Best Private Colleges in Kansas 2024

Published: May 7, 2021
Updated: Oct 16, 2023

Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in Kansas offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.

Baker University 99%
Benedictine College 98%
McPherson College 85%
University of Saint Mary 81%
Bethany College 72%
Newman University, Wichita 72%
Bethel College 71%
Southwestern College 69%
Kansas Wesleyan University 68%
Ottawa University 67%

Central Christian College of Kansas 17 to 1
Tabor College 15 to 1
McPherson College 15 to 1
Bethany College 14 to 1
University of Saint Mary 13 to 1
Benedictine College 13 to 1
Newman University, Wichita 12 to 1
Friends University 12 to 1
Kansas Wesleyan University 11 to 1
MidAmerica Nazarene University 10 to 1

Ottawa University $36,780
Southwestern College $34,900
Newman University, Wichita $34,460
MidAmerica Nazarene University $33,840
Tabor College $33,400
Benedictine College $32,630
McPherson College $32,408
Baker University $31,700
University of Saint Mary $31,630
Kansas Wesleyan University $31,340

Sterling College $14,107
Southwestern College $12,528
MidAmerica Nazarene University $12,404
Ottawa University $12,338
Central Christian College of Kansas $12,000
Tabor College $11,670
Baker University $11,466
Friends University $11,448
University of Saint Mary $11,160
Newman University, Wichita $7,920

Central Christian College of Kansas
University of Saint Mary
Sterling College
Donnelly College
MidAmerica Nazarene University
Tabor College
McPherson College
Hesston College
Bethany College
Kansas Wesleyan University

Sterling College 47%
Tabor College 54%
Friends University 58%
MidAmerica Nazarene University 65%
Ottawa University 67%
Kansas Wesleyan University 68%
Southwestern College 69%
Bethel College 71%
Newman University, Wichita 72%
Bethany College 72%

Hesston College 9 to 1
MidAmerica Nazarene University 10 to 1
Bethel College 10 to 1
Southwestern College 10 to 1
Donnelly College 10 to 1
Sterling College 10 to 1
Baker University 10 to 1
Ottawa University 10 to 1
Kansas Wesleyan University 11 to 1
Newman University, Wichita 12 to 1

Donnelly College $8,706
Central Christian College of Kansas $20,225
Hesston College $28,440
Sterling College $28,500
Friends University $30,864
Bethel College $31,164
Bethany College $31,215
Kansas Wesleyan University $31,340
University of Saint Mary $31,630
Baker University $31,700

McPherson College $4,500
Benedictine College $6,000
Newman University, Wichita $7,920
University of Saint Mary $11,160
Friends University $11,448
Baker University $11,466
Tabor College $11,670
Central Christian College of Kansas $12,000
Ottawa University $12,338
MidAmerica Nazarene University $12,404

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Kansas

Prospective students searching for both brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Kansas can choose from a wide range of excellent schools. The Sunflower State offers a wide range of highly accessible public options for Kansas students seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines.

Kansas is noted for its 23 community and technical colleges. These institutions provide numerous pathways to traditional and online degree programs, and well as online certificate programs for working professionals.

Kansas also has nine public universities, the largest being the University of Kansas (KU) with over 28,000 students. The school’s main campus is located in Lawrence, Kansas, but there are four other locations where students can attend KU classes: Overland Park, Kansas City, Wichita, and Salina. This means there are plenty of options for Kansas students seeking an on-campus experience and in state tuition rates.

It should also be noted that online students attending public colleges in Kansas are also entitled to in state tuition rates.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Kansas is also home to 22 private higher education institutions, with tuition ranging from $7,000 to $31,000.

In addition, students can choose from one of 18 religiously affiliated schools, including Newman University, Wichita - a Catholic liberal arts university serving the state’s largest private school student population at just over 2,000.

Kansas boasts an array of affordable options for both on-campus and online learners. The average tuition for a year of college in Kansas is $9,230, which is below the national average.

Kansas awards associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in popular fields of study, like economics, health services administration, early childhood education, elementary education, business administration, and more. Specialized degrees include aerospace engineering at the University of Kansas and agribusiness from Kansas State University.

Students who earn degrees in the medical and health care fields may have access to loan forgiveness-based programs, such as the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program. This financial aid program awards up to $50,000, tax free, for those who serve two years at an approved site.

Arguably, it was the 1939 cinema classic, The Wizard of Oz, that put Kansas on the map. But this midwestern state is also known for its mouth-watering barbecue, open plains, and vast sunflower fields. Prospective students can also choose from traditional and online schools and universities across the state of Kansas.

See what Kansas has to offer by checking out the top undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as unique educational opportunities like online certificate programs and degree completion programs.

What are Kansas’s Colleges & Universities?

Kansas’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Kansas's best private colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 17 private universities in Kansas. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Kansas, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.