Kansas Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Trade schools in Kansas: 42 trade and vocational campuses (33 trade schools, 9 community colleges) median net price $12,039 (-15.3% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $40,244 (+15.0% vs U.S.) median completion rate 55.2% employment-outcome proxy 87.3% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 42 campuses (33 trade schools, 9 community colleges)
- Total enrollment: 51,362 students
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $40,244 (+15.0% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 87.3% (+6.4 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $12,039 (-15.3% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $9,339 (-3.7% vs U.S. $9,699); regional median $10,498. Debt rank: #13 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Plains of 7
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 55.2%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 77.2%
- Earnings rank: #8 nationally (higher median 10-yr earnings = better rank)
- Employment-outcome rank: #3 nationally (higher working share = better rank)
- Student debt rank: #13 nationally of 52; #1 in Plains of 7 (lower debt = better rank)
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Full profile payload including top-college lists and peer comparisons.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Kansas include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 42 campuses in this profile (33 trade schools, 9 community colleges), with about 51,362 students enrolled, and median net price near $12,039. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Plains medians.
Kansas vs regional & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas (KS) | — | $12,039 | $9,339 | 55.2% | 51,362 |
| Plains (region median) | — | $13,566 | $10,498 | 60.4% | 279,250 |
| United States | — | $14,215 | $9,699 | 63.3% | 5,490,315 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Kansas vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas (KS) | $40,244 | 87.3% | 77.2% | 10.2% | — | 58.6% | 0.22 |
| United States | $34,984 | 80.9% | 64.9% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.28 |
Kansas vs peer states (Plains region)
Peer states are other campuses in the same Scorecard region, chosen by similar total enrollment.
| State | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas (KS) | N/A | $12,039 | $9,339 | 55.2% | 51,362 | $40,244 | 87.3% |
| Iowa (IA) | N/A | $13,566 | $10,250 | 62.8% | 45,016 | $39,060 | 87.5% |
| Missouri (MO) | N/A | $15,417 | $9,500 | 73.0% | 61,829 | $35,071 | 84.7% |
| Nebraska (NE) | N/A | $14,639 | $10,498 | 60.4% | 24,632 | $38,729 | 85.9% |
| Minnesota (MN) | N/A | $13,548 | $12,000 | 48.7% | 80,521 | $45,158 | 88.0% |
| United States | N/A | $14,215 | $9,699 | 63.3% | 5,490,315 | $34,984 | 80.9% |
Outcomes by sector in Kansas
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private for-profit | 10 | $26,968 | 83.1% | N/A | 7.1% | — | 47.9% |
| Public | 28 | $41,368 | 87.8% | 77.2% | 10.6% | — | 60.6% |
Top 10 trade schools in Kansas by completion rate (150% time, certificate programs)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate among trade schools and community colleges in this profile (enrollment ≥ 50). Source: College Scorecard.
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Rank 1, Completion Rate, 85.2%, Eric Fisher Academy
Eric Fisher Academy
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Rank 2, Completion Rate, 78.1%, Fort Hays Tech North Central
Fort Hays Tech North Central
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Rank 3, Completion Rate, 77.4%, Hays Academy of Hair Design
Hays Academy of Hair Design
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Rank 4, Completion Rate, 76.5%, Paul Mitchell the School-Wichita
Paul Mitchell the School-Wichita
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Rank 5, Completion Rate, 75.8%, Paul Mitchell the School-Overland Park
Paul Mitchell the School-Overland Park
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Rank 6, Completion Rate, 74.3%, Manhattan Area Technical College
Manhattan Area Technical College
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Rank 7, Completion Rate, 74.1%, Bellus Academy
Bellus Academy
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Rank 8, Completion Rate, 73.8%, Z Hair Academy
Z Hair Academy
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Rank 9, Completion Rate, 73.2%, Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College
Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College
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Rank 10, Completion Rate, 72.7%, Crave Beauty Academy
Crave Beauty Academy
Top 10 trade schools in Kansas by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 91.8%, Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 91.8%, Fort Hays Tech North Central
Fort Hays Tech North Central
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 91.7%, Pratt Community College
Pratt Community College
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 91.0%, Flint Hills Technical College
Flint Hills Technical College
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 90.6%, Salina Area Technical College
Salina Area Technical College
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Rank 6, Employment Outcome, 90.4%, Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College
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Rank 7, Employment Outcome, 89.8%, Washburn Institute of Technology
Washburn Institute of Technology
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Rank 8, Employment Outcome, 89.8%, Highland Community College
Highland Community College
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Rank 9, Employment Outcome, 89.7%, Allen County Community College
Allen County Community College
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Rank 10, Employment Outcome, 89.6%, Labette Community College
Labette Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Kansas by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $44,928, Manhattan Area Technical College
Manhattan Area Technical College
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $44,798, Pratt Community College
Pratt Community College
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $43,793, Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $43,014, Flint Hills Technical College
Flint Hills Technical College
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $42,881, Washburn Institute of Technology
Washburn Institute of Technology
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Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $41,498, Fort Hays Tech North Central
Fort Hays Tech North Central
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Rank 7, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,065, Salina Area Technical College
Salina Area Technical College
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Rank 8, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,003, Johnson County Community College
Johnson County Community College
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Rank 9, Mid-Career Earnings, $38,878, Colby Community College
Colby Community College
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Rank 10, Mid-Career Earnings, $37,617, Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology
Top 10 trade schools in Kansas by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $48,089, Manhattan Area Technical College
Manhattan Area Technical College
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $47,079, Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $46,820, Pratt Community College
Pratt Community College
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $45,837, Washburn Institute of Technology
Washburn Institute of Technology
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $44,954, Fort Hays Tech North Central
Fort Hays Tech North Central
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Rank 6, 8-Yr Earnings, $44,134, Flint Hills Technical College
Flint Hills Technical College
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Rank 7, 8-Yr Earnings, $41,938, Johnson County Community College
Johnson County Community College
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Rank 8, 8-Yr Earnings, $40,079, Highland Community College
Highland Community College
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Rank 9, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,994, Salina Area Technical College
Salina Area Technical College
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Rank 10, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,927, Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Kansas by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $51,892, Pratt Community College
Pratt Community College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $51,864, Manhattan Area Technical College
Manhattan Area Technical College
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $50,579, Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $49,774, Washburn Institute of Technology
Washburn Institute of Technology
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $47,007, Flint Hills Technical College
Flint Hills Technical College
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Rank 6, 10-Yr Earnings, $46,928, Fort Hays Tech North Central
Fort Hays Tech North Central
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Rank 7, 10-Yr Earnings, $45,966, Neosho County Community College
Neosho County Community College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr Earnings, $45,427, Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College
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Rank 9, 10-Yr Earnings, $45,387, Johnson County Community College
Johnson County Community College
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Rank 10, 10-Yr Earnings, $43,470, Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Kansas by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year ROI among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $230,431, Pratt Community College
Pratt Community College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $229,614, Manhattan Area Technical College
Manhattan Area Technical College
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $217,714, Washburn Institute of Technology
Washburn Institute of Technology
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $207,766, Flint Hills Technical College
Flint Hills Technical College
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $205,087, Fort Hays Tech North Central
Fort Hays Tech North Central
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Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $194,830, Salina Area Technical College
Salina Area Technical College
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Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $190,294, Colby Community College
Colby Community College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr ROI, $190,090, Neosho County Community College
Neosho County Community College
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Rank 9, 10-Yr ROI, $190,032, Seward County Community College
Seward County Community College
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Rank 10, 10-Yr ROI, $185,076, Highland Community College
Highland Community College
Top 10 most affordable trade schools in Kansas (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $3,265, Independence Community College
Independence Community College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $3,134, Haskell Indian Nations University
Haskell Indian Nations University
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Rank 3, Net Price, $4,068, Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College
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Rank 4, Net Price, $5,586, Fort Scott Community College
Fort Scott Community College
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Rank 5, Net Price, $4,957, Coffeyville Community College
Coffeyville Community College
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Rank 6, Net Price, $6,468, Salina Area Technical College
Salina Area Technical College
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Rank 7, Net Price, $6,727, Hutchinson Community College
Hutchinson Community College
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Rank 8, Net Price, $5,939, Labette Community College
Labette Community College
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Rank 9, Net Price, $10,074, Manhattan Area Technical College
Manhattan Area Technical College
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Rank 10, Net Price, $7,175, Cowley County Community College
Cowley County Community College
Student debt: Kansas vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Kansas is $9,339 (-3.7% vs U.S. median $9,699). Regional median: $10,498. Rank: #13 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Plains of 7.
Median earnings (10 years out): Kansas vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Kansas center around $40,244 (+15.0% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Kansas vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 87.3% at the median Kansas campus (+6.4 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Median graduate debt is $9,339 (-3.7% below the U.S. median of $9,699, and -11.0% vs the Plains regional median of $10,498). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #13 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Plains of 7 (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Kansas are $40,244, about +15.0% vs the U.S. campus median ($34,984).
The median campus reports 87.3% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 80.9% (+6.4 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 77.2% vs a U.S. median of 64.9%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 10.2% (U.S. 11.1%); 3-yr repayment progress 58.6% (U.S. 50.5%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Kansas ranks earnings #8 and employment proxy #3 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Pittsburg State University (91.8%), Fort Hays Tech North Central (91.8%), Pratt Community College (91.7%), Flint Hills Technical College (91.0%), Salina Area Technical College (90.6%), Dodge City Community College (90.4%), Washburn Institute of Technology (89.8%), Highland Community College (89.8%), Allen County Community College (89.7%), Labette Community College (89.6%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Kansas, sector medians diverge: Private for-profit median 10-yr earnings $26,968 (10 campuses); Public median 10-yr earnings $41,368 (28 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Kansas is 55.2% (national institution average about 63.3%).
FAQ
How much do trade schools cost in Kansas?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Kansas, median net price is $12,039 vs $14,215 nationally (-15.3% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Kansas trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Kansas is $9,339 vs a U.S. median of $9,699 (Kansas ranks #13 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do trade school graduates earn in Kansas?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Kansas trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $40,244 vs $34,984 nationally. Six-year medians are $35,263.
What share of Kansas trade school students are working after completion?
The federal employment-outcome proxy on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 87.3% in Kansas vs 80.9% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Kansas?
This profile covers 33 trade schools and 9 community colleges (42 total) in Kansas with roughly 51,362 total reported enrollment.
How many public vs. private trade schools are in Kansas?
Among trade schools and community colleges with outcomes in the College Scorecard extract: 28 public, 0 private nonprofit, and 10 private for-profit institutions.
What are the top trade schools in Kansas?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: Eric Fisher Academy; highest 10-year earnings: Pratt Community College; lowest net price among large campuses: Independence Community College. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Kansas?
Among 80 campuses in Kansas, 1 tribal college (IPEDS TRIBAL flag), including Haskell Indian Nations University; 13 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Bethany College, Dodge City Community College, and Donnelly College; 21 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: United Methodist (4), Roman Catholic (4), American Baptist (3).
How does Kansas compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Kansas is in the Plains region. Regional median net price is $13,566 and median 10-year earnings are $38,648 vs $12,039 net price and $40,244 earnings in Kansas.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Kansas college profile
- Trade school costs by state
- Trade schools and public community colleges (College Scorecard)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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