Compare 15 Undergrad + 8 Grad Business Schools in Kansas
Located smack-dab in the center of the state, Kansas straddles many geographical lines in the United States. Both influence neither north nor south; it is often considered part of the Midwest region to its east but rubs shoulders with Colorado’s mountain state to its west. Kansas is a land of vast plains, a critical agricultural state, single-handedly responsible for 40% of the nation’s entire winter wheat production. Other vital agricultural outputs include soybeans, cotton, sorghum, corn, and livestock. Kansas is also a petroleum and natural gas producer, and its economy is influenced by the US aerospace industry and the US military.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) statistics, 29 public and non-profit schools offer business degrees in Kansas. Eight of these offer accredited programs at the undergraduate level and seven at the graduate level. Kansas also has an exciting feature for the prospective student: it offers seven community colleges with an “open admission policy” and doesn’t require entrance exams. These are accredited schools but do not appear in the NCES stats, so they are in addition to the eight mentioned above.
We emphasize accreditation because it provides you with the assurance that the business degree you select has clearly stated objectives. The school has proven that its program produces quality outcomes while adhering to national and international standards. Schools with accreditation are also more likely than unaccredited schools to offer real-world experience opportunities through interaction with actual businesses.
All of the schools in this article have been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). They are all public or non-profit and regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
This article provides you with all the data you need to choose the best business school for your unique needs based on various key factors: tuition, financial aid, entrance exam scores, acceptance rates, and more. The three sections that follow describe undergraduate programs, graduate schools, and the job prospects for business school graduates in Kansas.
Undergraduate Business Schools in Kansas
Kansas has several very inexpensive options for obtaining a business education and a couple that would be considered on the more expensive side but isn’t too bad compared to high-end schools in other states. Besides, as mentioned earlier, it offers seven accredited community colleges that are exceptionally affordable. We have broken our undergraduate schools into two tables: one for the regular colleges and the other for the community colleges.
In terms of conventional schools, we see an overall average tuition cost of about $13,300. However, this is a little deceptive because 6 of the schools are below $12,000 and 2 are around $28,000 each (MidAmerica Nazarene University and Baker University). The average of the other six schools is only $8,345. The least expensive school is Emporia State University at $6,179. Average financial aid is about $5,900 for the six inexpensive schools and the $14,000 range for the two pricier options.
The community colleges are even more affordable. Six of the 7 costs approximately $3,000, while Neosho County Community College is a little more at $4,500. Average financial aid for all 7 is nearly $4,500, with many schools offering more financial assistance than their tuition cost. Money is not going to be an obstacle to getting a business degree in Kansas!
Looking again at the regular colleges, we have acceptance rate data for 7 of our eight schools. Rates are very high for all but one school: MidAmerica Nazarene University sits at 52%, while the remaining six schools range from 78% at Baker University to 94% at Kansas State University. (The community colleges accept all applicants.)
Graduation rates for undergraduate business degrees in Kansas tend to be in the moderate zone, with a range of 33% to 63% for our eight schools. The overall average graduation rate is 51%. Kansas State University has the best combination of acceptance rate and graduate rate, at 94% and 63%, respectively; this narrowly edges out the University of Kansas (93% and 63%).
We’ve included two tables below. The first shows you all the essential data you need about traditional undergraduate business schools in Kansas, including annual in-state tuition costs, average aid per student, acceptance rates, SAT and ACT score ranges of accepted students, and graduation rates. The second lists the seven open community colleges; test scores and acceptance rates are not generally relevant here, and these schools don’t generally provide graduation rates. You can click any column header in either table to sort it based on its contents.
| School | City | Tuition | Aid | Median SAT | Median ACT | Accept. Rate | Grad. Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker University | Baldwin City | $28,030 | $14,373 | 970-1190 | 20-25 | 78% | 56% |
| Emporia State University | Emporia | $6,179 | $5,878 | 910-1030 | 19-25 | 87% | 44% |
| Kansas State University | Manhattan | $9,874 | $5,688 | 94% | 63% | ||
| MidAmerica Nazarene University | Olathe | $28,150 | $14,845 | 790-980 | 18-25 | 52% | 55% |
| Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg | $6,910 | $5,015 | 19-24 | 87% | 48% | |
| University of Kansas | Lawrence | $11,455 | $7,558 | 23-29 | 93% | 63% | |
| Washburn University | Topeka | $7,754 | $6,362 | 33% | |||
| Wichita State University | Wichita | $7,895 | $4,668 | 470-1220 | 21-27 | 86% | 46% |
| School | City | Tuition | Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler Community College | El Dorado | $3,080 | $5,067 |
| Hutchinson Community College and Area Vocational School | Hutchinson | $3,296 | $4,162 |
| Johnson County Community College | Overland Park | $3,300 | $2,750 |
| Kansas City Kansas Community College | Kansas City | $3,240 | $5,931 |
| Neosho County Community College | Chanute | $4,522 | $3,680 |
| Pratt Community College | Pratt | $3,332 | $4,397 |
| Seward County Community College/Area Technical School | Liberal | $2,976 | $5,174 |
Graduate Business Schools in Kansas
We have data for eight accredited colleges for graduate-level business study in Kansas. MBA tuition in Kansas is low, with an overall average of about $19,000. Our schools’ cost falls in a bimodal distribution, with four schools at $22,000 or higher and the other four below $14,000. Pittsburg State University is the least expensive at $10,932, while the priciest is the University of Kansas at $33,165.
We have average admission GMAT scores for 5 schools. Three of these are around the 530 marks, while the University of Kansas is higher at 618 and Pittsburg State University much lower at 377.
Given the relatively small number of schools for in-person study, there is an excellent selection of options for online MBA programs in Kansas, ideally suited to those who want to further their educations while continuing their careers. Half of the eight schools on our list have online equivalents of their in-person programs, all of which offer improved flexibility and the same primary education as their campus versions: Emporia State University, Kansas State University of Kansas, and Washburn University. Emporia’s program is aimed at corporate executives, while Kansas State University focuses more on entrepreneurship. The University of Kansas has concentrations in management & leadership, marketing, and finance. Washburn University’s program emphasizes finance, quantitative analysis, economics, and communication.
The table below shows graduate business school tuition costs, average accepted applicant GMAT scores, percentage of faculty with a doctorate, and student-to-faculty ratios. Click any column header to sort the table based on its contents.
| School | City | Tuition | Avg. GMAT | Faculty with Doct. Degree | Student/ Faculty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker University | Baldwin City | $22,110 | |||
| Emporia State University | Emporia | $11,196 | 93% | 4.07 | |
| Kansas State University | Manhattan | $26,681 | 540 | 67% | 1.15 |
| MidAmerica Nazarene University | Olathe | $21,204 | |||
| Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg | $10,932 | 377 | 77% | 1.02 |
| University of Kansas | Lawrence | $33,165 | 618 | 84% | 2.24 |
| Washburn University | Topeka | $13,550 | 530 | 88% | 1.66 |
| Wichita State University | Wichita | $12,575 | 526 | 78% |
Job Outlook for Business School Graduates in Kansas
Growth of at least 5% is predicted in 32 of 37 business and management occupations across the US between 2016 and 2026, according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. The highest growth will be for market analysts and marketing specialists, at 22.8% over ten years, with financial managers next at 18.7%.
Kansas has a strong economy, especially when it comes to unemployment, where it consistently fares better than the nation overall. Even as the Great Recession caused US unemployment to spike to 10% in late 2009, Kansas’s rate only reached 7.3%. The state currently has just 3.4% unemployment, still below the nation’s 4% current rate. About 98,000 people were employed in the business and management sector in Kansas in 2016. The largest subgroup was general and operations managers, with 18,000 employed; accountants and auditors fell in second place at about 12,400.
According to BLS data, the overall average annual wage in 2016 across all occupations in Kansas was $54,935; as befitting its centralized geography, this puts Kansas also near the middle for wages, at 29th out of 51 states plus the District of Columbia. Business and management occupations had a weighted average annual salary of around $88,000 in that same year. Like their counterparts in other states, chief executives were the highest-paid subgroup, with an average salary of $170,000. This was followed by a variety of management positions ranging from $80,000 to $130,000. Tax preparers were the lowest-paid group at $38,800.
| Occupation Title | BLS.gov Code | 2016 Total Employment Kansas | Mean Hourly Wage Kansas | Mean Annual Wage Kansas | National Growth 2016-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and Auditors | 13-2011 | 12,390 | $31 | $65,090 | 10.0% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 11-3011 | 2,330 | $43 | $89,090 | 10.1% |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | 11-2011 | 180 | $45 | $93,070 | 5.8% |
| Agents andManagers of Artists and Athletes | 13-1011 | 30 | $48 | $99,290 | 4.9% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 11-9041 | 1,450 | $62 | $128,300 | 5.5% |
| Budget Analysts | 13-2031 | 270 | $33 | $67,700 | 6.5% |
| Business Operations Specialists | 13-1199 | 7,680 | $35 | $72,630 | 8.8% |
| Chief Executives | 11-1011 | 4,210 | $82 | $170,170 | 8.0% |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 11-3111 | 110 | $51 | $105,900 | 5.0% |
| Compensation, and Benefits Specialists | 13-1141 | 490 | $30 | $63,020 | 8.5% |
| Compliance Officers | 13-1041 | 2,780 | $28 | $58,930 | 8.2% |
| Construction Managers | 11-9021 | 2,570 | $40 | $83,640 | 11.4% |
| Cost Estimators | 13-1051 | 1,930 | $32 | $66,260 | 10.6% |
| Credit Analysts | 13-2041 | 550 | $32 | $65,700 | 8.4% |
| Credit Counselors | 13-2071 | 100 | $22 | $45,270 | 13.9% |
| Financial Analysts | 13-2051 | 1,490 | $35 | $73,600 | 10.8% |
| Financial Examiners | 13-2061 | 430 | $36 | $75,180 | 9.8% |
| Financial Managers | 11-3031 | 3,900 | $60 | $124,160 | 0.187 |
| General and Operations Managers | 11-1021 | 18,050 | $48 | $100,580 | 9.1% |
| Human Resources Managers | 11-3121 | 1,180 | $51 | $105,460 | 8.9% |
| Human Resources Specialists | 13-1071 | 5,310 | $29 | $59,710 | 7.1% |
| Information Systems Managers | 11-3021 | 2,940 | $58 | $121,180 | 11.9% |
| Insurance Underwriters | 13-2053 | 1,280 | $37 | $76,180 | -5.2% |
| Labor Relations Specialists | 13-1075 | 420 | $26 | $53,080 | -7.8% |
| Loan Officers | 13-2072 | 4,100 | $41 | $85,740 | 11.5% |
| Logisticians | 13-1081 | 1,290 | $34 | $71,610 | 6.9% |
| Management Analysts | 13-1111 | 4,510 | $40 | $82,400 | 12.0% |
| Market Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 13-1161 | 5,640 | $31 | $64,350 | 22.8% |
| Marketing Managers | 11-2021 | 1,560 | $64 | $133,820 | 10.0% |
| Meeting and Event Planners | 13-1121 | 740 | $22 | $45,980 | 10.2% |
| Public Relations and Fundraising Managers | 11-2031 | 550 | $53 | $110,600 | 10.4% |
| Purchasing Managers | 11-3061 | 680 | $50 | $104,070 | 5.6% |
| Sales Managers | 11-2022 | 2,780 | $65 | $135,570 | 7.4% |
| Tax Examiners and Revenue Agents | 13-2081 | 100 | $35 | $73,810 | -0.6% |
| Tax Preparers | 13-2082 | 670 | $19 | $38,830 | 10.8% |
| Training and Development Managers | 11-3131 | 210 | $44 | $92,310 | 10.3% |
| Training and Development Specialists | 13-1151 | 3,220 | $28 | $58,300 | 11.5% |
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References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics:https://nces.ed.gov/
2. AACSB, Best Business Schools:https://bestbizschools.aacsb.edu/aacsb-accredited
3. ACBSP, Business Schools:https://acbsp.org/page/accreditation-overview
4. IACBE, Business Schools:https://iacbe.org/accreditation/
5. US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook, Business and Financial Occupations: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/home.htm
6. US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Employment and Wage Estimates Kansas: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ks.htm
7. US News & World Report, Best Business Schools: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools
8. The Kansas Board of RegentsL https://www.kansasregents.org/