Best Chemistry Schools Near Liberal, KS (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Liberal, Kansas has 1 accredited school offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $8,092 to $15,055 per year for indexed programs. Liberal has a population of about 19,107. Median household income is $61,875 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 10.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kansas, the top-earning chemistry-related role is Chemical Engineers at a median $102,020 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Chemistry Schools to Liberal

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer chemistry programs near Liberal, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Liberal city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Liberal. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Fort Hays State University

Hays, KS 152.9 miles from Liberal
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,928
Avg net price $12,569/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Sterling College

Sterling, KS 169.5 miles from Liberal
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,846
Avg net price $22,371/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Newman University

Wichita, KS 199.8 miles from Liberal
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,041
Avg net price $19,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Friends University

Wichita, KS 200.4 miles from Liberal
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,113
Avg net price $27,715/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

McPherson College

McPherson, KS 201.6 miles from Liberal
  • 4 year
30.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,084
Avg net price $26,441/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 205.0 miles from Liberal
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,532
Avg net price $13,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Bethany College

Lindsborg, KS 206.9 miles from Liberal
  • 4 year
18.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,694
Avg net price $27,686/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 46%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Southwestern College

Winfield, KS 218.2 miles from Liberal
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,646
Avg net price $29,824/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kansas schools on the Kansas chemistry page.

Chemistry Wages Near Liberal

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Kansas, statewide)
Chemists $82,820
Biochemists and Biophysicists $97,850
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $93,830
Chemical Technicians $61,560
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $84,490
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $78,210
Chemical Engineers $102,020
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $59,920

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Liberal at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 19,107 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,875 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 10.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Liberal-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Liberal, KS?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Liberal. The closest is Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, OK (50.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Oklahoma Panhandle State University (50.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles in Kansas?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles in Kansas are: Chemical Engineers ($102,020), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($97,850), Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($93,830). Wages for Liberal workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Garden City instead of Liberal?

Garden City, KS is 64.4 miles from Liberal and has its own set of local chemistry programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Liberal an affordable place to study chemistry?

Liberal’s median household income of $61,875 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Liberal while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Chemistry Programs

Other Programs Available in Liberal

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Liberal:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Chemistry Schools in Kansas: Online Programs (2026)