Kansas is slipping when it comes to higher education, according to a new national report.

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education gave Kansas an overall grade of B-minus for its higher education system, down from a B-plus two years ago.

The largest drop came in the area of affordability, which fell to a C-minus from a B.

State education officials said the report showed the quality of a Kansas education hasn’t decreased, but other states have been improving at a faster rate.

“It’s possible to have improvement and get a lower grade,” said Kim Wilcox, former president of the Kansas Board of Regents and now dean of Kansas University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

This was the second time the report was issued. It rates states in five areas preparation for higher education, participation, affordability, completion and the benefits colleges and universities provide to society.

Each category includes a series of indicators that make up the overall grade. Grades are determined in relationship to top-performing states.

The categories

Beth Blaufuss, foreground at center, a Kansas University junior from Overland Park, competes with other students in erecting structures with cans of food outside Wescoe Hall. The Jayhawk 'Can'struction activity is a Homecoming Week event, and the cans of food will be donated to the Pelathe Community Resource Center. Wednesday's activity coincided with the release of a national report that showed a grade for Kansas' higher education dipped from a B-plus two years ago to a B-minus.

The category “preparation” includes number of high school students taking upper-level courses and their college entrance exam scores.

“Participation” includes the rate of high school graduates who attend college and number of young adults enrolled.

“Affordability” includes an average family’s ability to pay for college, tuition rates and amount of need-based financial aid. “Completion” includes retention rates and number of degrees granted compared to the number of students who enroll.

And “benefits” includes percentage of adults with college degrees, amount of civic participation in a state and the difference in income between college graduates and non-graduates.

Kansas’ grades faltered in all categories except preparation, which remained at a B. “Participation” moved from an A to an A-minus, “completion” from a B to a B-minus and “benefits” from a B to a C-plus.

However, the report notes that Kansas’ index scores remained steady in every category but “affordability,” where the score increased, but not enough to keep up with the progress in other states.

Despite the drop in grade, Kansas still ranked above the national average of a C.

Other findings

¢ 6News video: Higher education in Kansas loses ground¢Compare the Higher Education Report Card for each state¢ KU enrollment surges (09-27-2002)¢ Higher education budget may prove tempting target (09-22-2002)

The report also notes that:

Kansas has among the best scores in the nation for percentage of eighth-graders who score well on math achievement tests (34 percent) and number of high school students per 1,000 who take and score well on college entrance exams (201).

The state is among the top in the nation for percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds who enroll in college (39 percent).

The percentage of first-year community college students who returned for a second year dropped from 63 percent to 51 percent between the two reports.

Kansas’ lowest grade, a C-minus in affordability, was attributed to a low level of need-based financial aid in the state. Overall, the average grade for affordability in the nation decreased from a C-minus to a D. Only one state California received an A.

Wilcox said the state could use the survey to justify increased spending for higher education, since other states seem to be improving their systems at a faster rate. But he said he doubted the report would have much effect in Topeka.

“I’m only concerned with the impact these grades have on perception,” he said. “They have the risk of having people believe our higher education system is performing poorly.”

Dick Carter, director of external relations for the Kansas Board of Regents, said he wasn’t sure if his office would cite the report during the legislative session.

“I think what you’re considering are minor percentage differences compared to the last time the report was done,” he said. “You can use it for you or against you.”