15 Best Value Colleges and Universities in Kansas

Affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends, Barclay College is a place where giving, learning, and sharing go hand in hand. Barclay students follow Christ's example by devoting 12 hours per semester to service learning, for a total of 96 hours of volunteer work and charitable contributions by graduation. Whether students are pursuing a ministerial degree in Youth Ministry, Worship Arts, or Missions; or a pre-professional degree in Sports and Recreational Leadership or Business Administration, devotion to selflessness and spiritual edification stand paramount to their success at Barclay.

Established in the throes of the Great Depression, Newman University thrived and survived through the strength of its founding mission and principles. Today, Catholic students can find spiritual fulfillment and a promising future through Newman's robust ministry services and rigorous academic programs. Featuring dozens of degree options—including noteworthy programs like Sonography, Paralegal Studies, Pastoral Ministry, Forensic Science, and Radiologic Tech—as well as daily mass and confession and an impressive $266K ROI on PayScale.com, Newman is a cheap college in Kansas that provides real spiritual and economic value for its students.

With 25,000 students and 250 available majors and concentrations, Kansas State University makes the little apple seem a lot bigger. But this size doesn't come at the cost of scholastic strength. In fact, K-State also boasts the highest combined total Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall scholarship winners of any university in the country. K-State students pledge not to cheat on the day they arrive, knowing full well that it would squander their chances to earn a prestigious education from one of the top universities in Kansas. The payoff? With a $372K ROI from PayScale.com, K-State graduates are the highest paid on our list!

Bethel College may be a small school, but it's a big opportunity for students of faith to grow as spiritual leaders in their community as well as their careers. With just under 500 students, Bethel somehow manages to leverage its small pool of resources to provide some big opportunities, including service learning, study abroad, clinical placement, and undergraduate research programs. Students' degree goals are also undergirded by Bethel's Common Ground Curriculum, which combines spiritual and intellectual edification into a four-year track culminating in a senior research project. And the best part is that if you have a single major and commit to school full-time but still can't finish in four years, Bethel will provide all additional classes free of charge through its four-year graduation guarantee.

Like many top colleges in Kansas, Pittsburg State University features over a hundred academic programs, small class sizes, and expert faculty. But how many of them offer low, flat rate tuition available to in- and out-of-state students? Or a $30 million technology center in the largest academic building in the state of Kansas, with 13 computer labs and over 70 state-of-the-art research facilities and classrooms? Pittsburg does. But perhaps the most revealing and impressive statistic that sets PSU apart is the 90% of students who found gainful employment or matriculated to advanced studies within 6 months of graduation -a true sign of this Kansas college's commitment to student success.

Another powerhouse in the Kansas public university system, the University of Kansas is the largest college in the state, with nearly 30,000 students and 13 schools (including the state's only medical and pharmacy divisions). But what sets Kansas apart from other affordable Kansas colleges is not just its size. Kansas has a storied intellectual history— from the invention of basketball to the discovery of vitamins A and D—and it continues to build its legacy today, thanks to City Management and Special Education programs that rank first in the country (according to U.S. News), over 40 language programs, and the second-highest graduation rate on our list.

Right in the center of the biggest city in the center of the country, Wichita State University has the most diverse and urbane campus of all public Kansas universities. This comprehensive research university features a 330-acre campus, 200+ areas of study, and nearly 15,000 students all learning together to forge their own path. But Wichita State isn't just a big diploma-factory; last year, over 90% of students collaborated and/or helped other students in their coursework, and nearly 50% were involved in internships, student teaching, and other active learning opportunities. This level of student engagement is reflected in Wichita's 20-year ROI on PayScale.com: an impressive $277K!

What is a "Christian" education? At Sterling, the answer to this question comes from within. Rather than establishing rules and boundaries based on denomination and rituals, Sterling encourages students to cultivate their faith through service-based learning, community engagement, and student leadership. Chapel services are just as important as church services in the community, where students learn from Christians from all walks of life. Between their commitment to their faith and a range of academic programs that is unprecedented for a school of just 600, students get a lot of value at this cheap Kansas college.

Manhattan Christian College is another great college in Kansas for students looking to build a stronger personal relationship with God while also strengthening their résumé! MCC offers bachelor's degrees in Bible and Leadership and Christian Ministry (with specializations in chaplaining, counseling, family ministry, and more), alongside associate's degrees and certificate programs for faith leaders. Located in the heart of the "little apple," MCC students can also further their studies through collaborative programs with Kansas State or Manhattan Area Tech, which offer for dual degrees in promising fields like Agribusiness, Computer Science, Finance, and Nursing.

Like many of the best Kansas colleges on this list, Central Christian College of Kansas offers a challenging education at an affordable rate. But at Central they don't ask you to weigh the price of tuition against the cost of your faith. Students of faith can grow spiritually and intellectually at this Evangelical college, where community building and worship are integral components to the fulfillment of mandatory spiritual formation credit hours. Most students select from popular programs like Fine Arts, Exercise Science, Business, and Education, but Central also offers Aviation and Theology/Ministry programs to allow them to really soar.