Public · Community college
Independence Community College
Independence, Kansas · Fringe rural
- 35%
- Transfer rate
- $3,265
- Avg net price
- 26%
- Grad / completion
- $34,941
- Median earnings
Independence Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Independence, Kansas (fringe rural setting), enrolling 486 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Independence, Kansas
Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. The Osage Indians had settled much of southeast Kansas over the course of the 1830s and 40s and sold land claims over the course of the 1860s to incoming American homesteaders and moved into Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) where they became settled farmers, selling their whole remaining claim to the United States government in 1870 for $1.25 an acre. The William Inge Center for the Arts at Independence Community College maintains the archives of playwright and alumnus, William Inge. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe rural
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 74 miles to Tulsa, OK
- To the ocean
- 510 miles
- Nearest airport
- 67 miles to Joplin (JLN)
How Independence Community College compares
Higher than 9% · #43 of 45 in Kansas
Higher than 7%
Higher than 49% · #31 of 42 in Kansas
Cheaper than 96% · #2 cheapest of 46 in Kansas
Lower than 94%
Lower than 49%
Larger than 62%
Percentiles compare Independence Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Kansas.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women18237%
- Men30463%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White34%
- Black34%
- Hispanic8.8%
- Other or multiracial24%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 486
- Student–faculty ratio
- 16 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 37%
- First-generation students
- 38%
- Students over 25
- 10%
- Median family income
- $25,420
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $53,784
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,560
- Out-of-state tuition
- $4,950
- Room & board
- $7,200
- Books & supplies
- $816
- Total cost of attendance
- $8,824
- Average net price
- $3,265
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 26%
- First-year retention
- 44%
- Transferred to another college
- 35%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $29,674
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $34,941
- Median debt at graduation
- $6,115
- Students with federal loans
- 19%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 37%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 296
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 61%
- Housing charge (year)
- $3,100
- Meal plan (year)
- $3,000
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 194 (129 men · 65 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- D
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 8.7 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 14
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 6
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (764 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 86% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,585. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 193 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $34,941
- Typical debt at graduation
- $6,115
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 18%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 40%
Typical debt would take roughly 1.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $12,639 (45%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 91°F
- Winter low
- 23°F
- Annual rain
- 45.4″
- Annual snow
- 7.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Independence, KS US station (3 mi from campus).
What Independence Community College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Independence Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Independence Community College side by side →
Haskell Indian Nations University
Lawrence, Kansas · Small city · 37 mi to Kansas City
- Students
- 978
- Tuition
- $600
- Transfer
- 28%
- Earnings
- $37k
Coffeyville Community College
Coffeyville, Kansas · Remote town · 64 mi to Tulsa
- Students
- 850
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 25%
- Earnings
- $35k
Fort Scott Community College
Fort Scott, Kansas · Remote town · 89 mi to Springfield
- Students
- 693
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 31%
- Earnings
- $37k
Labette Community College
Parsons, Kansas · Remote town · 91 mi to Tulsa
- Students
- 801
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 32%
- Earnings
- $38k
Northwest Indian College
Bellingham, Washington · Midsize suburb · 83 mi to Seattle
- Students
- 629
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 24%
- Earnings
- $35k
Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College
Miami Lakes, Florida · Large suburb · 12 mi to Miami
- Students
- 665
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $35k
Colleges near Independence Community College
Coffeyville Community College
Coffeyville, KS · Public · Certificate · 850 students
Labette Community College
Parsons, KS · Public · Associate · 801 students
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 673 students
Neosho County Community College
Chanute, KS · Public · Certificate · 862 students
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
Miami, OK · Public · Associate · 1,720 students
Allen County Community College
Iola, KS · Public · Associate · 810 students
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, KS · Public · Bachelor's · 4,210 students
Rogers State University
Claremore, OK · Public · Bachelor's · 2,657 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












