These 2 Kansas community colleges are among the best in the nation, one ranking says
Two Kansas community colleges recently ranked among the 20 best in the country, according to a WalletHub analysis.
The finance site ranked Manhattan Area Technical College the second best community college in the U.S., while Pratt Community College ranked 18th.
WalletHub ranked community colleges based on three different factors: cost and financing, education and career outcomes. The finance site used 19 metrics across those three topics to develop a score for each factor. The total score for each college was a combination of all three scores.
For financing, WalletHub measured the cost of in-state tuition and fees, the option of a free college education, the average amount of grants and scholarships awarded, jobs available for students and more. On education outcomes, the finance site looked at topics like retention and graduation rates. Career outcomes included data on the average salary post-graduation, the student loan default rate and the number of graduated students earning money above the average high school graduate.
Manhattan Area Technical College, in Manhattan, roughly a two-hour drive from Wichita, was established in 1965 and offers a variety of programs, including automotive technology, business information technology and general education. The technical college saw an enrollment of 842 students for the fall 2022 semester, according to U.S. News and World Report. That same report found tuition cost about $7,650 for in-state and out-of-state students for the 2020-21 year.
Pratt Community College, about an hour and a half from Wichita, was established in 1938 and offers programs in general and technical education. As of the fall 2022 semester, the total enrollment for the college sat at 1,164 students, according to U.S. News and World Report. The outlet found in-state tuition at Pratt Community College cost $3,908 and out-of-state tuition cost $4,424, as of data from the 2020-21 academic year.
According to Community College Review, which looks at education data from state and federal agencies, the average cost to attend a Kansas community college is $3,484 annually for in-state students and $4,443 for out-of-state students as of this year.
WalletHub’s top community colleges in the US
WalletHub measured data from 668 schools from the American Association of Community Colleges for its ranking. It’s worth noting some members of the association were not ranked because of data limitations.
The top 10 community colleges in the U.S. are, according to WalletHub:
State Technical College of Missouri in Linn, Mo.
Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, Kan.
Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon, Iowa
Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore.
Alexandria Technical & Community College in Alexandria, Minn.
College of San Mateo in San Mateo, Calif.
Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Ore.
Manchester Community College in Manchester, Conn.
Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield, Conn.
Montgomery College in Rockville, Md.
Source: WalletHub
Top community colleges in Kansas
WalletHub also has a search-by-state database where you can see the top community colleges by state. The top 10 community colleges in Kansas are, according to WalletHub:
Manhattan Area Technical College
Pratt Community College
Kansas City Kansas Community College
Hutchinson Community College
Colby Community College
Johnson County Community College
Cowley County Community College
Barton County Community College
Cloud County Community College
Labette Community College
