The real 4-year cost of University of Kansas in Kansas
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at University of Kansas went from $7,042 to $12,909, an average of 2.3% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $12,909College of Liberal Arts and Sciences base per-credit tuition x 30 hours, plus required student fee and wellness fee. Excludes college-specific course fees, which vary by major.source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition freeze or guarantee, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $7,042 | – | – |
| 2009 | $7,414 | – | – |
| 2010 | $8,025 | – | – |
| 2011 | $8,469 | – | – |
| 2012 | $8,888 | – | – |
| 2013 | $9,278 | – | – |
| 2014 | $9,707 | – | – |
| 2015 | $10,057 | – | – |
| 2016 | $10,549 | – | – |
| 2017 | $10,824 | – | – |
| 2018 | $11,148 | – | – |
| 2019 | $11,166 | – | – |
| 2020 | $11,166 | – | – |
| 2021 | $11,166 | – | – |
| 2022 | $11,167 | – | – |
| 2023 | $11,700 | – | – |
| 2026 | $12,909 | $12,909 | – |
| 2027 | – | $13,205 | $12,905–$13,505 |
| 2028 | – | $13,509 | $12,902–$14,129 |
| 2029 | – | $13,819 | $12,898–$14,782 |
| 2030 | – | $14,136 | $12,895–$15,465 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $12,909 |
| Year 2 | $13,205 |
| Year 3 | $13,509 |
| Year 4 | $13,819 |
| 4-year total | $53,442 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $13,442
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $29,242
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $14,370/ yr
- rising 4.2% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $61,169
School’s own published rateHousing and meals, cost of attendance.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here has kept rising even while tuition was frozen; the creep moved to room & board.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at University of Kansas4-year schools with similar prices in Kansas
Closest to University of Kansas by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Ottawa University-Kansas City$13,296
- Ottawa University-Online$13,296
- Donnelly College$12,353
- Cleveland University-Kansas City$14,400
- Kansas Christian College$10,950
- Kansas State University$10,942
- Rasmussen University-Kansas$15,115
- Washburn University$9,578
Use this data
Published figures for University of Kansas from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.