Best Online Colleges in Kansas

Benefits of Studying Online in Kansas

Officially known as the Sunflower State, Kansas is one of America's most historical regions, and it continues to be an important economic powerhouse in the Great Plains. Home to a population of over 2.9 million, the state ranks among the 35th and is known for its long history of agricultural development. The capitol of Kansas is Topeka, and the largest city is Wichita. The state is made up of 82,278 square miles of land, making it the 15th largest state by size.

Employment Stats

In terms of economic health, as of October 2022, Kansas had 1,413,900 non-farm employees (the 33rd most of any state), accounting for just 0.92% of the nation’s workforce. Nearly 41,000 new jobs were added since 2021, when the total tallied 1,373,400. This increase of 2.95% makes Kansas the 27th fastest state growing state from the standpoint of jobs added year over year. So although Kansas may not be massive in size, it’s still above average in terms of annual growth, and is expected to continue in the same trend in the future, providing plenty of employment opportunities for new students entering the workforce. In terms of gross opportunities, however, it still has over half a million fewer people employed than the median state (-563,000 to be precise). This magin amounts to just under -30% of the median.

Kansas just barely beat out Arkansas, who ranked 34th in the nation with 1,325,000 workers (meaning Kansas had an edge of just 89,000 or 6.72%). On the other hand, Kansas just lost out to Nevada, which clinched the 32nd spot by just 58,000 (Kansas had -3.9% less). That being said, the Sunflower State fell well short of the nation's leader (-92%), alhtough it's not surprising given that it accounts for just 0.9% of the nation’s population.

Job Opportunities

Apart from the job quantity, Kansas has an impressive selection of occupation types, which currently stands at 678. This puts Kansas at the 34th spot and 6.1% below the national median of 722 jobs. Kansas performs below the median, but still holds nearly 700 different employed or self-employed positions, so most people should expect to find a suitable career match. Louisiana is the state with the median number of job types (in this case 722), so that could be a good benchmark to keep in mind.

Kansas is home to some of the nation’s top universities, such as the University of Kansas and Kansas State University, while others such as Pittsburg State University offer smaller class sizes with just as large of a job market to match. The state also has a diverse economy, with Fortune 500 companies such as Sprint and YRC Worldwide situated in the area. There are numerous other large companies, such as Garmin, which helps feed Kansas’ large job market.

Overall, the data points to Kansas as a great place for studying. With its long history of agricultural development, modern education and job opportunities, Kansas is sure to provide any student with plenty of opportunities to take part in both the educational and recreational activities it has to offer.

*All data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023)