Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Gardner, KS (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Gardner, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $13,296 to $13,296 per year for indexed programs. Gardner has a population of about 24,020. Median household income is $92,579 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $98,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Gardner

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Gardner, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gardner 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 Gardner. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

MidAmerica Nazarene University

Olathe, KS 9.0 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,972
Avg net price $32,165/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Baker University

Baldwin City, KS 14.1 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,855
Avg net price $25,301/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Ottawa University-Kansas City

Overland Park, KS 17.7 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Ottawa University-Online

Overland Park, KS 17.7 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Tuition
In‑state$13,296
Out‑of‑state$13,296
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Haskell Indian Nations University

Lawrence, KS 18.4 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
57.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,043
Avg net price $3,134/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kansas Christian College

Overland Park, KS 18.8 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Avg net price $15,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 47%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS 19.7 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,945
Avg net price $18,059/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 183

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ottawa University-Ottawa

Ottawa, KS 23.3 miles from Gardner
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Avg net price $27,963/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Gardner

Gardner is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 28140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist $68,050 Kansas City, MO-KS $73,568
Management Analyst $98,430 Kansas City, MO-KS $106,411
Technical Writer $76,590 Kansas City, MO-KS $82,800
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $48,490 Kansas City, MO-KS $52,422
Editor $65,180 Kansas City, MO-KS $70,465
Training and Development Specialist $66,300 Kansas City, MO-KS $71,676
Human Resources Specialist $75,190 Kansas City, MO-KS $81,286

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.

Gardner at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,020 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $92,579 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Gardner-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Gardner, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Gardner. The closest is MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS (9.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ottawa University-Online (17.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Gardner?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Gardner are: Management Analyst ($98,430), Technical Writer ($76,590), Human Resources Specialist ($75,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Olathe instead of Gardner?

Olathe, KS is 7.6 miles from Gardner and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Gardner an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Gardner’s median household income of $92,579 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gardner 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Gardner

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Liberal Arts Schools in Kansas: Online Programs (2026)