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Labette Community College

#5 Most Affordable Colleges in Kansas
Public Parsons, KS · Town · Plains · 87% data
A Affordability A Value C Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
26% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$37,818 C-
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$5,939 A
65% less than the typical college
Enrollment
801
Earnings -7% vs avg
Graduation -54% vs avg
Net Price +-65% vs avg
Mobility Top 46%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 34.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $34.2 over 20 years. Ranked #5 in Most Affordable Colleges in Kansas.

34.2× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $34.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $788,608.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Graduation of 26% — 54% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $34.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Labette Community College Matters

Labette Community College is a public community college in Parsons, KS and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by an above-average alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
801
Setting
Town
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Health Professions, Precision Production, Mechanic & Repair Tech

Why students choose Labette Community College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C
Top 46% overall
C-
Earnings
$37,818 median
A
Value
6.4× net price
A
Affordability
$5,939/yr net
F
Graduation
26% graduate
C
Social Mobility
1.5% climb Q1→Q5
D+
Diversity
0.44 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas, serves around 800 students who are looking for a supportive environment to kickstart their education or career. This might be a good fit for those interested in practical fields like Health Professions, Mechanic & Repair Tech, or Business & Marketing. The focus here is on hands-on learning and skill-building, which many students find appealing as they prepare for the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution.

After graduation, the financial outcomes are encouraging. Graduates can expect to earn about $37,818 within ten years of completing their studies. This figure reflects the potential for upward mobility, especially for those who take advantage of the college's training in in-demand fields. Affordability also plays a role; with a net price of $5,939, many students find that they can manage their educational expenses without accumulating overwhelming debt.

Speaking of debt, the median debt for graduates is around $10,500, which is quite manageable compared to many other institutions. With 23% of students receiving Pell Grants, there’s a focus on accessibility for those from lower-income backgrounds. Students who tend to thrive here are often those who value a close-knit community and are looking for practical skills that lead directly to employment.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Labette Community 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 Labette Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Labette Community College, located in Parsons, Kansas, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 26%.

Retention Rate
63%
Full-Time Faculty
27%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$6,798
Student–Faculty Ratio
14:1
Diversity Index
0.44
First-Gen Students
43%

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 Labette Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Labette Community College is $4,864, 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 $5,939. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,578 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$4,064
Out-of-State
$4,864
Avg Net Price
$5,939
Median Debt
$10,500
Pell Grant Rate
23%
Federal Loan Rate
8%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$4,578
Family Income $30K–$48K
$3,927
Family Income $48K–$75K
$7,168
Family Income $110K+
$11,507

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 Labette Community 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 Labette Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Labette Community College report median earnings of $37,818, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$35,424
8 Years
$39,029
10 Years
$37,818
Debt-to-Earnings
0.28x
Earning > $25K
54%

Earnings Trajectory

$35,424 6yr $39,029 8yr $37,818 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (38)
17%
100% (38)
17%
100% (38)
17%
100% (38)
17%

How Labette Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation26%Earnings 10yr$38KNet Price$6KRetention63%Median Debt$11KPell Grant Rate23%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$5K$0-30K$4K$30-48K$7K$48-75K$12K$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%11.7%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%13.2%MOBILITY1.55%

College ROI Calculator

Is Labette Community College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Labette Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,939/year ($23,756 total). Graduates earn $37,818 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $812,364 in total earnings — a net gain of $788,608 (34.2× your investment). The median debt is $10,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 26% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$23,756
Projected 20yr Earnings
$812,364
Net Return
$788,608
ROI Multiple
34.2×
Cost Per Year
$5,939
Median Debt
$10,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
26%

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 Labette Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Labette Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.55%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 11.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $57,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.55%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
13.2%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
11.7%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$78,394
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

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

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Labette Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.13, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.13
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.00
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
8.3%
Support Ratio
0.99
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

Endowment
$805,066
Federal Grants
$3,836,775
Investment Income
$15,691

Top Programs

The fields Labette Community 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 Labette Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Labette Community College, located in Parsons, Kansas, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 26%.

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

Published tuition at Labette Community College is $4,864, 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 $5,939. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,578 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,500 in federal student loans.

Is Labette Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Labette Community College report median earnings of $37,818, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

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

Labette Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.55%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 11.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $57,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

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

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Labette Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.13, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Labette Community 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