McPherson College vs. Kansas City Art Institute

Should I go to McPherson College or Kansas City Art Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if McPherson College or Kansas City Art Institute is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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McPherson College vs. Kansas City Art Institute comparison
McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute College 3 College 4
Kansas City Art Institute
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Overview

McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute
Location McPherson, KS Kansas City, MO
Setting Remote Town Large City
Enrollment 822 738
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Church of Brethren - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mcpherson.edu kcai.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute
Tuition (In State) $32,494 $41,174
Tuition (Out of State) $32,494 $41,174
Room & Board $9,918 $12,486
Avg Net Price $25,065 $29,373
Avg Grant Aid $21,916 $25,897
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,445 990
Admitted 952 579
Acceptance Rate 65.9% 58.5%
Enrolled % 26.3% 32.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 3.32
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 17/23
SAT Range 908/1120
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Engineering Technology (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (15%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (78%)
  • Communications Technology (16%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • General Studies (2%)

Outcomes

McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute
Graduation Rate 46% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,200 $32,900
Making Student Loan Payments 67% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute
% Men 67% 23%
% Women 33% 77%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 70% 63%
% Black 10% 6%
% Hispanic 12% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 12%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 9%

Students

McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute
% In-State 31% 43%
% Out-of-State 62% 57%

Campus

McPherson College Kansas City Art Institute
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • McPherson College is larger than than Kansas City Art Institute based on total student enrollment (822 students vs. 738 students)

McPherson College vs. Kansas City Art Institute Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, McPherson College or Kansas City Art Institute?

  • Kansas City Art Institute is 26.7% more expensive to attend than McPherson College for in-state tuition ($41,174.00 vs. $32,494.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.7% higher at Kansas City Art Institute than McPherson College ($41,174.00 vs. $32,494.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at McPherson College than Kansas City Art Institute ($25,065 vs. $29,373)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at McPherson College are 25.9% lower than costs at Kansas City Art Institute ($9,918 vs. $12,486)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at McPherson College as Kansas City Art Institute (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Kansas City Art Institute students is 18.2% larger than aid received McPherson College ($25,897 vs. $21,916)

McPherson College vs. Kansas City Art Institute Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, McPherson College or Kansas City Art Institute? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Kansas City Art Institute or McPherson College .

  • The average SAT score at Kansas City Art Institute (1073) is 133 points higher than at McPherson College (940)
  • Incoming Kansas City Art Institute students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at McPherson College (20)
  • Accepted freshman McPherson College students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.33) than students at Kansas City Art Institute (3.32)
  • McPherson College has a higher acceptance rate (65.9%) than Kansas City Art Institute (58.5%)

McPherson College vs. Kansas City Art Institute Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, McPherson College or Kansas City Art Institute? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Kansas City Art Institute and McPherson College.

  • The graduation rate at Kansas City Art Institute is higher than McPherson College (77% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from McPherson College earn on average $11,300 more per year than Kansas City Art Institute graduates after ten years. ($44,200 vs. $32,900)
  • McPherson College students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Kansas City Art Institute graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • McPherson College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than Kansas City Art Institute graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More McPherson College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Kansas City Art Institute students, three years after graduation. (67% vs. 62%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/