Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Kansas

Colleges ranked by how many years of extra earnings, above a high school graduate’s, cover four years of net price.

Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Kansas3 schools

3 schools qualify, ranked by payback years.

How this list is made

Schools in Kansas.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Academic Excellence grade B+ or better (the top 35% of rated colleges).
Has median earnings ten years after enrolling and a net price from federal data (College Scorecard), and those earnings are above a high school graduate’s ($48,360 a year: median weekly earnings of $930 for full-time workers with a high school diploma, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Payback years = four years of net price ÷ (earnings − a high school graduate’s earnings). Ordered by payback years, fewest first. A simple estimate: it leaves out interest, taxes and earnings growth.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.

School	Net price a year	Median debt	Earnings 10 years out	Graduation rate
University of Kansas	$18,059	$21,000	$61,945	69%
Kansas State University	$19,406	$21,250	$57,262	71%
Benedictine College	$27,891	$24,599	$53,175	62%

Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.