Tuition & Fees

One of Kansas City University’s highest priorities is to limit the debt load our students bear as a result of attending medical school and graduate programs. Our goal is to minimize tuition increases each year while at the same time to deliver an exceptional education experience, offering the best resources on their journey to become a health professional.

The following are some comparative facts.

• Each of the past five years, KCU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) tuition has consistently remained lower than the average of all private COMs.
  
  
• Over the past five years, KCU’s tuition has remained lower than that of our peer COMs throughout the Midwest.
  
  
• In recent years, KCU has remained more than $10,000 below that of our Midwest peer institutions, which over the course of four years represents more than $40,000 savings.
  
  
• Tuition growth in all KCU programs has been well below the rate of inflation in recent past years.

For more national data on the cost of osteopathic medical education visit AACOM's website.

KCU Sources of Revenue

Tuition

Tuition dollars help pay for the expenses of teaching, clinical partnerships, labs, student support services, state-of-the-art technology, maintenance and support for our two campuses.

Philanthropic Gifts

Philanthropic gifts from KCU alumni and community donors impact the University’s ability to continue to develop and enhance the property and infrastructure of our campuses, build new structures and provide support for community and global outreach.

	Gifts, cash and pledges of $40 million provided funding to build a second campus located in Joplin, Missouri, that opened in 2017.
	More than $40 million in donations support the fund to build the College of Dental Medicine on our Joplin campus.
	Significant philanthropic gifts contributed to the success of fundraising and building the Center for Medical Education Innovation located on the Kansas City campus.

Grants and Federal Funds

Grants and federal funds have restrictions as to how those dollars may be spent. Grants received are written and awarded for the support of specific initiatives or research. Although the receipt of grant funds do not directly result in a decrease in tuition, they do enhance the well-being of our campus community, the quality of our programs, our curriculum and the ability to support community and global outreach.

Though KCU is a private non-profit institution, federal funding is received from time to time; such as Coronavirus Assistance, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars approved by Congress to support higher education during the pandemic. KCU distributed approximately $1.9 million of the total $2.3 million received by the government directly to students.