Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Associate Degrees in Kansas
8
Meet the Ranking Threshold
5
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$4,204
With a Fully Online Option
4
General Studies Associate Degrees in Kansas
General studies associate degrees in Kansas are eight programs, and the five that meet the ranking threshold are all public: four community colleges, Garden City, Barton County in Great Bend, Independence and Labette in Parsons, plus Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, a tribal university awarding the two-year degree. The three others are private colleges awarding 4 to 7 degrees a year, Hesston College, Barclay College in Haviland and Manhattan Christian College.
Garden City Community College scores 65.2, 75th in the national associate ranking, and completion is what carries it: a 50% graduation rate, the highest among the ranked five, at $3,630 a year in tuition and required fees, on just 11 degrees a year. Barton County Community College is second at 56.9 with the biggest ranked program, 61 degrees, a 33% graduation rate and $3,904, online. Haskell sits third at 42.9 on 55 degrees and the lowest tuition in the state, $600 for residents and non-residents, held back by an 18% graduation rate. Independence Community College scores 40.8 at $4,440 with 26% finishing, and Labette Community College 40.2 at $3,968 with 24%.
So the cheapest program and the lowest completion rate sit at the same college. Out-of-state students pay $4,200 to $4,832 at the four community colleges and the same $600 at Haskell. Below the threshold, Hesston graduates 61% at $31,368, Manhattan Christian 44% at $18,424 and Barclay 32% at $26,590.
The 5 Best General Studies Associate Degrees in Kansas
The best general studies associate degrees in Kansas are ranked below by their national score, from the national associate degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Kansas. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
Garden City Community College
Kansas
65.2- Public
- College graduation rate
- 50%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,630 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 11
About the Program
Based in Garden City, Kansas, Garden City Community College is a public community college with 2,079 students on its rolls. It conferred 11 associate's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 4% of the associate's programs ranked at this level. A 50% graduation rate puts the college at the 85th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Residents pay $3,630 a year in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $4,200. Its strongest mark is price, at the 87th percentile.
2
Barton County Community College
Kansas
56.9- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 33%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,904 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 61
About the Program
Based in Great Bend, Kansas, Barton County Community College is a public community college with 5,092 students on its rolls. Some 61 associate's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 45% of the programs ranked alongside it. Of the students who start at Barton County Community College, 33% graduate, and that beats 45 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Expect tuition and fees of $3,904 a year as a resident and $4,832 otherwise. The degree can be finished entirely online, which suits anyone who cannot move or stop working. Its strongest mark is price, at the 84th percentile.
3
Haskell Indian Nations University
Kansas
42.9- Public
- College graduation rate
- 18%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $600 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 55
About the Program
Lawrence, Kansas is home to Haskell Indian Nations University, a public university of 978 students. The program's last federal report shows 55 associate's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 41 in every 100 programs measured here. Of the students who start at Haskell Indian Nations University, 18% graduate, and that beats 6 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Every student pays $600 a year in tuition and fees, since the institution sets one rate. Applicants are admitted at a rate of 90%, which leaves room for a rejection. What lifts it most is price, where it reaches the 99th percentile.
4
Independence Community College
Kansas
40.8- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 26%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $4,440 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 48
About the Program
Independence, Kansas is home to Independence Community College, a public community college of 764 students. Some 48 associate's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 37% of the programs ranked alongside it. Of the students who start at Independence Community College, 26% graduate, and that beats 21 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Tuition and fees run $4,440 a year in state against $4,650 out of state, so on price it sits at the 73rd percentile. Nothing in the degree requires attending in person, since it is offered fully online. On price it does best, reaching the 73rd percentile.
5
Labette Community College
Kansas
40.2- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 24%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $3,968 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 39
About the Program
Some 1,426 students attend Labette Community College, a public community college in Parsons, Kansas. It conferred 39 associate's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 31% of the associate's programs ranked at this level. Across the whole college, 24% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 17% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees run $3,968 a year in state against $4,768 out of state, so on price it sits at the 82nd percentile. Distance students can complete the whole degree online, so where you live matters less here. Its strongest mark is price, at the 82nd percentile.
Other General Studies Associate Degrees in Kansas
The other general studies associate degrees in Kansas awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hesston College, Hesston | 7 | 61% | $31,368 |
| Barclay College, Haviland | 5 | 32% | $26,590 |
| Manhattan Christian College, Manhattan | 4 | 44% | $18,424 |
Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.
How Much Does a General Studies Associate Degree Cost in Kansas?
A general studies associate degree in Kansas costs a median of $4,204 a year in tuition and required fees for 2023-24 across the eight programs, and the five ranked public programs all sit at or below that line. Haskell Indian Nations University charges $600, Garden City $3,630, Barton County $3,904, Labette $3,968 and Independence $4,440. Non-residents pay $4,200 to $4,832 at the four community colleges and the same $600 at Haskell, so crossing the state line adds at most $928 a year. The three private colleges below the threshold are a different market: Manhattan Christian College at $18,424, Barclay College at $26,590 and Hesston College at $31,368, four to seven times the Independence price.
Kansas's state grant for adults is aimed past this level. The Kansas Adult Learner Grant helps Kansas residents aged 25 and older who are seeking a bachelor's degree in specific fields of study, and it lets you enroll full time or part time, but no fewer than 6 credit hours. So it's the money to ask about once you carry the two-year degree into Emporia State or Wichita State, and the question then is whether general studies is on its field list.
Will a General Studies Associate Degree Transfer in Kansas?
A general studies associate degree transfers in Kansas course by course, and whether its general education moves as a block depends on the degree's code. The Board of Regents says SWT courses transfer to any Kansas public institution offering an equivalent course, so each SWT course on your transcript is safe at any public campus. The systemwide general education program, 34 to 35 credit hours in seven buckets, is the block version. The six state universities, the community colleges and Washburn University implement it, in place on every campus since fall 2024.
The catch is the degree name. The Board of Regents lists the Associate in General Studies as a degree the systemwide general education program does not apply to. If your community college awards its general studies degree as an AGS, don't assume the 34-hour block arrives whole. Ask which degree code your program carries, and if it's an AGS, which of its courses are SWT courses, since those still move one at a time.
Kansas also runs reverse transfer: leave a community college for a Kansas public university before finishing and the state can retroactively grant the associate degree once you've completed 60 credit hours at Kansas public community or technical colleges and consented to the release of your records. Haskell isn't a community college, so ask it separately.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Associate Degree Pay in Kansas?
Jobs open to a general studies associate degree in Kansas pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Associate Degree Program in Kansas
Choosing a general studies associate degree program in Kansas means putting a price on completion, because the ranked five pull in opposite directions: Haskell Indian Nations University charges $600 a year and graduates 18%, Garden City charges $3,630 and graduates 50%, and Labette and Independence charge $3,968 and $4,440 while graduating 24% and 26%. Barton County, at $3,904 and 33%, pairs a middling completion rate with the biggest cohort, 61 degrees a year. Ask Haskell about its admission requirements before you plan around its price, and ask Garden City how a program awarding 11 degrees a year supports students through to the finish.
Barton County, Independence and Labette let you finish the degree online, while Garden City and Haskell are campus-based. If you plan to continue to a bachelor's at a Kansas public university, ask which degree code your program carries, since the Board of Regents does not apply the systemwide general education program to the Associate in General Studies, and then ask Emporia State or Wichita State, the two public universities with a ranked general studies bachelor's, how they'll read the rest of your transcript.
If you plan to finish a bachelor's in the state, the general studies bachelor's degrees in Kansas have their own page.