Best Online Public Health Programs in Gardner, KS (2026)

Gardner, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering public health 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 public health-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $124,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Public Health Schools to Gardner

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public health 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.

#1

MidAmerica Nazarene University

Olathe, KS 8.8 miles from Gardner BOC Score 54.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Baker University

Baldwin City, KS 14.1 miles from Gardner BOC Score 57.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Cleveland University-Kansas City

Overland Park, KS 15.7 miles from Gardner BOC Score 30.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,304
Avg net price $35,764/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,400
Out‑of‑state$14,400
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Ottawa University-Kansas City

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

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ottawa University-Online

Overland Park, KS 17.7 miles from Gardner BOC Score 60.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 26

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Haskell Indian Nations University

Lawrence, KS 18.3 miles from Gardner BOC Score 57.6
  • 4 year
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: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Kansas Christian College

Overland Park, KS 18.7 miles from Gardner BOC Score 34.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 23%
Avg net price $15,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 47%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Public Health 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Epidemiologist$79,620Kansas City, MO-KS$86,076
Health Education Specialist$62,990Kansas City, MO-KS$68,097
Medical and Health Services Manager$124,990Kansas City, MO-KS$135,124
Community Health Worker$49,650Kansas City, MO-KS$53,676

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

MetricValueSource
Population24,020Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$92,579Census 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 Public Health Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public health schools are near Gardner, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public health programs near Gardner. The closest is Baker University in Baldwin City, KS (14.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Park University (29.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public health roles near Gardner?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public health-related roles near Gardner are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($124,990), Epidemiologist ($79,620), Health Education Specialist ($62,990). 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 public health 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 public health?

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 Public Health Programs

Other Programs Available in Gardner

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.