Online and On-Campus Colleges in KANSAS

Kansas State University is one of the top schools in Kansas by enrollment, reporting a student body nearly 24,000 strong in 2017. Its academic catalog is also one of the largest in the state, offering more than 250 undergraduate programs and nearly 160 graduate degrees and certificate plans.

It's not just quantity that helps the degrees at K-State stand out from those at other Kansas universities. National publications like the Wall Street Journal have praised the quality of education available here, from the tendency of students to improve their critical thinking skills to the university's leadership in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) training.

K-State students also have enjoyed consistently good outcomes once they finish their degrees. The university reports that between 94 and 97 percent of alumni become employed or enroll in further education within six months of graduation.

As another large institution among Kansas colleges, the University of Kansas has a wide and varied selection of degree programs at the bachelor's level and beyond. Undergraduates here have more than 190 undergraduate majors and nearly 300 total degree programs to choose from, while graduate students enjoy close to 200 options for their master's degree.

KU also keeps illustrious company, having served as a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) since 1909. Other members include NYU, MIT, the University of Chicago and eight of the nine Ivy League schools.

If you're a veteran or active duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces, you may want to give KU extra consideration. The Lawrence campus maintains a special resource center for military-affiliated students, and Military Times listed the school among its top 10 "Best for Vets" colleges in 2017.

Founded as Fairmount University by a Congregational Church reverend at the end of the 19th century, Wichita State University became a public institution in 1926. The student body in its first year as a state school had just 569 members, but it's grown into a formidable institution that educates more than 14,000 students annually.

More than 160 undergraduate degree plans are offered at the Wichita campus, with an additional dozen or so online degree programs available. Graduate students have more than 80 programs to choose from, including six online degrees.

Wichita is the largest city in Kansas -- it's home to nearly 700,000 residents -- but it avoids some of the big downsides of other large metro areas. The cost of living is affordable, for example, and traffic congestion is lower than other cities its size.

This medium-small school in the southeastern part of the state maintains four academic colleges and an honors college for undergraduates. The selection of bachelor's degree programs at Pittsburg State University numbers more than 150, including a range of 2+2 transfer agreements for students at Kansas community colleges.

The affordability of tuition at their institution is touted by Pitt State admins, and the numbers seem to back up their claims. Average annual tuition across all four-year colleges nationwide was $22,355 in 2017-18, according to The College Board, with public schools averaging $9,970 -- in-state students at Pitt State paid a yearly average of $7,100.

Pitt State may also be one of the top colleges and universities in Kansas for online graduate programs. Roughly 30 advanced degrees can be completed with a schedule of exclusively online courses.

This public university in the capital city of Topeka has been educating Kansas residents since 1865. Today, it offers academic study plans at all levels, from associate degrees on up to Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) and Juris Doctor (J.D.) programs.

In fact, the J.D. program isn't the only notable feature of the law school at Washburn University. Thanks in part to the expanded opportunities available through its Center for Law and Government, the university took home the No. 2 spot on preLaw magazine's list of top schools for governmental law.

Washburn is also one of few institutions west of the Mississippi to provide resident tuition discounts to students from other states. The institution's affordable in-state tuition rates are available to residents of Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as qualifying active-duty military and veterans.

MidAmerica Nazarene University was founded only about 50 years ago, but that doesn't mean it takes its educational mission any less seriously than its elder counterparts. It features state of the art campus facilities, for example, including a virtual patient center and simulation nursing studio for health care students.

Students who enjoy an intimate learning environment may find a lot to like at this private, evangelical Christian institution. The average undergraduate class size is just 16 students, so you're unlikely to feel like an anonymous face in a crowded classroom.

MNU has a campus in Olathe, a city of around 135,000 people on the outskirts of Kansas City, but the institution also deserves a mention among the state's online colleges. Degrees and certificates in business administration, education, health care and other professional disciplines can be earned fully online.

As the first four-year university founded in Kansas, this small, private institution in Baldwin City has certain historical distinctions that few if any other schools can claim. Perhaps most notably, Baker University counts Abraham Lincoln among its patrons -- the then-president donated to the construction of Parmenter Hall, now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Around 2,700 students attend classes at Baker, where more than 40 undergraduate areas of study and 25 graduate programs are offered through its four academic colleges and schools. Campus attractions include the Ivan L. Boyd Arboretum, where students can walk, study and relax under 100+ different species of trees.

The numbers also suggest that aspiring physicians may want to give Baker a second look. The pre-med program here has a 90 percent acceptance rate to medical school, more than double the national average.

Few traditional institutions have as deep a commitment to distance education as Fort Hays State University. Enrollment here is higher in online programs than those offered on campus -- nearly 6,900 of the roughly 15,000 students enrolled at FHSU are counted on the online rolls, compared to around 4,700 on the brick-and-mortar campus.

The array of online courses available at FHSU is vast and diverse, adding to its credentials as one of the best online schools in Kansas. The institution provides more than 70 accredited programs for online learners at all levels, including terminal degrees in education and a D.N.P. program.

The list of online bachelor's degrees at Fort Hays State includes finance, philosophy, agricultural business and computer science. Hundreds of campus-based programs are available as well, including pre-professional programs in law, medicine, public administration, physical therapy and more.

Founded as a teachers' college in 1863, Emporia State University offers an affordable education in more than 120 undergraduate majors, minors and concentrations. Kansas resident tuition at this small public university was less than $3,400 in 2017, which amounts to a savings of nearly $6,600 off the national average calculated across all public colleges.

Residents of select nearby counties in other states may also be able to take advantage of ESU's low average cost. Three initiatives -- Corky Plus, Neighbors in Education and Recruitment and Retention (NEARR) and the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP) -- ensure that discounted tuition rates are more widely available.

On top of the manageable enrollment costs at ESU, financial aid programs are far from scarce. In 2015-16, more than 2,200 scholarships totaling nearly $6 million were awarded to ESU's 3,340 full-time students.

Founded in 1885 by the Southwest Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Southwestern College became an accredited institution in 1917 and now offers more than 40 undergraduate academic programs and 15 professional studies majors. It's one of the smallest Kansas colleges, reporting a total headcount enrollment of approximately 1,300 in 2017-18.

The relatively low enrollment at Southwestern means that students and professors are likely to have time to work one-on-one or in other personalized settings. The 11:1 student-faculty ratio here is more than 30 percent better than the national average.

The city of Winfield, where Southwestern is located, can be a great place to study if you enjoy the slower pace of life afforded by small town living. Fewer than 13,000 residents call Winfield home, and the city calendar features recreations like outdoor markets and livestock shows.