Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in Missouri offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.
Tuition costs in Missouri fall below the national average, allowing students access to many affordable options. For example, at Missouri State University, the second largest public school, tuition fees are around $7,000. Students of actor John Goodman’s alma mater can major in fields like religious studies, history, and business, and even have the option of earning an associate degree in arts or a bachelor’s in business at the university’s sister school in China. Missouri also offers more than 40 private schools.
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Tuition and student populations vary greatly among these schools, but students who attend these higher education institutes also have the option to attend classes at other campuses. For example, Saint Louis University, a college with Jesuit roots, has campuses in both St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Additionally, Missouri offers special loan forgiveness programs for nurses and other health professionals, including dentists, psychiatrists, and primary care physicians, who work in designated, high-need areas.
When you aren’t exploring one of its 6,000 caves, chowing down on some barbecue, or taking in a live jazz performance, Missouri can serve as the perfect place to begin a road trip. The Show Me State is bordered by eight other U.S. states, making it ideal for students love travelling and planning weekend getaways. During the week days, students can continue on their road to success by pursuing their degree at one of Missouri’s 72 higher education institutes.
See where Missouri’s many roads can take you while earning your degree at one this state’s top learning institutions.
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. We’ve identified Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Missouri 2023
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
57%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1169/23
Webster University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
72%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1205/27
Truman State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
52%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1085/21
Northwest Missouri State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
53%
Student body
8K
University of Central Missouri’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
47%
Graduation
65%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/23
William Jewell College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
54%
Student body
8K
Southeast Missouri State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$26K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
63%
Student body
2K
Evangel University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
74%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1130/23
Rockhurst University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
60%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1140/25
Drury University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
53%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1035/22
Stephens College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Graduation
24%
Student body
7K
Park University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$26K
Acceptance
99%
Graduation
47%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/20
Central Methodist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
61%
Student body
1K
Fontbonne University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
36%
Student body
3K
Missouri Western State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
37%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
975/21
Missouri Southern State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$26K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
52%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1051/22
Southwest Baptist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
26%
Student body
2K
Lincoln University, Missouri’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$22K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
39%
Student body
1K
Avila University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
52%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/22
Westminster College, Missouri’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
49%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1020/20
Culver–Stockton College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$22K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
25%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
947/17
Missouri Valley College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$24K
Graduation
33%
Student body
6K
Columbia College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$20K
Acceptance
21%
Graduation
63%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1165/23
College of the Ozarks’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
62%
Graduation
41%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
945/20
Missouri Baptist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
19%
Student body
1K
Harris–Stowe State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
67%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/21
Cottey College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
39%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1195/21
Hannibal–LaGrange University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$16K
Graduation
65%
Student body
2K
Ranken Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
Check out our directory of liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top liberal arts schools in every state.