Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Kansas, Ranked (2026)
Every nursing PhD in Kansas is public, because there's only one, at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. That's useful for cost if you're a Kansas resident, and it removes the private tuition question completely. It also means the PhD in nursing programs in Kansas give you no fallback. If the research fit isn't right, or one admissions cycle doesn't go your way, your next move is a program based in another state. The degree runs about 65 credits and three and a half years at full pace.
Last updated
Programs ranked
1
Universities
1
Nursing faculty median
$62,870
Faculty jobs in KS
470
How We Ranked the Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Kansas
Campus and online programs are scored on separate models, because they compete on different
things, and this page lists both together with each one's score from its own model. Research
funding comes from NIH RePORTER, doctoral scale from federal IPEDS completions, and the
curriculum, funding and deadline figures from each school's own pages.
The full scoring model is here.
The Lawrence address on this card is where KU lives, not where you'll go. The two required weeks are at the Medical Center in Kansas City, and cohorts start in summer, so the January 1 deadline is a once-a-year door.
Where it wins. It takes you straight from a BSN, so a Kansas nurse without a master's doesn't have to buy one first. The 65 credits work out around $31,558 in tuition, and if you already hold the DNP the shortened route trims roughly $10,000 off that.
What you give up. KU conferred three PhDs against 69 DNPs, so the research doctorate is the small tenant in a house built for practice degrees. No NINR grant money sits behind it, so a funded research assistantship isn't the thing to plan around.
Research. oncology, cardiovascular, health equity, chronic conditions, nursing workforce, children and elderly populations.
Every published detail for University of Kansas
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Online
School
University of Kansas School of Nursing
Entry points
BSN-to-PhD, MSN-to-PhD
Minimum GPA
3
Applications close
January 1 for admission the following summer
Part-time study
Available
Dissertation
Required
On campus
Two required on-campus one-week summer intensives at the University of Kansas Medical Center
What Nursing Faculty and Nurse Researchers Earn in Kansas
Nursing instructors in Kansas earn a median of $62,870, about $17,380 under the national median of $80,250. The range runs from $47,940 at the tenth percentile to $91,220 at the ninetieth, and there are 470 of these jobs statewide against 33,800 registered nurses. Kansas RNs earn a median of $79,320, roughly $16,450 more than nursing faculty. That gap is the honest version of the trade you're making. A nursing PhD in Kansas buys you research work, a faculty title and a different kind of schedule, and it does not buy you a raise over bedside pay.
How Long Does the University of Kansas Nursing PhD Take?
About three and a half years at full pace, across roughly 65 credits. That's a shorter credit total than several doctoral nursing programs carry, and the reason is entry point. The Kansas program has a BSN to PhD route, but a nurse arriving with a graduate degree already behind them is working through a different amount of coursework than one arriving from a BSN, so the timeline you should plan for depends on which of those you are. Ask the program to map your specific path before you accept a seat.
Part-time study is available, and for most working nurses that's what actually happens. Three and a half years becomes five or six. Decide up front whether you can hold that pace, because the attrition in doctoral nursing education is mostly in years three and four, not year one.
The program is delivered online, so Lawrence is the administrative home rather than a place you have to move to. It awards about three nursing doctorates a year. That's a small cohort, which means real access to faculty and very few seats, so apply early and talk to a potential advisor before the deadline instead of after.
Questions About Nursing PhD Programs in Kansas
How many PhD in nursing programs are there in Kansas?
1, at 1 university. 0 are campus-based and 1 runs online.
Where can you get a PhD in nursing in Kansas?
At the University of Kansas, based in Lawrence. It's the only nursing PhD in the state, it's delivered online, and it runs about 65 credits over three and a half years at full pace.
Can you work while doing a nursing PhD in Kansas?
Yes. The University of Kansas program offers part-time study and is delivered online, which is how most working nurses get through it. The program awards about three nursing doctorates a year, so cohorts are small and faculty contact is close.
What do nursing professors earn in Kansas?
Postsecondary nursing instructors in Kansas earn a $62,870 median. The bottom 10% earn $47,940 and the top 10% clear $91,220, across 470 jobs in the state. The national median is $80,250.
Can you do a nursing PhD in Kansas without moving?
1 of the 1 program in Kansas runs online. You can also apply to any of the online programs based in other states, since an online nursing PhD does not care where you live. They are all ranked here.