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Colleges in and near Pittsburg

Pittsburg is a college town: 16 of every 100 residents are students

Pittsburg State University (4,737 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Kansas, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town16% of residents are studentsPittsburg State University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Pittsburg. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles

4,737 students on campus

Nearest college

1.5 mi

Pittsburg State

Residents in college

16%

Above KS (7%)

Nearest community college

27.8 mi

Fort Scott · $3,390 tuition

Nearest public university

1.5 mi

Pittsburg State · $8,400 in-state

Students on campus in Pittsburg

4,737

next to 20,569 residents

What stands out about college in Pittsburg

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town16 of every 100 Pittsburg residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.A university in PittsburgPittsburg State University has 4,737 students on campus in Pittsburg, 57% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Pittsburg StateLiving in Kansas, Pittsburg State University charges $8,400 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $19,744. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 27.8 miles awayFort Scott Community College in Fort Scott: tuition and fees $3,390 a year for Kansas residents.

Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Pittsburg

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

16 of every 100 Pittsburg residents are in college (KS: 7).

4,737students on campus at Pittsburg State University, next to 20,569 residents (dorm students count as residents)

2,292college students live in Pittsburg households rather than dorms

25.7median age · KS 37.4

54%of homes rented · KS 33%

$854median rent · 19% below the state

Pittsburg, KS

Cost of living$854/mo median rentC⁺SafetyCrime reported to the FBID HealthCDC estimatesC⁺Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC⁻HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Pittsburg’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C⁻

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 29.2% of Pittsburg residents are below the poverty line, 24.0% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 66% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C⁺

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 16%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health C⁺

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Pittsburg’s median age is 25.7 (Kansas 37.4), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Pittsburg

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Pittsburg.

University or collegeCommunity college

Pittsburg State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 4,737 on campus · In Pittsburg89%admitted$16knet price57%graduate$51kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Pittsburg’s median household income ($43,419) falls.

Pittsburg State UniversityIn Pittsburg · sticker $22,099$11,453a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Pittsburg: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

Pittsburg State University57% graduate$51k earnings$19k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Pittsburg

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Pittsburg State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Liberal arts 38%Business 14%Engineering tech 9%Health professions 7%Education 6%Parks & recreation 4%Everything else 23%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing122 graduates a year

$71k4 yrs out

Construction Management73 graduates a year

$90k4 yrs out

Psychology, General71 graduates a year

$52k4 yrs out

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas58 graduates a year

$49k4 yrs out

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods56 graduates a year

$43k4 yrs out

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians54 graduates a year

$82k4 yrs out

Biology, General53 graduates a year

$57k4 yrs out

Business/Commerce, General48 graduates a year

$65k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Pittsburg

Is Pittsburg a college town?

Yes. 16 of every 100 Pittsburg residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Kansas. Pittsburg State University has 4,737 students on campus, next to 20,569 residents.

What colleges are in Pittsburg?

Pittsburg State University is inside the city. Fort Scott Community College is 27.8 miles away in Fort Scott.

Why is Pittsburg’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 29.2% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 24.0% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

What is the closest community college to Pittsburg, and what does it cost?

Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, 27.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,390 a year for Kansas residents; the federal net price, $5,586, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Pittsburg State University?

Pittsburg State University admitted 89% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Pittsburg. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →

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