2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in Kansas

[Nursing Science](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for nursing science students.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Science Schools in Kansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Science Schools
Our analysis ranked Fort Hays State University the best value for a degree in nursing science in Kansas. Fort Hays State University is a large public school located in the town of Hays. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,923, with out-of-state students paying around $17,741. Typical student debt for nursing science graduates is $24,726. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $82,486. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Fort Hays State University admits about 90% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Wichita State University one of the best values for nursing science. Set in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,684, while out-of-state students pay about $19,869. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $27,750 in student loans. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $78,022. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wichita State University admits about 94% of applicants.
University Of Kansas is a great value for students pursuing a degree in nursing science, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Kansas is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence. Students from in state pay about $12,102 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $30,432. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the nursing science program here. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $105,103. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 94%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Pittsburg State University earned it the #4 place for nursing science. Pittsburg State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Pittsburg. Students from in state pay about $8,400 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,744. Nursing Science graduates carry a median of $22,791 in student loans. Early-career nursing science graduates make about $82,109. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.