10 Best Colleges in Kansas
What’s Covered:
Kansas is part of a region known as America’s breadbasket. The state, on average, is the largest wheat producer in the nation, with nearly one-fifth of all wheat grown in the U.S. is grown in Kansas. Another thing grown in Kansas is great minds, thanks to the state’s numerous excellent institutions of higher education. Kansas is home to everything from large public institutions to small liberal arts colleges to schools with a wide variety of religious affiliations. Keep reading to see how schools across the state are ranked.
Our Ranking Methodology
Our list of the 10 best colleges in Kansas was constructed with a focus on school quality, outcomes, and return on investment (ROI). It also considers a host of other factors such as retention rate, selectivity, endowment per student, student-faculty ratio, median earnings, and cost of attendance. You can find CollegeVine’s rankings in their entirety here.
Best Colleges in Kansas
1. University of Kansas
Location: Lawrence, KS
Acceptance Rate: 90%
Middle 50% SAT: 1080-1320
Middle 50% ACT: 22-29
Undergrad Enrollment: 19,135
Founded in 1866 with an inaugural class of just 55 students, the University of Kansas has come a long way over the past century. In fact, the university now offers more undergrad majors (over 190) than it had students when it first opened its doors. The University of Kansas is the flagship institution of the state and is known for its prestigious men’s basketball program, which has won five overall National Championships and has made the NCAA tournament for 31 consecutive years—the longest streak in the nation.
Learn more about the University of Kansas and what it takes to get accepted.
2. Kansas State University | KSU
Location: Manhattan, KS
Acceptance Rate: 95%
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: 20-27
Undergrad Enrollment: 16,257
Kansas State University has the distinction of being the nation’s first operational land-grant university—it was founded in 1863 as Kansas State Agricultural College. Today, KSU offers more than 250 undergraduate majors and programs, although ag continues to hold a prominent position at the university. In addition to being one of the 10 best colleges in Kansas, KSU is one of the world’s best schools to study agriculture at.
Learn more about Kansas State University and what it takes to get accepted.
3. Friends University
Location: Wichita, KA
Acceptance Rate: 46%
Middle 50% SAT: 950-1150
Middle 50% ACT: 19-25
Undergrad Enrollment: 860
Friends University is a Christian liberal arts university of Quaker heritage. The university is nondenominational and supports equality for all. That said, on campus and at university-sponsored activities the use or possession of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, indecent literature, and profane language is prohibited. Friends University is known particularly for its zoo science and cyber security programs, along with its Singing Quakers, a 60-voice choir that any Friends student can audition for. Every four years, the Singing Quakers tour internationally and have performed at venues such as the White House and Carnegie Hall.
Learn more about Friends University and what it takes to get accepted.
4. Newman University
Location: Wichita, KS
Acceptance Rate: 67%
Middle 50% SAT: 980-1190
Middle 50% ACT: 18-25
Undergrad Enrollment: 944
Newman University is grounded in Catholic traditions, valuing and educating the spirit as well as the mind. Despite Newman University’s Catholic identity, the college welcomes students of all backgrounds and faiths. Newman offers 37 undergraduate programs ranging from art to theology, as well as a handful of pre-professional programs. Newman University is known for its Newman Studies Program (NSP), an educational pathway designed to prepare students for the jobs of the future. NSP is focused on four principles: active learning, critical thinking, interdisciplinary education, and connection.
Learn more about Newman University and what it takes to get accepted.
5. Baker University
Location: Baldwin City, KS
Acceptance Rate: 88%
Middle 50% SAT: 1000-1170
Middle 50% ACT: 20-25
Undergrad Enrollment: 1,092
Older than Kansas itself—which didn’t gain statehood until 1861—Baker University was founded in 1858 by a scholar and bishop of what is now the United Methodist Church. The school has the distinction of being Kansas’s oldest four-year university, as well as one of the 10 best colleges in Kansas. Baker University remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church today, however, students from all faiths are welcome to attend. Graduating classes at Baker University are designated as one of four organizations—King Arthur’s Court, House of Hanover, Columbian Commonwealth, and Senatus Romanus—each with their own unique colors, titles, and gates they walk through at graduation.
Learn more about Baker University and what it takes to get accepted.
6. Washburn University
Location: Topeka, KS
Acceptance Rate: 93%
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: 18-24
Undergrad Enrollment: 5,064
Located on 160 beautiful acres in Kansas’s capital city, Washburn University delivers a close-knit campus community while providing easy access to the amenities of a big city. The university has a 17:1 student to faculty ratio and 49% of classes have 20 students or fewer in them. Washburn offers more than 200 courses of study through its six schools:
- College of Arts & Sciences
- School of Applied Studies
- Business School
- School Of Law
- School of Nursing
- Washburn Institute of Technology (Washburn Tech.)
Washburn University is publicly funded and independently governed. Students from Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas pay resident tuition rates.
Learn more about Washburn University and what it takes to get accepted.
7. Hesston College
Location: Hesston, KS
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: N/A
Undergrad Enrollment: 343
Hesston College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Mennonite Church, although Non-Mennonites are also welcome on campus. While just 16% of Hesston students are Mennonites, every full-time student (regardless of religious faith) is required to attend chapel. Hesston is better known as a two-year college, however, it does offer bachelor’s degrees in aviation, business management, and nursing. Hesston is one of just two FAA-approved flight training programs in Kansas and boasts of a 99% nurse licensure rate over its nursing program’s more than 50-year history.
Learn more about Hesston College and what it takes to get accepted.
8. Bethel College-North Newton
Location: North Newton, KS
Acceptance Rate: 57%
Middle 50% SAT: 930-1130
Middle 50% ACT: 18-24
Undergrad Enrollment: 444
Founded in 1887, Bethel College has the distinction of being the oldest Mennonite College in the nation in addition to being one of the 10 best colleges in Kansas. You do not have to be a Mennonite to attend Bethel College—more than half of students come from backgrounds other than Mennonite. The Common Ground core academic program is at the heart of a Bethel College education. Common Ground features seminars, convocations, cross-cultural learning experiences, and exploration of how faith intersects with students’ daily lives. Every student graduating from Bethel gets a first-hand opportunity to apply what they’ve learned, either at internships, research, or public service.
Learn more about Bethel College and what it takes to get accepted.
9. Pittsburg State University | PSU
Location: Pittsburg, KS
Acceptance Rate: 90%
Middle 50% SAT: NA
Middle 50% ACT: 18-24
Undergrad Enrollment: 5,402
Pittsburg State University was founded in 1903, was originally known as the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School Auxiliary, was intended to educate teachers, and had just 54 students in its first class. Today, thousands of students are found on PSU’s 233-acre campus, alumni total over 65,000, and the university offers more than 200 degree programs. PSU is notable for its flat-rate tuition, which allows full-time undergraduate students (enrolled in at least 12 credit hours) to pay a single tuition rate regardless of the number of total credits taken.
Learn more about Pittsburg State University and what it takes to get accepted.
10. Southwestern College
Location: Winfield, KS
Acceptance Rate: 52%
Middle 50% SAT: 920-1070
Middle 50% ACT: 18-24
Undergrad Enrollment: 678
Southwestern College was founded in 1885 by the Southwest Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church and maintains its affiliation with the United Methodist Church today. Undergraduates can choose from more than 40 majors, ranging from accounting to theater arts, along with a variety of pre-professional programs. The college is known for its low 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and its stuffed alligator—that is, the stuffed corpse of Alvin, the 10-foot-long alligator that was the college’s unofficial mascot for decades.
Learn more about Southwestern College and what it takes to get accepted.
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?
Wondering what your odds are of admission at one of the 10 best colleges in Kansas? CollegeVine can help. Our free chancing engine uses a variety of factors—like grades, standardized test scores, and extracurricular activities—to calculate your odds of acceptance at hundreds of schools in the Sunflower State and across the country.
Our chancing engine can also help you build a balanced school list. By providing you with your odds of acceptance, you can strategically assign safety, target, and reach schools and put yourself in the ideal position to get into a great fit school. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!
