| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community college; four Kansas campuses, with some programs online or hybrid |
| Campuses | 4, all in Kansas: the Main Campus, the Dr. Thomas R. Burke Technical Education Center and the Downtown Center in Kansas City, KS, and the Pioneer Career Center in Leavenworth, KS |
| Credentials | Technical certificates, Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees, and AA, AS and AGS transfer degrees |
| Typical length | Under 12 weeks (nurse aide) to two years after admission (nursing, PTA, respiratory care) |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1951 (on probation November 2020 to November 2022); next comprehensive evaluation 22 February 2027 |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| 2026-27 tuition | Charged per credit hour, with rates that depend on residency; see the tuition section below |
| Students | 5,014 undergraduates in fall 2024 (IPEDS) |
| Leadership | Led by an interim president (August 2026) |
| Facts checked | 8 October 2026 |
A public two-year college in Wyandotte County
Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) is a public two-year college based in Wyandotte County. It awards technical certificates and applied associate degrees for work, alongside AA, AS and AGS degrees for students moving on to a university. Most career training is at two sites on State Avenue: the Main Campus, which holds the nursing, respiratory care and mortuary science programs, and the Dr. Thomas R. Burke Technical Education Center, where most trade, beauty and medical assistant programs are taught. A Downtown Center opened in August 2026, and the Pioneer Career Center serves Leavenworth. Its most distinctive programs are a Mortuary Science degree accredited since 1975 and RN and practical nursing programs whose first-time licensing pass rates beat the national averages in 2024.
Career programs at KCKCC
KCKCC awards technical certificates (often as a Certificate A followed by a Certificate B), Associate of Applied Science degrees and transfer degrees. The table shows the main career programs, from the college’s program pages and catalog (October 2026); a dash means the source gave no figure.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where | Accreditation or approval | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing | AAS | Two years after admission; 18-month articulation option | Main Campus | ACEN; Kansas State Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN |
| Practical Nursing | Certificate | About one year after admission | – | Kansas State Board of Nursing | NCLEX-PN |
| Nursing Assistant; Certified Medication Aide | Short certificates (medication aide 80 hours) | Under 12 weeks | Technical Education Center, Pioneer | – | – |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS | Two years after admission; hybrid | – | CAPTE | NPTE |
| Respiratory Care | AAS, 64 credits | Two years after admission; spring or fall start | Main Campus | CoARC | NBRC TMC; RRT |
| Mortuary Science | AAS, 62 credits | Two years; within four consecutive semesters | Main Campus | ABFSE, since 1975 | National board exams |
| Paramedic | AAS | About 20 months; fall cohort | – | CAAHEP (on CoAEMSP recommendation) | NREMT |
| Emergency Medical Services | Certificate; EMR and EMT courses | About one year; day or evening | – | Kansas Board of EMS sponsor | National and state EMR/EMT exams |
| Fire Science | AAS; certificate | About two years; about one year | – | FESHE-recognized curriculum | Firefighter I and II, HazMat, EMT |
| Medical Assistant | Certificate | 11 to 15 months, including a 180-hour externship | Technical Education Center | None claimed | CCMA, RMA or CMA |
| Cosmetology | Certificate, 50 credits | – | Technical Education Center | – | Kansas Board of Cosmetology exams |
| Nail Technology | Certificate, 16 credits | – | Technical Education Center | – | Kansas nail technologist exam |
| Culinary Arts | AAS; certificates | 9 to 18 months (certificates); about two years (AAS) | Technical Education Center, Pioneer | – | – |
| Welding Technology | Certificate | 5 to 12 months | Technical Education Center; lab downtown | – | – |
| Electrical Technology | Certificate | About one year | Technical Education Center, Pioneer | – | Journeyman exam (separate fee) |
| HVAC/R | Certificates A and B | 5 to 12 months | Technical Education Center, Pioneer | – | – |
| Building Engineering & Maintenance | Certificates | – | Technical Education Center | – | – |
| Construction Technology; Commercial Construction | Certificates; AAS | – | Technical Education Center, Pioneer, Downtown | – | – |
| Automotive Technology; Auto Collision & Refinishing | Certificates | – | TEC 2 & 3 annex, 6736 State Avenue | – | – |
| Cybersecurity | Certificate; AS (transfer) | One year (certificate) | Online or half online | – | Security+ and CEH preparation |
| Early Childhood Education & Development | Certificates A and B; AAS; AS | 5 to 12 months per certificate | 100% online | – | CDA credential |
Several health programs carry programmatic accreditation: ACEN for the nursing degree, CAPTE for the physical therapist assistant program, CoARC for respiratory care, CAAHEP for paramedic and ABFSE for mortuary science. The college also teaches surveying, machine technology, chemical process technology, automation engineering, biomanufacturing, computer support, multimedia and recording arts, criminal justice and homeland security.
What the main programs cover
Registered and practical nursing
KCKCC has two nursing licence routes. The Associate Degree Nursing AAS takes two years once admitted, and its classes are in the Nursing Building on the Main Campus; applicants first complete prerequisites with at least a 2.50 GPA and score 60.0 or higher on the TEAS, with no more than three attempts. Practical Nursing is a certificate of about a year that ends with the NCLEX-PN. LPNs, paramedics and respiratory therapists who want to become RNs can take the ADN’s 18-month articulation option instead of the full two-year sequence.
Mortuary science
The Mortuary Science AAS is 62 credits in the 2026-27 catalog and is taught in the Flint Building on the Main Campus. Students must finish the mortuary science courses within four consecutive semesters, and applicants need a 2.50 GPA plus either a letter from a licensed funeral director or a completed investigation questionnaire. The program prepares students for the national board exams in funeral service arts and sciences. In October 2025 ABFSE accepted the college’s change to offer the program by distance education, and held a virtual visit in March 2026.
Respiratory care and physical therapist assistant
Respiratory Care is a 64-credit AAS: 20 credits of general education and prerequisites, then 44 credits of respiratory care courses over two years, starting in spring or fall. It leads to the NBRC’s TMC exam and the RRT credential. The Physical Therapist Assistant AAS also takes two years once admitted but is taught as a hybrid program, and the college says only the midterm and final exams are held on campus. Both programs admit students through KCKCC’s selective admissions process.
Medical assistant
The Medical Assistant certificate is two semesters of classes followed by a 180-hour externship, for 11 to 15 months in all. Students can take it online, blended or face to face. At the end, graduates are eligible to sit one of three national certification exams: the CCMA, the RMA or the CMA. KCKCC does not claim programmatic accreditation for the program, so students aiming for a particular credential should check its eligibility rules before they enroll.
Cosmetology and nail technology
Both beauty programs are taught at the Technical Education Center and admit students selectively. Applicants need an Accuplacer reading score of 243 and must bring a government photo ID and Social Security card. Cosmetology is a 50-credit certificate in the 2025-26 catalog and ends with the Kansas Board of Cosmetology’s written and practical exams. Nail Technology is a 16-credit certificate in the 2026-27 catalog, after which graduates can sit the state nail technologist licence exam.
Welding, electrical and HVAC
Three of the building trades at the Technical Education Center are certificate programs of up to a year. Welding students train with two robotic welding cells, and the program links students to ten or more craft-union apprenticeships. Electrical Technology runs about a year and encourages graduates to sit the journeyman exam, which is paid separately. HVAC/R starts with Certificate A; Certificate B adds an internship with local companies. Electrical and HVAC also run at the Pioneer Career Center in Leavenworth.
Tuition for 2026-27 and how students pay
KCKCC charges by the credit hour, and the rate depends on where you live. KCKCC’s 2026-27 tuition page lists these totals per credit hour, each including a $25 fee:
- Wyandotte County residents: $110
- Other Kansas residents: $125
- Residents of Kansas City-area Missouri counties: $150.50
- Out-of-state students: about $240
The rates leave out special course fees, and the college lists other rates, such as for online students. Confirm which rate applies to you on KCKCC’s tuition and fees page before you enroll. College Navigator lists 2024-25 annual tuition and fees of $3,210 for in-district students and $6,945 for out-of-state students. For whole-program costs, the KansasWorks state training-provider list (checked October 2026) gives in-state totals such as $7,229.27 for welding, $8,711.15 for automotive technology and $3,637.32 for practical nursing.
KCKCC takes federal financial aid, and its View Book says three in four students receive aid. There is a separate per-credit rate for military members and veterans ($117 in 2025-26).
Admissions, starts and schedules
KCKCC is open admission, but nine programs have selective entry with their own requirements:
- Associate Degree Nursing: TEAS 60.0 or higher (up to three attempts), prerequisites with a 2.50 GPA, and deadlines of 31 January (fall) and 31 July (spring).
- Mortuary Science: a 2.50 GPA and a funeral director’s letter or an investigation questionnaire.
- Cosmetology and Nail Technology: an Accuplacer reading score of 243, a government photo ID and a Social Security card.
- Also selective: Medical Assistant, Paramedic, Physical Therapist Assistant, Practical Nursing and Respiratory Therapy.
Programs at the Technical Education Center run mostly in the daytime. EMS courses have day and evening sections, the Paramedic schedule is built around shift workers, Early Childhood Education is fully online, and Business Administration, Fire Science and Paramedic are half or more online. Respiratory Care starts in spring or fall, and Paramedic in fall only.
Accreditation and results
KCKCC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1951. HLC placed it on probation on 5 November 2020 and removed the probation on 3 November 2022. The last reaffirmation was in 2022-23, and the next comprehensive evaluation is set for 22 February 2027. HLC’s other actions in 2026 concerned new locations and an interim report, and none was a sanction.
Published results by program:
| Program | Result | Cohort and source |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree Nursing | NCLEX-RN first-time pass: 96.01% (national, all programs: 91.16%) | 2024; KCKCC program page |
| Practical Nursing | NCLEX-PN first-time pass: 93.55% (national: 79.93%); 100% employed as PNs within six months | 2024; KCKCC program page |
| Mortuary Science | National board first-time pass: arts 90% (national 78%), sciences 81% (national 71%), 21 takers | 2025; ABFSE directory |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | NPTE first-time pass 91.7%, ultimate 100%; graduation 87.3%; employment 100% | 2022-23; KCKCC program page |
| Medical Assistant | 91.59% average pass rate on national certification exams | 2019–2023 five-year average; KCKCC program page |
Respiratory Care and Paramedic do not publish pass rates on their program pages. College-wide, 42% of full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2021 graduated within 150% of normal time and another 15% transferred out, according to College Navigator; only about a quarter of entering students are in that full-time, first-time group.
Before you enroll
- Open admission to the college is not open admission to every program. Cosmetology, Medical Assistant, Mortuary Science, Nail Technology, Nursing, Paramedic, Physical Therapist Assistant, Practical Nursing and Respiratory Therapy each have a separate selective application, and the nursing degree has fixed deadlines (31 January for fall, 31 July for spring).
- Some subjects KCKCC lists are transfer degrees, not job training. Pre-Pharmacy is a 65-credit AS transfer degree, not pharmacy technician training, and Theatre, Psychology and Exercise Science are AA or AGS transfer degrees.
- The Higher Learning Commission put KCKCC on probation in November 2020 and removed it in November 2022, continuing accreditation with monitoring. Its next comprehensive evaluation is on 22 February 2027, with embedded monitoring on planning; HLC lists no current sanction. The college was led by an interim president in August 2026.
- Two programs do not claim outside approval: KCKCC does not claim ABA approval for Paralegal or programmatic accreditation for Medical Assistant. The Mortuary Science program was on ABFSE probation from October 2022 until April 2023, when it was returned to good standing.
Externships and apprenticeship links
Medical Assistant students finish with a 180-hour externship, HVAC/R Certificate B includes an internship with local companies, and the Welding program links students to ten or more craft-union apprenticeships. At the Downtown Center, Swope Health and CommunityAmerica Credit Union share the building with the college.
Sources
Checked 8 October 2026: KCKCC locations · HLC accreditation status · College Navigator · KCKCC tuition and fees · Associate Degree Nursing outcomes · ABFSE Kansas directory · KansasWorks training-provider list · KSHB on the Downtown Center opening
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Associate Degree Nursing (AAS, RN; Main Campus), including an articulation option for LPNs, paramedics and respiratory therapists
- Practical Nursing (certificate, LPN)
- Nursing Assistant and Certified Medication Aide (Technical Education Center, Pioneer Career Center)
- Home Health Aide (Technical Education Center)
- Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS; hybrid)
- Respiratory Care (AAS; Main Campus)
- Medical Assistant (certificate; Technical Education Center)
- Mortuary Science (AAS; Main Campus)
Emergency Services and Fire
- Paramedic (AAS)
- Emergency Medical Services (certificate; EMR and EMT courses)
- Fire Science (AAS) and Fire Science/Firefighter Technology (certificate)
Skilled Trades (Technical Education Center unless noted)
- Welding Technology (certificate; welding lab also at the Downtown Center)
- Electrical Technology (certificate; also at Pioneer Career Center)
- Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning/Refrigeration (Certificates A and B; also at Pioneer Career Center)
- Building Engineering & Maintenance Technology (certificates)
- Construction Technology (certificates; also at Pioneer Career Center)
- Commercial Construction Technology (AAS; Downtown Center)
- Automotive Technology (certificates; TEC 2 & 3 annex)
- Auto Collision & Refinishing Technology (certificates; TEC 2 & 3 annex)
- Machine Technology (certificate)
- Commercial & Residential Equipment Technology (certificate)
- Surveying Technology (certificate and AAS)
- Automation Engineer Technology and Biomanufacturing (Downtown Center)
- Chemical Process Technology (certificate)
Cosmetology and Culinary
- Cosmetology (certificate; Technical Education Center)
- Nail Technology (certificate; Technical Education Center)
- Culinary Arts (AAS and certificates; Technical Education Center, Pioneer Career Center)
Business, Computing and Media
- Business Administration (AAS)
- Administrative Office Professional (certificate; Technical Education Center, Downtown Center)
- Cybersecurity (certificate; AS for transfer)
- Computer Support Specialist (certificate; Technical Education Center)
- Multimedia/Video Production (Technical Education Center)
- Recording Arts
Law, Public Service and Education
- Paralegal (AAS)
- Criminal Justice (AAS)
- Homeland Security (certificate)
- Early Childhood Education & Development (Certificates A and B, AAS, AS; online)
Transfer degrees (AA, AS, AGS)
- Pre-Pharmacy (AS; transfer only, not pharmacy technician training)
- Exercise Science (AGS; transfer-oriented)
- Psychology (AA; transfer)
- Theatre (AA; transfer)
Campus Locations
Kansas City, KS 7250 State Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66112
Kansas City, KS 6565 State Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66102
Kansas City, KS 1101 N. 7th Street Trafficway, Kansas City, KS 66101
Leavenworth, KS 1901 Spruce Street, Leavenworth, KS 66048