Recent Tuition Changes in Higher Education

Flat Tuition

The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) governs higher education institutions in the state and has the authority to adjust tuition, grants, and scholarships in accordance with KSA 76-719 et seq. for the six Regents institutions. These institutions are Emporia State University (ESU), Fort Hays State University (FHSU), Kansas State University (KSU), Pittsburg State University (PSU), University of Kansas (KU), and Wichita State University (WSU).

For fiscal years (FY) 2019 to 2023, KBOR has voted to maintain flat tuition rates at the six Regents institutions.

To keep tuition rates flat for FY 2019 and FY 2020, the Regents institutions received a $34.0 million increase in state funding in FY 2019 and a $11.9 million increase in FY 2020.

During the public board meeting in June 2023, KBOR voted to increase tuition between 5.0 and 7.0 percent at Regents institutions for FY 2024.

FY 2024 Tuition Increase

Historically, KSU and KU have had the highest tuition rates out of all Regents institutions, while FHSU had the lowest tuition rate over the past five years. For FY 2024, FHSU received the highest increase at 7.0 percent.

The chart below reflects the in-state tuition increase for full-time students per semester for each Regents institution for FY 2024:

	Dollar Change	Percent Change
KSU	$131.95	5%
ESU	$146.00	5%
WSU	$237.23	5%
KU	$252.00	5%
KUMC*	$257.40	5%
FHSU	$201.90	6%
PSU	$145.20	7%
*University of Kansas Medical Center

5-Year Change in Tuition

Since 2019, in-state tuition has increased at the Regents institutions by an average of $300 per semester. WSU had the highest change, with a 12.7 percent increase in tuition and fees, and KU had the lowest change, with a 5.0 percent increase.

KBOR also governs community and technical colleges, but tuition and fee rates are set for each college by a local board of trustees. Community and technical colleges have seen increases up to 86.7 percent and reductions as low as -5.7 percent since 2019, but, on average, they have maintained a steady rate that does not see any major increases.

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
KSU	$5,192	$5,220	$5,220	$5,210	$5,224	$5,471
PSU	$3,649	$3,669	$3,752	$3,872	$3,887	$4,078
WSU	$4,135	$4,150	$4,217	$4,400	$4,431	$4,661
ESU	$3,379	$3,399	$3,485	$3,500	$3,505	$3,678
FHSU	$2,566	$2,637	$2,725	$2,722	$2,722	$2,817
KU	$5,574	$5,583	$5,583	$5,583	$5,584	$5,850
*reflects undergraduate tuition by semester

Washburn University

Washburn University is governed internally by the Washburn Board of Regents. It differs from other public universities in that it receives municipal funding from local Topeka sales tax. Tuition and fees are established by the Board of Regents and are subject to change by the Board of Regents. In the past 5 years, Washburn University has seen a 15.8 percent increase for tuition. This includes an increase of an estimated $225 from academic years 2023 to 2024.

The estimated cost per credit hour at Washburn University for FY 2024 is $337, or $5,127 for the semester. This data does not include information for Washburn University School of Law.

Discounted Tuition Programs

Wichita State University Tuition

WSU offers a special program with discounted tuition to out-of-state students. This program is called the Shocker City Partnership Tuition Discount. This discount is available for graduate and undergraduate students taking a minimum
of 15 credit hours. The program began in 2022 and aims to expand the university’s network to reach students in other states along the I-35 corridor. This discounted tuition program is offered in specific eligible counties within Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. More information about program eligibility can be found on the WSU website.

Additionally, WSU offers the Shocker Select program, which provides a 33.0 percent discount to eligible students. This discounted tuition program is offered in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas.

WSU also offers Legacy Tuition for out-of-state students who have a parent, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, or legal guardian that graduated from WSU. These students are eligible to receive in-state tuition under the program.

Fort Hays State University

The in-state tuition at FHSU for FY 2024 is $2,800 per semester, or $188 per credit hour, which is the lowest cost of all the Regents institutions.

Similar to WSU, FHSU offers a discounted tuition program called the Midwest Student Exchange Program. This program is available to students from Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin who are enrolling for on-campus courses at FHSU.
FHSU also offers a variety of online courses with tuition rates starting at $242.76 per credit hour. These courses include, but are not limited to, programs for nursing, criminal justice, and finance management.