Skip to content
CollegeRanker
Private nonprofit Hesston, KS · Rural · Plains · 87% data
A- Diversity B- Earnings C Graduation
Graduation Rate
59% C
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$47,495 B-
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$26,299 D
53% more than the typical college
Enrollment
372
Earnings +16% vs avg
Graduation +3% vs avg
Net Price 53% vs avg
Mobility Top 74%

Bottom line: A C- overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 9.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $9.2 over 20 years. Ranked #7 in Best Nursing Colleges in Kansas.

9.2× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $9.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $861,263.

What The Data Says

  1. A C- overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Every $1 invested returns $9.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Hesston College Matters

Hesston College is a private college in Hesston, KS and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private College
Carnegie Class
Baccalaureate College
Enrollment
372
Setting
Rural
Designations
69
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Health Professions, Engineering, Transportation

Why students choose Hesston College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Close mentorship
A small, undergraduate-focused community
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C-
Top 56% overall
B-
Earnings
$47,495 median
D+
Value
1.8× net price
D
Affordability
$26,299/yr net
C
Graduation
59% graduate
D+
Social Mobility
1.0% climb Q1→Q5
A-
Diversity
0.72 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Hesston College serves a tight-knit community with an enrollment of just 372 students. This intimate setting fosters close relationships between students and faculty, enhancing the learning experience. The college specializes in programs such as Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, and Transportation.

According to Opportunity Insights data, Hesston College has a graduation rate of 59%. While specific mobility metrics are not available, the focus on student support and engagement suggests a commitment to helping students succeed. Graduates earn an average of $47,495 after ten years, reflecting a solid return on investment for those who complete their degrees.

Attending Hesston College comes with a net price of $26,299 and a median debt of $12,000, making it a manageable choice for many students. The Pell Grant rate stands at 38%, indicating that a significant portion of students receive federal financial aid. This environment is well-suited for individuals who thrive in smaller communities and are looking for a supportive atmosphere to pursue their academic and career goals.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Hesston College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Hesston College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Hesston, Kansas, Hesston College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 59%.

Retention Rate
78%
Full-Time Faculty
60%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$5,585
Student–Faculty Ratio
7:1
Diversity Index
0.72
First-Gen Students
25%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Hesston College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Hesston College is $32,936, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $26,299. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,762 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$32,936
Out-of-State
$32,936
Avg Net Price
$26,299
Median Debt
$12,000
Pell Grant Rate
38%
Federal Loan Rate
66%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$20,762
Family Income $30K–$48K
$19,140
Family Income $48K–$75K
$27,809
Family Income $110K+
$26,267

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Hesston College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Hesston College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Hesston College earn a median of $47,495, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$46,707
8 Years
$48,315
10 Years
$47,495
Debt-to-Earnings
0.25x
Earning > $25K
62%

Earnings Trajectory

$46,707 6yr $48,315 8yr $47,495 10yr

How Hesston Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation59%Earnings 10yr$47KNet Price$26KRetention78%Median Debt$12KPell Grant Rate38%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$21K$0-30K$19K$30-48K$28K$48-75K$26K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%4.0%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%25.7%MOBILITY1.04%

College ROI Calculator

Is Hesston College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Hesston College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $26,299/year ($105,196 total). Graduates earn $47,495 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $966,459 in total earnings — a net gain of $861,263 (9.2× your investment). The median debt is $12,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 59% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$105,196
Projected 20yr Earnings
$966,459
Net Return
$861,263
ROI Multiple
9.2×
Cost Per Year
$26,299
Median Debt
$12,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
59%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Hesston College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Hesston College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.04%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 25.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $66,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.04%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
25.7%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
4.0%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$90,486
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Hesston College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Hesston College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.64, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.64
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
5.0%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Federal Grants
$1,519,250
Investment Income
$-1,895,324

Top Programs

The fields Hesston College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Hesston College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Hesston, Kansas, Hesston College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 59%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Hesston College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Hesston College is $32,936, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $26,299. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,762 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $12,000 in federal student loans.

Is Hesston College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Hesston College earn a median of $47,495, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does Hesston College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Hesston College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.04%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 25.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $66,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Hesston College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Hesston College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.64, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Hesston College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys