Kansas · Getting in
Most selective colleges in Kansas
The short answer
The most selective four-year colleges in Kansas are Sterling College (48% admitted), Friends University (55% admitted) and Bethany College (56% admitted), by acceptance rate.
Selective here means a low acceptance rate: the share of applicants the college admitted. A low rate says how many people a college turns away, not how good a fit it is for you. Each row also shows the average price after grants.
The list (10 of 20)
Four-year colleges in Kansas with 500 or more undergraduates, lowest acceptance rate first. The list shows 10 of the 20 colleges with an acceptance rate on file. Rates come from IPEDS (fall 2024).
- Sterling College 48% admitted Sterling, KS · Average price after grants: $24,297 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Friends University 55% admitted Wichita, KS · Average price after grants: $26,384 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Bethany College 56% admitted Lindsborg, KS · Average price after grants: $28,538 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Kansas Wesleyan University 72% admitted Salina, KS · Average price after grants: $22,165 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Newman University 74% admitted Wichita, KS · Average price after grants: $17,430 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Southwestern College 76% admitted Winfield, KS · Average price after grants: $30,086 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- McPherson College 77% admitted McPherson, KS · Average price after grants: $28,431 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- MidAmerica Nazarene University 79% admitted Olathe, KS · Average price after grants: $30,947 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Ottawa University-Ottawa 83% admitted Ottawa, KS · Average price after grants: $27,572 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- University of Saint Mary 87% admitted Leavenworth, KS · Average price after grants: $20,881 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
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What are the most selective colleges in Kansas?
The most selective four-year colleges in Kansas are Sterling College (48% admitted), Friends University (55% admitted) and Bethany College (56% admitted), by acceptance rate.
How many colleges on this list admit fewer than half of applicants?
1 of the 10 colleges listed admitted fewer than half of their applicants.
How recent are these acceptance rates?
Each row shows its year. Rates come from IPEDS, the federal college survey, for students who applied for fall 2024, or from the college's own Common Data Set for fall 2025 where that is newer.
Numbers change each year when colleges and the Department of Education publish new data. Confirm costs and admission rules with the college before you apply.