Best Small Colleges in Missouri 2024

Badge for BEST IN MISSOURI SMALL COLLEGES

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

Small colleges in Missouri are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

Truman State University
Drury University
William Jewell College
Rockhurst University
Central Methodist University
Westminster College
Stephens College
Lincoln University
Missouri Southern State University
Missouri Western State University

Southwest Baptist University 100%
Missouri Southern State University 99%
Central Methodist University 98%
Culver–Stockton College 97%
Fontbonne University 94%
Westminster College 75%
Cottey College 73%
Missouri Baptist University 71%
Avila University 68%
Evangel University 68%

Missouri Baptist University 19 to 1
Missouri Western State University 17 to 1
Missouri Southern State University 17 to 1
Lincoln University 15 to 1
College of the Ozarks 15 to 1
Culver–Stockton College 14 to 1
Central Methodist University 13 to 1
Missouri Valley College 13 to 1
Rockhurst University 13 to 1
Truman State University 13 to 1

Rockhurst University $41,701
Drury University $33,830
Missouri Baptist University $33,316
Westminster College $33,144
Culver–Stockton College $29,195
Fontbonne University $28,696
William Woods University $27,480
Central Methodist University $27,140
Southwest Baptist University $27,038
Evangel University $26,400

Rockhurst University $17,028
Hannibal–LaGrange University $14,850
William Woods University $13,992
Fontbonne University $13,950
Missouri Baptist University $11,102
Truman State University $9,960
Stephens College $8,910
Avila University $8,775
Evangel University $7,650
Drury University $7,587

Ranken Technical College
Hannibal–LaGrange University
Cottey College
Harris–Stowe State University
Missouri Baptist University
College of the Ozarks
Missouri Valley College
Culver–Stockton College
Westminster College
Avila University

Ranken Technical College
Hannibal–LaGrange University
Missouri Baptist University
Culver–Stockton College
William Woods University
Missouri Valley College
Cottey College
Fontbonne University
Avila University
College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks 21%
William Jewell College 41%
Truman State University 45%
Missouri Valley College 61%
William Woods University 61%
Drury University 63%
Stephens College 64%
Rockhurst University 66%
Hannibal–LaGrange University 67%
Evangel University 68%

Cottey College 7 to 1
Stephens College 8 to 1
Harris–Stowe State University 8 to 1
Westminster College 9 to 1
William Woods University 9 to 1
Fontbonne University 9 to 1
William Jewell College 10 to 1
Avila University 10 to 1
Hannibal–LaGrange University 11 to 1
Evangel University 11 to 1

Harris–Stowe State University $5,424
Lincoln University $7,020
Missouri Western State University $7,200
Missouri Southern State University $8,026
Truman State University $8,690
Ranken Technical College $16,960
William Jewell College $19,610
College of the Ozarks $20,290
Avila University $22,390
Missouri Valley College $22,450

Missouri Valley College $3,600
William Jewell College $4,800
Southwest Baptist University $5,136
Lincoln University $5,832
Culver–Stockton College $6,000
Missouri Southern State University $6,300
Missouri Western State University $7,110
Drury University $7,587
Evangel University $7,650
Avila University $8,775

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

The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Missouri is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 23 small colleges in Missouri. The list below of the best small colleges in Missouri. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.

How do we determine Missouri's best small 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 Small Colleges in Missouri 2023

Build your own college rankings

Missouri’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 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.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Small Colleges in Missouri 2024

10 Best Small Colleges in Missouri 2024

Colleges and Universities in Missouri

What are Missouri’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Small Colleges in Missouri 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Truman State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at William Jewell College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at William Woods University

Most Influential Alumni

William Woods University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Evangel University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Rockhurst University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Drury University

Most Influential Alumni

Drury University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Stephens College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Central Methodist University

Most Influential Alumni

Central Methodist University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Fontbonne University

Most Influential Alumni

Fontbonne University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Missouri Western State University

Most Influential Alumni

Missouri Western State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

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 Southwest Baptist University

Most Influential Alumni

Southwest Baptist University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Lincoln University, Missouri

Most Influential Alumni

Lincoln University, Missouri’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Avila University

Most Influential Alumni

Avila University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Westminster College, Missouri

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Culver–Stockton College

Most Influential Alumni

Culver–Stockton College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Missouri Valley College

Most Influential Alumni

Missouri Valley College’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at College of the Ozarks

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Missouri Baptist University

Missouri Baptist University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Harris–Stowe State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Cottey College

Career Outlook for degree at Hannibal–LaGrange University

Most Influential Alumni

Hannibal–LaGrange University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Ranken Technical College

Missouri’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest