The Most Selective Colleges in Kansas
Every eligible Kansas four-year that reports an admission rate, ranked hardest to get into first and easiest last — not a prestige Top 25. Selectivity here is the published rate, not a magazine composite.
Ranked by acceptance rate · 20 of 30 Kansas institutions in this universe qualify for this ranking · Compiled 2026-09-01
- 1Newman UniversityWichita, KS · Private47.6%Compare nearby
- 2Sterling CollegeSterling, KS · Private53.0%Compare nearby
- 3Friends UniversityWichita, KS · Private55.6%Compare nearby
- 4Tabor CollegeHillsboro, KS · Private64.6%Compare nearby
- 5Southwestern CollegeWinfield, KS · Private65.0%Compare nearby
- 6MidAmerica Nazarene UniversityOlathe, KS · Private73.5%Compare nearby
- 7Benedictine CollegeAtchison, KS · Private76.4%Compare nearby
- 8Bethany CollegeLindsborg, KS · Private78.6%Compare nearby
- 9Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS · Public79.4%Compare nearby
- 10Ottawa University-OttawaOttawa, KS · Private80.0%Compare nearby
- 11McPherson CollegeMcPherson, KS · Private83.8%Compare nearby
- 12Kansas Wesleyan UniversitySalina, KS · Private85.0%Compare nearby
- 13Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg, KS · Public88.2%Compare nearby
- 14University of KansasLawrence, KS · Public88.2%Compare nearby
- 15Haskell Indian Nations UniversityLawrence, KS · Public88.3%Compare nearby
- 16University of Saint MaryLeavenworth, KS · Private89.8%Compare nearby
- 17Fort Hays State UniversityHays, KS · Public91.8%Compare nearby
- 18Baker UniversityBaldwin City, KS · Private92.1%Compare nearby
- 19Wichita State UniversityWichita, KS · Public94.9%Compare nearby
- 20Emporia State UniversityEmporia, KS · Public97.7%Compare nearby
How this list was built
- Measure
- Acceptance rate — sorted lowest to highest
- Source variable
ADM_RATE- Dataset
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (05-19-2025 release)
- Kansas institutions in this universe (30 schools).
- Kansas four-year main campuses only. Rank order is published admission rate; on an exact tie, higher SAT average ranks above, and missing SAT does not drop a school. SAT is not shown because it is not the ranked measure. Schools without a published ADM_RATE are omitted rather than estimated.
- Institutions enrolling fewer than 500 undergraduates are excluded — the same size floor as the national selectivity list — even when they report an admission rate. That cut is not a median-stability adjustment.
- 20 of 30 Kansas institutions in this universe qualify for this ranking (report the measure and pass any enrollment floor); the rest are omitted rather than estimated.
A single measure is a narrow way to judge a college. Read this alongside the others, and see the methodology for what these figures do and do not capture.
Keep exploring
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- Live leaderboardReshuffle Top 10–50 on one Scorecard measure
- Explore games & mapsShowdown, Name That College, sports, and more lists
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Keep going
The Most Selective Colleges in America
Lowest share of applicants admitted. Selectivity measures demand and class size, not teaching quality.
Colleges with the Highest SAT Averages
Average SAT score of enrolled students. Reported by fewer than half of institutions as test-optional admissions has spread.
Colleges That Admit Nearly Everyone
Open and near-open admission four-year institutions, ranked by the share of applicants accepted.