Welcome back to the PNPI Explorer blog series, where we examine higher education data in different states. This week’s spotlight is on Kansas.

In 2021 in Kansas, there were 59 institutions serving 136,722 full-time equivalent (FTE) students. Using the Explorer’s Comparison Tool, we can examine how the cost of attending a Kansas institution of higher education compares to other states. Looking at the average tuition and fees paid by out-of-state students, we can see that Kansas charges $6K less than the national average ($24.7K vs. $18.2K). These low tuition and fees put Kansas in the bottom quintile of published charges for out-of-state students nationally.

We can also examine how Kansas has fared for out-of-state students in the past decade using the Trend Explorer. Since 2011, the average tuition and fees for out-of-state students nationally has increased each year, increasing from $20.2K in 2011 to $24.7K in 2021. Comparatively, Kansas institutions followed the increasing trend until 2016, at which point their published charges for out-of-state students has remained steady, adjusting for inflation. This steady average has caused Kansas institutions to be increasingly more affordable to out-of-state students, relative to the national average.

Find something interesting about Kansas that you would like to share with us? Drop us a note via our feedback page or discuss your findings on LinkedIn! Check back next week when we explore data insights about Kentucky.

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