Best Public Colleges in Missouri 2024

Badge for BEST IN MISSOURI PUBLIC COLLEGES

Published: Apr 13, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Missouri provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.

10 Best Public Colleges in Missouri

University of Missouri
Missouri University of Science and Technology
University of Missouri–Kansas City
Truman State University
Northwest Missouri State University
Missouri State University
University of Central Missouri
University of Missouri–St. Louis
Southeast Missouri State University
Missouri Western State University

University of Missouri
University of Missouri–Kansas City
Southeast Missouri State University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Truman State University
Missouri State University
University of Missouri–St. Louis
University of Central Missouri
Northwest Missouri State University
Lincoln University, Missouri

Missouri Southern State University 99%
Missouri State University 93%
Southeast Missouri State University 86%
Northwest Missouri State University 86%
Missouri University of Science and Technology 81%
University of Missouri 79%
University of Central Missouri 71%
University of Missouri–Kansas City 69%
University of Missouri–St. Louis 51%
Truman State University 45%

Southeast Missouri State University 20 to 1
Missouri State University 19 to 1
University of Central Missouri 19 to 1
Northwest Missouri State University 18 to 1
University of Missouri 18 to 1
Missouri University of Science and Technology 18 to 1
Missouri Western State University 17 to 1
Missouri Southern State University 17 to 1
Lincoln University, Missouri 15 to 1
University of Missouri–Kansas City 14 to 1

University of Missouri–St. Louis $12,528
University of Missouri $10,452
Missouri University of Science and Technology $10,389
University of Missouri–Kansas City $9,999
Truman State University $8,690
University of Central Missouri $8,040
Missouri Southern State University $8,026
Southeast Missouri State University $7,761
Missouri State University $7,476
Missouri Western State University $7,200

University of Missouri–St. Louis $13,154
Missouri University of Science and Technology $10,992
University of Missouri–Kansas City $10,660
University of Missouri $10,447
Truman State University $9,960
University of Central Missouri $8,136
Missouri Western State University $7,110
Missouri Southern State University $6,300
Southeast Missouri State University $6,205
Northwest Missouri State University $6,004

Harris–Stowe State University
Lincoln University, Missouri
Missouri Southern State University
Missouri Western State University
Southeast Missouri State University
University of Missouri–St. Louis
University of Central Missouri
Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University
Truman State University

Harris–Stowe State University
Missouri Western State University
Missouri Southern State University
Lincoln University, Missouri
Northwest Missouri State University
University of Central Missouri
University of Missouri–St. Louis
Missouri State University
Truman State University
Missouri University of Science and Technology

Truman State University 45%
University of Missouri–St. Louis 51%
University of Missouri–Kansas City 69%
University of Central Missouri 71%
University of Missouri 79%
Missouri University of Science and Technology 81%
Northwest Missouri State University 86%
Southeast Missouri State University 86%
Missouri State University 93%
Missouri Southern State University 99%

Harris–Stowe State University 8 to 1
University of Missouri–St. Louis 13 to 1
Truman State University 13 to 1
University of Missouri–Kansas City 14 to 1
Lincoln University, Missouri 15 to 1
Missouri Western State University 17 to 1
Missouri Southern State University 17 to 1
Northwest Missouri State University 18 to 1
University of Missouri 18 to 1
Missouri University of Science and Technology 18 to 1

Harris–Stowe State University $5,424
Northwest Missouri State University $6,015
Lincoln University, Missouri $7,020
Missouri Western State University $7,200
Missouri State University $7,476
Southeast Missouri State University $7,761
Missouri Southern State University $8,026
University of Central Missouri $8,040
Truman State University $8,690
University of Missouri–Kansas City $9,999

Lincoln University, Missouri $5,832
Missouri State University $5,994
Northwest Missouri State University $6,004
Southeast Missouri State University $6,205
Missouri Southern State University $6,300
Missouri Western State University $7,110
University of Central Missouri $8,136
Truman State University $9,960
University of Missouri $10,447
University of Missouri–Kansas City $10,660

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Missouri

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.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

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.

What are Missouri’s Colleges & Universities?

Missouri’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 13 public universities in Missouri. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Missouri, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.

How do we determine Missouri's best public colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Public Colleges in Missouri 2023

Build your own college ranknigs

Missouri’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

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 public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.

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Best Public Colleges in Missouri 2024

10 Best Public Colleges in Missouri

Colleges and Universities in Missouri

What are Missouri’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Public Colleges in Missouri 2023

Career Outlook for degree at University of Missouri

Most Influential Alumni

University of Missouri’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Missouri University of Science and Technology

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Missouri–Kansas City

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Career Outlook for degree at Truman State University

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Career Outlook for degree at Northwest Missouri State University

Most Influential Alumni

Northwest Missouri State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

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Career Outlook for degree at Missouri State University

Most Influential Alumni

Missouri State University’s Online Degrees

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Career Outlook for degree at University of Central Missouri

Most Influential Alumni

University of Central Missouri’s Online Degrees

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Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at University of Missouri–St. Louis

Most Influential Alumni

University of Missouri–St. Louis’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Southeast Missouri State University

Most Influential Alumni

Southeast Missouri State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

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Degree Concentrations

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Career Outlook for degree at Missouri Western State University

Most Influential Alumni

Missouri Western State University’s Online Degrees

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Career Outlook for degree at Missouri Southern State University

Most Influential Alumni

Missouri Southern State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Lincoln University, Missouri

Most Influential Alumni

Lincoln University, Missouri’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Harris–Stowe State University

Most Influential Alumni

Missouri’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest