Kansas
Student Access & Success
Kansas’ four-year institutions have middling completion and retention rates and percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. However, Kansas’ two-year institutions have a completion rate in the top 10 nationally and above average credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Kansas’ four-year cost per completion ($66,330) and two- year cost per completion ($60,266) both fall in the middle third of all states nationally. State and local funding per completion for the four-year sector ($42,741) also scores very near the national median of $41,198.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Kansas bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $18,100 (or 59%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 3.5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $6,300 (or 21%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 3 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Kansas receives an average score for its public accountability resources but receives an overall low grade in this area. While there is an explicit goal in the state’s plan to have each institution report on learning outcomes assessments by 2014, so far only a few individual institutions are doing so. Kansas does not track student labor market outcomes.
Policy Environment
The Kansas Board of Regents plan includes targeted goals, including for student outcomes. The state also has a small outcomes-based funding formula based on performance agreements each institution has signed with the Kansas Board of Regents concerning a broad range of outcomes metrics; however, the metrics are broad and it is easy to earn full funding.
Innovation
While degree programs are offered online, there is no statewide portal for individual courses or a clearly targeted goal for online learning in Kansas. Regarding new providers, Kansas has a highly restrictive regulatory jurisdiction, financial and approval process burden.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
KS Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 28.8 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 75.4 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 54.4 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 21.0 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $66,330 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $42,741 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $75,723 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $18,122 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 159.4 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $14,089 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 155.4 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.6 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 7.2 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.7 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
KS Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 44.6 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 57.8 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 30.9 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 18.5 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $60,266 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $45,526 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $58,813 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $6,272 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 120.6 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $6,590 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 125.9 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.9 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 6.2 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.69 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
KS Nat'l| Policy Environment | B |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 49% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 50% | |
| Financial Burden | 47% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 50% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | D |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 28.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 2 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 7
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 25
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 67,313
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 57,721