wichita — a net price of $13,194 against $51,532 in median 10-year earnings, an ROI of 3.9×, with a 51% graduation rate. Every school here turns a modest cost into outsized, above-median earnings.
| # | School | Net price /yr | 10-yr earnings | ROI (earn ÷ price) | Grad rate | In-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wichita State University Wichita, KS | $13,194 | $51,532 | 3.9× | 51% | $9,684 |
| 2 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | $18,059 | $61,945 | 3.4× | 69% | $12,102 |
| 3 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | $19,406 | $57,262 | 3.0× | 70% | $11,221 |
| 4 | Newman University Wichita, KS | $19,971 | $55,041 | 2.8× | 54% | $35,500 |
| 5 | Baker University Baldwin City, KS | $25,301 | $63,855 | 2.5× | 59% | $35,300 |
| 6 | McPherson College McPherson, KS | $26,441 | $52,084 | 2.0× | 52% | $37,310 |
| 7 | Benedictine College Atchison, KS | $27,891 | $53,175 | 1.9× | 65% | $36,350 |
| 8 | Friends University Wichita, KS | $27,715 | $52,113 | 1.9× | 61% | $34,192 |
How we ranked this
From every Kansas four-year college that publishes net price, 10-year median earnings, and graduation rate, we keep only those that beat the state median on earnings and that graduate at least 45% of students (or the state median grad rate, whichever is higher). We then rank by ROI = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price — the dollars of graduate earnings each dollar of net price buys — highest first. This rewards genuine return on investment rather than the cheapest sticker price, and the 4-year + outcome guards keep out the low-completion and 2-year outliers a pure price sort surfaces. Colleges missing any of the three figures are excluded, never estimated. Minimum 5 qualifying schools required to publish a page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-value college in Kansas?+
Wichita State University in Wichita has the highest return on investment among Kansas 4-year colleges that beat the state median on outcomes: a net price of $13,194 against $51,532 in 10-year median earnings — an ROI of 3.9× (dollars earned per dollar of annual net price) — with a 51% graduation rate.
What does "net price" mean?+
Net price is the average annual cost students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the full cost of attendance — a far better affordability measure than sticker tuition. We use the College Scorecard average net price.
How is "best value" defined here?+
Value means return on investment, not cheapness. Among Kansas four-year colleges that beat the state median on BOTH 10-year graduate earnings and graduation rate (and graduate at least 45% of students), we rank by the ROI ratio = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price. The school that turns each tuition dollar into the most graduate earnings ranks first.
Is the cheapest college always the best value?+
No. A rock-bottom price that leads to low earnings is worse value than a moderate price that leads to high earnings. That is exactly why we rank by the earnings-to-net-price ratio rather than by lowest price, and require above-median earnings and graduation rates first. Colleges missing net price, earnings, or graduation data are excluded rather than estimated.
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Data sources: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · IPEDS. Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.