Best Community Colleges in Kansas by Salary Potential
Compare how graduates from five of Kansas’ top two-year colleges compare when ranked by alumni salary.
| Rank | School Name | School Sector | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name:_50px.jpg) Kansas State University | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$55,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$80,900 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:20% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Neosho County Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$53,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$77,800 | % High Meaning:83% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Newman University | School Sector:Private not-for-profit | Early Career Pay:$53,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$76,200 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:3 | School Name:Manhattan Area Technical College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$54,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$76,200 | % High Meaning:73% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:5 | School Name:Hesston College | School Sector:Private not-for-profit | Early Career Pay:$52,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$75,700 | % High Meaning:60% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: Johnson County Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$50,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$74,400 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:7 | School Name:Dodge City Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$49,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$74,300 | % High Meaning:78% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:7 | School Name:Northwest Kansas Technical College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$48,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$74,300 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:2% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: Colby Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$48,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$72,200 | % High Meaning:65% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: Washburn University | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$47,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$70,700 | % High Meaning:62% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Baker University | School Sector:Private not-for-profit | Early Career Pay:$48,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$70,500 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:11 | School Name:_50px.jpg) Fort Hays State University | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$46,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$70,500 | % High Meaning:67% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:13 | School Name:Labette Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$48,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$70,300 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Pittsburg State University | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$47,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$70,200 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:15 | School Name:Highland Community College (Kansas) | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$48,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$70,000 | % High Meaning:64% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Kansas City Kansas Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$50,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$69,200 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: Wichita State University | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$44,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$69,100 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:18 | School Name:Fort Scott Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$47,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$69,000 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:19 | School Name:Seward County Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$46,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$68,500 | % High Meaning:67% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:20 | School Name:Barton County Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$45,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$68,100 | % High Meaning:63% | % STEM Degrees:2% |
| Rank:21 | School Name:Cloud County Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$44,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$67,900 | % High Meaning:68% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:22 | School Name:Garden City Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$45,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$66,900 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:23 | School Name:Pratt Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$46,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$65,700 | % High Meaning:85% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:24 | School Name: Hutchinson Community College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$45,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$65,300 | % High Meaning:64% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:24 | School Name:Flint Hills Technical College | School Sector:Public | Early Career Pay:$47,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$65,300 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:5% |
When thinking about which associate degree to pursue, one consideration is which of the 17 career colleges in Kansas have the highest-paid graduates. Payscale presents data on several of the public Kansas community colleges by graduate salary, enabling those seeking degrees in the Sunflower State to make informed decisions about earning potential. In Kansas, the top industries for jobs include agriculture, aerospace, aircraft production and maintenance, and transportation equipment.
Of these colleges, Johnson County Community College is by far the largest, with about 20,000 students. All other Kansas two-year colleges on our list have many fewer enrolled undergraduates. One other interesting factor to note is that Colby and Kansas City Kansas Community College have a majority of female students (about 60 percent), while the other two colleges have a more even split between male and female students.