Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Manhattan, KS (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Manhattan, Kansas has 1 accredited school offering liberal arts programs. Manhattan has a population of about 53,951. Median household income is $58,441 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Manhattan, KS metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $80,720 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Manhattan

The 1 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 1 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Manhattan. Distances are calculated from Manhattan city center.

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 Manhattan. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Manhattan

Manhattan is part of the Manhattan, KS metro area (BLS area code 31740). 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	$59,170	Manhattan, KS	$65,599
Management Analyst	$80,720	Manhattan, KS	$89,490
Technical Writer	$73,550	KS statewide	$81,541
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist	$45,870	KS statewide	$50,854
Editor	$61,920	KS statewide	$68,647
Training and Development Specialist	$55,830	Manhattan, KS	$61,896
Human Resources Specialist	$76,400	Manhattan, KS	$84,701

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.

Manhattan at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	53,951	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$58,441	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	52.1%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	90.2 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024

Other Manhattan-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Junction City, KS – 17.2 mi away (40,157 pop)
Topeka, KS – 49.9 mi away (149,220 pop)
Emporia, KS – 58.7 mi away (24,730 pop)
Salina, KS – 60.1 mi away (47,123 pop)
Lawrence, KS – 73.6 mi away (95,800 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Manhattan. The closest is Butler Community College in El Dorado, KS (95.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Butler Community College (95.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Manhattan are: Management Analyst ($80,720), Human Resources Specialist ($76,400), Technical Writer ($73,550). 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 Junction City instead of Manhattan?

Junction City, KS is 17.2 miles from Manhattan 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 Manhattan an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Manhattan’s median household income of $58,441 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Manhattan 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 Manhattan

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.

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