| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private nonprofit Christian liberal-arts college, affiliated with the Free Methodist Church; campus-based, with an online division (CCCK Online) |
| Campus | 1, in McPherson, Kansas |
| Credentials | Certificates (new in manufacturing, fall 2026), associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees |
| Programs | 44 areas of study, in the college’s 2025 count |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission; continued June 2024 with an interim report due in October 2026 (not a sanction) |
| Federal aid | Yes; approved for VA education benefits |
| Cost | $32,500 residential tuition and fees a year; $288 per credit online (current published rates) |
| Students | About 469, including 124 online (federal IPEDS count; year not stated) |
| Founded | 1884 in Orleans, Nebraska; in McPherson since 1914 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A Free Methodist liberal-arts college that is adding manufacturing
Central Christian College of Kansas (CCCK) is a small private Christian college affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. It is a liberal-arts college, not a vocational school: it awards associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, mainly bachelor’s programs in business, criminal justice, psychology, the sciences, education or ministry, on the McPherson campus or through CCCK Online. The college’s 2025-26 catalog dates it to 1884, when it opened as Orleans Seminary in Orleans, Nebraska; it moved to McPherson in 1914 and has awarded four-year degrees broadly since 2000. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and reported a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio in 2025.
The big change is trade training. The college is launching the Bradbury School of Manufacturing & Innovation with The Bradbury Group in fall 2026, offering machinist certificates and manufacturing technology degrees, and on 2 October 2026 it broke ground on the school’s training center.
Programs: business majors, online degrees and new machinist training
The college counts 44 areas of study (its 2025 figure). Most bachelor’s degrees are 120 credits. The table shows the career-related programs; delivery comes from the college’s degree lists, and credit totals are given only where the program page states them.
| Program | Credential | Credits | Delivery | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Technician | Certificate | 16 | On campus | Entry-level machining and manufacturing work; OSHA-aligned safety |
| CNC Machinist | Certificate | 31 | On campus | Manual machining, CNC setup and operation |
| Advanced Machinist | Certificate | 39 | On campus | Advanced and multi-setup machining, Lean workflow |
| Manufacturing Technology | AAS | 60 | Hands-on courses in McPherson | Electives in automation and robotics, co-op |
| Manufacturing Technology | BS | 120 | McPherson | Leadership, process evaluation, automation integration |
| Accounting | BS in Business | 120 | On campus | 27-credit accounting core; no CPA-prep claim |
| Business Management | Bachelor’s | – | On campus or online | General business |
| Entrepreneurship | BS in Business | 120 | On campus | Core includes insurance and risk courses |
| Marketing | BS in Business | 120 | On campus | 20-credit core with promotion, PR and graphic design |
| Human Resource Management | Bachelor’s | – | On campus | No SHRM alignment stated |
| Healthcare Administration | BS | – | 100% online | Healthcare management; not clinical |
| Criminal Justice | BS; associate | 120 (BS) | BS on campus or online; associate online | No police academy or KLETC certification |
| Psychology | BS | 120 | On campus or online | No counseling licensure track |
| Exercise Science | BS in Natural Science | 120 | On campus | No personal-trainer certification named |
| Organizational Leadership | BS; MS | – | BS on campus or online; MS online | – |
The manufacturing credentials stack: a student can start with the 16-credit certificate and build toward the AAS and the bachelor’s. They are new, so there are no graduates or outcome figures yet. Elsewhere, the college’s catalog lists Kansas State Department of Education approval for its teacher-education programs. The business programs list no programmatic accreditor, and we found no RN or LPN program. The “Career Training Programs” sold through an Ed2Go page on the college’s website are third-party, non-credit online courses, not CCCK credentials.
What the main programs cover
Manufacturing certificates
The three certificates are built to stack. Manufacturing Technician, 16 credits, is the entry point: preparation for entry-level machining and manufacturing work, with OSHA-aligned workplace safety listed among its skills. CNC Machinist, 31 credits, adds manual machining and CNC setup and operation. Advanced Machinist, 39 credits, moves on to advanced machining, multi-setup work and evaluating workflow with Lean methods. The college says the CNC credential is recognized by manufacturing employers but names no industry certification, such as NIMS, and the pages give no clock hours, schedules or start dates beyond the fall 2026 launch.
Manufacturing Technology AAS and BS
The 60-credit associate of applied science builds on the certificates. Its electives are Advanced Machining Applications; Machine Tool Process & Production; Mechatronics, Automation & Robotics; and a Work-Based Learning / Co-Op course with industry partners, chiefly The Bradbury Group, the college’s partner in the new school. The degree list labels the AAS both on-campus and online, but the machining work is done in McPherson. The 120-credit BS in Manufacturing Technology is aimed at working machinists and adds leadership, process evaluation and automation integration.
Accounting
The accounting major is a 27-credit block inside the 120-credit BS in Business: Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost Accounting, Individual Income Tax, Computerized Accounting and Auditing. The business coursework also includes Principles of Finance, the college’s only finance course. It is taught on campus in McPherson. The program page does not say the degree prepares students for the CPA exam, so students aiming for a CPA license should check what their state board requires beyond the bachelor’s.
Healthcare Administration
This bachelor’s is taught only online. CCCK Online courses run six weeks each on Canvas and are taken one at a time, four a semester. Coursework includes Principles of Healthcare Management, Financial Management in Healthcare and U.S. Healthcare Systems. The program page does not give a credit total, but online students can transfer in up to 90 credits, so those who already hold an associate degree may need fewer courses. It prepares students for management and administrative work, not for clinical care or a health license.
Criminal Justice
The 120-credit bachelor’s is taught on campus and online, an associate of criminal justice is offered online, and a minor is available. Internships are built into the program, and the Patrol Operations course requires 60 hours of ride-along “street time”. The degrees are academic preparation for work in the justice system: they include no police academy and no Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center certification.
Exercise Science
Exercise Science is a 120-credit BS in Natural Science taught on campus. Courses include Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Exercise Testing, Evaluation and Prescription, and Strength and Conditioning, with a practicum and an internship. The program page lists personal trainer among the careers it leads to but names no trainer certification, such as NSCA, ACSM, NASM or ACE, so students wanting one should plan to sit that exam on their own. A minor in exercise science is also offered.
Tuition, fees and how students pay
The college publishes three price tiers. Its tuition page gives no academic year; these are the rates it showed in October 2026. As a private college it has no in-state or out-of-state split, and no separate price is published for the manufacturing programs.
| Tier (current published rates) | Tuition | Other published costs |
|---|---|---|
| Residential undergraduate (12–18 credits a semester) | $32,500 a year, tuition and fees | Housing $5,000 (double room) and meals $5,200 (13 a week): $42,700 in direct costs; athletes $200 a semester extra |
| Online undergraduate | $288 per credit ($864 per 3-credit course) | $125 fee per course, capped at $400 a term ($500 for more than four courses); the college estimates $7,936 a year |
| Graduate (MS, online or hybrid) | $495 per credit | $17,820 for the whole program |
The tuition page also lists $1,000 a year for books; for residential students it labels this and its other variable costs “2022-23 rates”. Niche, using federal data, puts the average net price at $12,143 a year, well below the residential sticker price, and the college said in 2025 that all residential students receive scholarships. CCCK takes federal student aid; in federal data, 43.1% of students receive Pell Grants and 60.1% borrow federal loans. The college is approved for VA education benefits, and its manufacturing pages point students to the outside Mike Rowe WORKS Foundation Work Ethic Scholarships.
Admission, semesters and six-week online courses
Admission is selective: Niche lists a 53% acceptance rate. Residential students follow a semester calendar. CCCK Online runs six-week courses taken one at a time, four a semester, charges no application fee and accepts up to 90 transfer credits. The next campus Preview Day is 7 November 2026.
Accreditation and results
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. On 3 June 2024 the HLC continued its accreditation with interim monitoring: the college had to file an interim report on learning outcomes, finances and enrollment, due 12 October 2026, and its next reaffirmation is set for 2033-34. The letter mentions no sanction, probation or notice.
The federal graduation rate is 27% and first-year retention of full-time students is 45%, in IPEDS figures for which the cohort year is not stated; 6% transferred out. The college’s own 2025 alumni survey reports that over 90% of graduates were employed or on a career path within six months and 75% worked directly in their field. Those figures are self-reported, and the college did not publish a response rate. We found no published licensure pass rates, including for the KSDE-approved teacher-education programs.
Before you enroll
- Few students finish here in federal figures: the graduation rate is 27% and first-year retention of full-time students 45% (cohort year not stated).
- The college is under HLC monitoring. It is fully accredited with no sanction, but its learning outcomes, finances and enrollment are the subject of the interim report due in October 2026.
- The manufacturing school is brand new. It launches in fall 2026, its training center was only begun in October 2026, there are no outcome figures yet, and the CNC page names no industry certification.
- Several degree names do not lead to the credential they suggest. Psychology has no counseling licensure track, Exercise Science names no personal-trainer certification, and Criminal Justice includes no police academy.
- Online students who live outside Kansas should ask the college to confirm it can enroll residents of their state.
One campus in McPherson, plus CCCK Online
All residential classes, including the new manufacturing programs, are taught in McPherson. The main campus is at 1200 S. Main St.; we could not find an address for the new manufacturing training center. CCCK Online is a division of the college with no separate campus, and its ten programs include the online bachelor’s degrees in business management, healthcare administration, criminal justice and psychology and the MS in Organizational Leadership.
Housing and career help
The college has its own housing: a double room costs $5,000 a year and a 13-meal plan $5,200. According to the 2025-26 catalog, students taking 9 or more credits must live in college housing. On the career side, the manufacturing programs include work-based learning and co-op coursework with industry partners, mainly The Bradbury Group, and internships or practicums are built into Exercise Science and Criminal Justice.
What students say
On Niche, CCCK is rated 3.78 out of 5 from 114 reviews, with an overall grade of C (checked October 2026). Reviewers most often praise a close, welcoming small-town community, the way faith is part of campus life, and small classes with professors they can approach. The most common complaints are little to do in McPherson at weekends, mixed dining, dated dorms that reviewers still call safe, some reports of unprofessional staff behavior, and concerns about athletics funding and coaching. We could not see when the reviews were posted, so we cannot say whether they cluster in time.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Manufacturing (Bradbury School of Manufacturing & Innovation, from fall 2026)
- Manufacturing Technician (certificate, 16 credits)
- CNC Machinist (certificate, 31 credits)
- Advanced Machinist (certificate, 39 credits)
- Manufacturing Technology (AAS, 60 credits)
- Manufacturing Technology (BS, 120 credits)
Business
- Accounting
- Business Management (on campus or online)
- Entrepreneurship
- Human Resource Management
- Marketing
- Risk Management (Insurance)
- Management: Cybersecurity
- Management: Data Science
Healthcare Administration
- Healthcare Administration (BS, online)
Communication and Media
- Communication
- Mass Media
- Public Relations
- Sports Communication
Criminal Justice
- Criminal Justice (BS, on campus or online)
- Criminal Justice (associate, online)
Psychology and Human Services
- Psychology (BS, on campus or online)
- Health & Human Services (BS, online)
- Sociology
Exercise Science and Sport
- Exercise Science
- Coaching
Education
- Elementary Education
- Physical Education K-12
- Paraprofessional
Leadership and Ministry
- Organizational Leadership (BS on campus or online; MS online)
- Ministry Leadership (on campus or online)
- Pastoral Ministry
- Youth Ministry
- Worship Arts
Campus Locations
McPherson, KS 1200 S. Main St., McPherson, KS 67460