Kansas, like many Midwestern and Southern states, still has a very large population of rural citizens. This is because Kansas is still in the process of transitioning from an agricultural-based economy to a service and business-based economy. The strong tradition of agriculture in Kansas contributes to the large rural populations. These students may be an hour’s drive or more away from the nearest college campus. Attending college would be a true hardship for these students. They can benefit greatly from online degree offerings, which may let them get college degrees that they would not otherwise have the opportunity to do so.
This is also true of working adults. Many students in Kansas start a career that they are unhappy with and want to get a degree so they can move into a different field. However, these students may already be working full-time. This makes it difficult for them to find the time to attend traditional classes. Online college may be perfect for these students. This is because online education can generally be completed on a very flexible schedule, which allows working students to finish up their school work whenever they get off a shift of their job.
Ranking the Best Online Colleges in Kansas
Ranking the best online colleges in Kansas began with the College Consensus score of Kansas’ colleges and universities. The Consensus Score comes from published rankings and student reviews, averaging out many sources for an aggregate score. From there, editors researched institutions offering at least 3 online degree programs. Only accredited, reputable institutions are considered for the College Consensus. Schools are ranked by their Consensus Score.
If you’re interested in traditional campus-based schools, check out our ranking of the Best Colleges in Kansas. You can also find out more about college financial aid with our list of the Top 5 Kansas Scholarships.
What Kinds of Degrees Can I Earn Online in Kansas?
Kansas is one of many states in the modern American educational landscape that offers online degrees at all levels. For example, there are many different online Masters programs in Kansas. Some of these online Masters programs in Kansas even lead into online doctoral programs.
As with the online education situation in many states, there were originally few graduate degrees available online in Kansas from accredited universities. However, come over the last 5 or 10 years, online education has become much more popular and much more reputable. This has directly contributed to an explosion in the number of online degrees available in Kansas.
There are already quite a few associates and bachelor’s degrees available online from Kansas institutions. However, in recent years many graduate degree programs have become available to online students. Even public institutions in Kansas, which traditionally have lagged behind private institutions in offering online degrees, now offer masters level and even doctorate-level degrees that can be completed online. This is a great way for working adults who already have a degree in their field to complete a graduate-level degree and advance further in their career path then they would be able to without the option of online education.
How Can I Save Money on an Online Degree in Kansas?
Many students who start out looking for the cheapest online college in Kansas end up looking at online community colleges in Kansas. While online community colleges in Kansas can definitely help students save money on tuition, the cheapest online college in Kansas may actually be a university. Paying for college at these institutions doesn’t mean huge student loans.
There are several different ways that students can save money by getting an online degree in Kansas. The most obvious is by attending an online community college. This certainly is a viable way to save money on an online education in Kansas, as community colleges usually charge lower tuition than universities. However, there are also several other ways that students can save money on an online degree in Kansas. One important way is by choosing to attend a public institution rather than a private institution. Public institutions usually have lower tuition fees, especially for in-state students.
Also, students can save on their education by fully exploring financial aid resources available to them. They may qualify for grants, scholarships and even fellowships that will help offset the cost of their tuition. One often-overlooked way to save money on a degree in Kansas is through employer reimbursement. Many employers have started offering programs while they were cover some or all of an employee’s tuition as long as their degree is relevant to the company’s activities.
Are There Online Public Universities in Kansas?
A Kansas online school or a Kansas online college can benefit many different populations. However, there are several different underserved populations that can benefit the most from Kansas online degrees. Even students who enroll in non-degree programs at a Kansas online school or a Kansas online college can benefit without having to get one of the many Kansas online degrees.
Quite a few prospective students get discouraged when worrying about whether or not Kansas university online degrees are available. In fact, Kansas university online degrees are available from multiple institutions. There are K State online degrees (Kansas State U.) and even University of Kansas online degrees. Students in Kansas are actually able to choose between K State online degrees and University of Kansas online degrees when trying to find the best program for their needs.
More and more public universities in Kansas are beginning to offer degrees online. The educational landscape in Kansas, especially with regard to online education, is constantly developing. Students who are interested in getting an online degree from a public university in Kansas should keep up-to-date and check the website of schools they’re interested in as often as possible to see if they are offering new online degrees.
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