Highest 20-Year ROI Colleges in Kansas
The biggest 20-year net financial gain over a high-school-only earner — tuition and debt already subtracted. Our tax-verified answer to the 20-year ROI question, from IRS-linked federal earnings rather than self-reported surveys.
Showing Kansas
Clear state| # | College | Type | 20-yr net gain | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloud County Community College Concordia, KS | Public | $684,655 | $80,547 | $11,685 | $8,000 | +1,252% | Strong return | |
| 2 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | Public | $362,671 | $67,128 | $18,059 | $21,000 | +177% | Strong return | |
| 3 | University of Saint Mary Leavenworth, KS | Private | $335,280 | $66,669 | $22,519 | $22,018 | +121% | Strong return | |
| 4 | Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Public | $328,272 | $65,682 | $19,406 | $21,250 | +142% | Strong return | |
| 5 | MidAmerica Nazarene University Olathe, KS | Private | $310,794 | $67,246 | $32,165 | $15,000 | +66% | Break-even | |
| 6 | Friends University Wichita, KS | Private | $292,250 | $65,611 | $27,715 | $25,000 | +72% | Strong return | |
| 7 | Barton County Community College Great Bend, KS | Public | $249,268 | $58,627 | $9,905 | $9,501 | +486% | Strong return | |
| 8 | Newman University Wichita, KS | Private | $230,076 | $60,877 | $19,971 | $20,801 | +82% | Strong return | |
| 9 | Highland Community College Highland, KS | Public | $211,016 | $56,747 | $10,454 | $8,277 | +391% | Strong return | |
| 10 | Southwestern College Winfield, KS | Private | $207,234 | $61,782 | $29,824 | $25,000 | +31% | Break-even | |
| 11 | Pratt Community College Pratt, KS | Public | $203,829 | $56,283 | $9,731 | $6,500 | +417% | Strong return | |
| 12 | Seward County Community College Liberal, KS | Public | $176,337 | $54,607 | $6,717 | $6,500 | +508% | Strong return | |
| 13 | Labette Community College Parsons, KS | Public | $170,636 | $54,317 | $5,939 | $10,500 | +493% | Strong return | |
| 14 | Baker University Baldwin City, KS | Private | $160,986 | $58,565 | $25,301 | $25,000 | +23% | Break-even | |
| 15 | Benedictine College Atchison, KS | Private | $146,232 | $58,338 | $27,891 | $24,599 | +11% | Break-even | |
| 16 | Fort Hays State University Hays, KS | Public | $145,571 | $55,175 | $12,569 | $21,000 | +76% | Strong return | |
| 17 | Bethel College-North Newton North Newton, KS | Private | $125,386 | $58,290 | $32,917 | $24,000 | -5% | Poor return | |
| 18 | Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KS | Public | $117,992 | $54,402 | $15,784 | $18,969 | +34% | Break-even | |
| 19 | Colby Community College Colby, KS | Public | $109,282 | $51,415 | $7,886 | $8,908 | +237% | Strong return | |
| 20 | Emporia State University Emporia, KS | Public | $107,230 | $53,969 | $16,261 | $19,500 | +24% | Break-even | |
| 21 | Washburn Institute of Technology Topeka, KS | Public | $86,580 | $50,520 | $8,607 | $18,127 | +132% | Strong return | |
| 22 | Wichita State University Wichita, KS | Public | $86,194 | $52,322 | $13,194 | $20,500 | +22% | Break-even | |
| 23 | Neosho County Community College Chanute, KS | Public | $85,861 | $50,475 | $10,271 | $8,500 | +132% | Strong return | |
| 24 | Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson, KS | Public | $82,945 | $49,998 | $6,727 | $9,773 | +194% | Strong return | |
| 25 | Garden City Community College Garden City, KS | Public | $82,723 | $50,079 | $8,244 | $6,500 | +169% | Strong return | |
| 26 | Johnson County Community College Overland Park, KS | Public | $75,939 | $50,374 | $14,176 | $8,750 | +70% | Strong return | |
| 27 | Washburn University Topeka, KS | Public | $68,274 | $51,800 | $15,280 | $18,127 | +0% | Break-even | |
| 28 | Cowley County Community College Arkansas City, KS | Public | $60,075 | $48,867 | $7,175 | $8,000 | +124% | Strong return | |
| 29 | Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, KS | Private | $48,704 | $52,393 | $22,671 | $23,250 | -25% | Poor return | |
| 30 | Kansas City Kansas Community College Kansas City, KS | Public | $36,888 | $48,679 | $16,744 | $8,793 | +0% | Break-even | |
| 31 | Allen County Community College Iola, KS | Public | $27,982 | $47,390 | $8,642 | $6,954 | +21% | Break-even | |
| 32 | Ottawa University-Ottawa Ottawa, KS | Private | $-1,167 | $50,926 | $27,963 | $21,500 | -51% | Poor return | |
| 33 | Dodge City Community College Dodge City, KS | Public | $-12,403 | $44,947 | $4,068 | $8,800 | -105% | Poor return | |
| 34 | Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology Wichita, KS | Public | $-16,212 | $45,243 | $8,805 | $9,500 | -89% | Poor return | |
| 35 | Butler Community College El Dorado, KS | Public | $-16,614 | $45,933 | $15,724 | $10,500 | -74% | Poor return | |
| 36 | Coffeyville Community College Coffeyville, KS | Public | $-31,847 | $44,051 | $4,957 | $8,103 | -174% | Poor return | |
| 37 | Haskell Indian Nations University Lawrence, KS | Public | $-40,276 | $43,613 | $3,134 | — | -211% | Poor return | |
| 38 | Sterling College Sterling, KS | Private | $-53,998 | $47,223 | $22,371 | $24,625 | -77% | Poor return | |
| 39 | Fort Scott Community College Fort Scott, KS | Public | $-152,154 | $38,124 | $5,586 | $9,500 | -570% | Poor return | |
| 40 | Wichita Technical Institute Wichita, KS | For-profit | $-189,670 | $36,693 | $18,793 | $13,000 | -453% | Poor return |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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