Kansas offers a compact but high-quality higher education system centered on two flagship Big 12 universities. The University of Kansas — where basketball was invented by James Naismith, the first KU coach — features a top-10 pharmacy school and nationally ranked journalism program. Kansas State University holds the distinction of being the first operational land-grant university in the United States, with a top-5 veterinary school. Wichita State serves the Air Capital of the World with top aerospace engineering programs.
Best Universities in Kansas 2026
Pittsburg State University
Location: Pittsburg | Type: Public | Founded: 1903 | Tuition: $6,992/yr
Pittsburg State University (Pitt State) is a public university founded in 1903 in Pittsburg, Kansas. Enrolling 7,500 students, Pitt State is known for polymer chemistry (one of the top programs in the Midwest), engineering technology, business, education, and nursing programs serving Southeast Kansas and the…
Programs: Business & Finance, Education, Liberal Arts, Medicine & Health Sciences
Washburn University
Location: Topeka | Type: Private | Founded: 1865 | Tuition: $9,924/yr
Washburn University is an independent municipal university founded in 1865 in Topeka, Kansas. Enrolling 7,000 students in Kansas’s state capital, Washburn is known for law (Washburn University School of Law — oldest law school in Kansas), nursing, business, education, and criminal justice programs with strong…
Programs: Business & Finance, Law, Liberal Arts, Medicine & Health Sciences
Fort Hays State University
Location: Hays | Type: Public | Founded: 1902 | Tuition: $6,204/yr
Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public university founded in 1902 in Hays, Kansas. Enrolling 16,000+ students (heavily online), FHSU is known for affordable, high-quality nursing, business, teacher education, and agriculture programs. FHSU’s virtual college is one of the largest in Kansas and consistently…
Programs: Agriculture & Environment, Business & Finance, Education, Liberal Arts
Emporia State University
Location: Emporia | Type: Public | Founded: 1863 | Tuition: $7,268/yr
Emporia State University is a public university founded in 1863 in Emporia, Kansas, specifically designed for teacher education. Enrolling 6,000 students, ESU is known for library science (School of Library and Information Management — one of the top programs in the Midwest), teacher education, business,…
Programs: Business & Finance, Education, Liberal Arts, Medicine & Health Sciences
Benedictine College
Location: Atchison | Type: Private | Founded: 1858 | Tuition: $34,800/yr
Benedictine College is a private Catholic Benedictine liberal arts college founded in 1858 in Atchison, Kansas, on the Missouri River bluffs. Consistently ranked among the top 100 liberal arts colleges nationally, Benedictine enrolls 2,200 students and is known for pre-health sciences, theology, business, and education…
Programs: Agriculture & Environment, Aviation, Business & Finance, Education
Kansas State University
Location: Manhattan | Type: Public | Founded: 1863 | Tuition: $10,280/yr
Kansas State University (K-State) is a public land-grant research university founded in 1863 in Manhattan, Kansas. Enrolling 23,000 students, K-State is known for veterinary medicine (College of Veterinary Medicine — consistently top-5 in the US), agriculture, engineering, business, and food science programs. K-State was the…
Programs: Agriculture & Environment, Business & Finance, Engineering, Liberal Arts
Wichita State University
Location: Wichita | Type: Public | Founded: 1895 | Tuition: $8,868/yr
Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university founded in 1895 in Wichita, Kansas — the “Air Capital of the World.” Enrolling 15,000 students next to Boeing, Cessna (Textron Aviation), Learjet, and Spirit AeroSystems, WSU has the most intensive applied aerospace engineering research partnerships…
Programs: Aviation, Business & Finance, Education, Engineering
University of Kansas
Location: Lawrence | Type: Public | Founded: 1865 | Tuition: $11,166/yr
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university founded in 1865 in Lawrence, Kansas. A member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), KU enrolls 27,000 students and has a storied place in sports history — James Naismith, who invented basketball, was KU’s…
Programs: Agriculture & Environment, Business & Finance, Journalism & Media, Law
Top Community Colleges in Kansas 2026
Community colleges in Kansas offer affordable pathways with transfer agreements to all major state universities.
- Butler Community College — El Dorado
- Johnson County Community College — Overland Park
How to Choose a University in Kansas
Consider your major, tuition, accreditations, location, and career outcomes. Compare financial aid packages and visit campuses.
- Tuition: Compare in-state vs out-of-state rates and financial aid generosity.
- Accreditation: AACSB (business), ABET (engineering), CCNE (nursing).
- Location: Proximity to employers and internship opportunities.
- Campus Culture: Visit to find the right environment.
Kansas’s universities are deeply connected to the state’s agricultural economy, aviation manufacturing sector (Boeing, Cessna, Learjet), and growing technology corridor. Strong scholarship programs and low in-state tuition make Kansas one of the best value higher education systems in the Great Plains.
Browse our complete Kansas university directory.
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