Match #1
Kansas Wesleyan University
Salina, KS
Profile closeness90/100
Admit rate72%
- 956 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 42%, close to 43%
- Enrollment 956 students, close to 872
The colleges most similar to McPherson College are Kansas Wesleyan University, MidAmerica Nazarene University, and Ottawa University-Ottawa. McPherson College admits 77% of applicants and has an average net price of $28,431 a year; 7 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 4 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with McPherson College. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to McPherson College
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
MidAmerica Nazarene University
Olathe, KS
Profile closeness87/100
Admit rate79%
- 983 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 42%, close to 43%
- Enrollment 983 students, close to 872
Match #3
Ottawa University-Ottawa
Ottawa, KS
Profile closeness85/100
Admit rate83%
- 870 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
- Enrollment 870 students, close to 872
- Average net price $27,572, close to $28,431
Match #4
Bethel College-North Newton
North Newton, KS
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate94%
- 504 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 50%, close to 43%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Bethany College-West Viginia
Lindsborg, KS
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate56%
- 569 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Remote
- Average net price $28,538, close to $28,431
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #6
University of Saint Mary
Leavenworth, KS
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate87%
- 925 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Fringe
- Graduation rate 46%, close to 43%
- Enrollment 925 students, close to 872
Match #7
Sterling College-Kansas
Sterling, KS
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate48%
- 538 students
- Private nonprofit
- Rural: Distant
- Graduation rate 39%, close to 43%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #8
Tabor College
Hillsboro, KS
Profile closeness75/100
Admit rate65%
- 494 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 48%, close to 43%
- Enrollment 621 students, close to 872
Match #9
Friends University
Wichita, KS
Profile closeness73/100
Admit rate55%
- 1,048 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 43%
- Enrollment 1,048 students, close to 872
Match #10
Newman University
Wichita, KS
Profile closeness73/100
Admit rate74%
- 851 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Enrollment 851 students, close to 872
- Acceptance rate 74%, close to 77%
Questions about McPherson College alternatives
What colleges are similar to McPherson College?
The closest matches to McPherson College are Kansas Wesleyan University, MidAmerica Nazarene University, Ottawa University-Ottawa, Bethel College-North Newton, and Bethany College-West Viginia. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is McPherson College hard to get into?
McPherson College admitted 77% of its 884 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 4 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which McPherson College alternatives cost less?
7 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than McPherson College ($28,431 a year), including Newman University ($17,430), Tabor College ($19,034), and University of Saint Mary ($20,881). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
