2023 Best Value Schools in Missouri
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Schools in Missouri ranking. This report analyzed 43 schools in Missouri to see which ones offered the best value programs for students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Schools in Missouri
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found State Fair Community College to be the best value school for students in Missouri. State Fair Community College is a small public school located in Sedalia, Missouri that handed out 844 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at State Fair Community College are $6,168 per year. On average, students take out $17,830 in loans while pursuing their degree. During the early years of their career, State Fair Community College graduates make an average of $41,167 annually.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Ozarks Technical Community College is a great place for students who want to get the most value for their educational dollar. OTC is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,336 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at OTC are $6,028 per year. On average, students take out $18,769 in loans while pursuing their degree. Once they receive their degree, OTC graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $29,979 during the early year of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend St Charles Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Missouri list. St Charles Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Cottleville, Missouri that handed out 954 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SCC are $6,900 per year. On average, students take out $17,289 in loans while pursuing their degree. Once they receive their degree, SCC graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $34,388 during the early year of their career.
Out of the 43 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Louis Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. This fairly large public school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 2,496 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saint Louis Community College are $7,155 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $14,429 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Saint Louis Community College graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $33,950 during the early year of their career.
Out of the 43 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the fairly large public school awarded 3,519 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MCC are $9,210 per year. On average, students take out $15,233 in loans while pursuing their degree. Once they receive their degree, MCC graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $40,267 during the early year of their career.
MCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in Missouri list.
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Schools in Missouri ranking. Located in Fayette, Missouri, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 774 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CMU CGES are $6,720 a year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,044 in student loans.After graduating from CMU CGES, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $39,784 during the early years of their career.
Crowder College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in Neosho, Missouri, the small public school awarded 1,095 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Crowder College are $5,088 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $11,637 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.After graduating from Crowder College, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $29,800 during the early years of their career.
State Technical College of Missouri landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. STC is a small public school situated in Linn, Missouri. It awarded 736 degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at STC are $12,780 a year. On average, students take out $13,627 in loans while pursuing their degree. During the early years of their career, STC graduates make an average of $39,731 annually.
Jefferson College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. Located in Hillsboro, Missouri, the small public school handed out 749 degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at JeffCo are $7,740 a year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $15,931 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, JeffCo graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $37,846 during the early year of their career.
Park University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. Park University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Parkville, Missouri that handed out 2,692 degrees in 2020-2021.
Park University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,853 in tuition and fees each year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $24,858 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Park University graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $46,849 during the early year of their career.
Truman State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Missouri list. Truman State is located in Kirksville, Missouri and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,327 degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Truman State are $16,410 a year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,434 in student loans. During the early years of their career, Truman State graduates make an average of $35,772 annually.
University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #12 on the list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,036 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mizzou are $30,450 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $21,797 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $398. During the early years of their career, Mizzou graduates make an average of $46,901 annually.
Mizzou did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Schools in Missouri list.
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Missouri list. Located in Maryville, Missouri, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,114 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.
Northwest undergraduate students pay an average of $14,919 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,189 in student loans. Those who take out this much in loans have to make a monthly payment of about $200 if they are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from Northwest, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $37,439 during the early years of their career.
Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #14 on the list. Missouri State is located in Springfield, Missouri and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5,871 degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Missouri State are $16,498 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $25,043 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $168, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. Once they receive their degree, Missouri State graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $40,472 during the early year of their career.
Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. Located in Rolla, Missouri, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,405 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.
Missouri University of Science and Technology undergraduate students pay an average of $31,099 in tuition and fees each year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $24,872 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Those who take out this much in loans have to make a monthly payment of about $336 if they are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from Missouri University of Science and Technology, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $63,979 during the early years of their career.
Missouri University of Science and Technology not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Schools in Missouri list.
Read full report on Missouri University of Science and Technology
Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #16 on the list. Southeast Missouri State University is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,363 degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Southeast Missouri State University are $15,285 a year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,914 in student loans. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $144, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from Southeast Missouri State University, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $35,626 during the early years of their career.
Columbia College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #17 on the list. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 2,912 degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Columbia College Missouri are $11,636 a year. On average, students take out $31,707 in loans while pursuing their degree. During the early years of their career, Columbia College Missouri graduates make an average of $40,927 annually.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Columbia College Missouri also is in the top 20% of our Best Schools in Missouri ranking.
Missouri Southern State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Missouri list. This small public school is located in Joplin, Missouri, and it awarded 1,422 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Missouri Southern are $15,896 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $23,992 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Missouri Southern graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $34,614 during the early year of their career.
Missouri Western State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #19 on the list. Missouri Western is located in Saint Joseph, Missouri and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 868 degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Missouri Western are $15,550 per year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,913 in student loans. During the early years of their career, Missouri Western graduates make an average of $36,250 annually.
William Woods University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Missouri list. Fulton, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out degrees to 670 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at William Woods are $26,730 a year. On average, students take out $25,703 in loans while pursuing their degree.After graduating from William Woods, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $39,965 during the early years of their career.
University of Central Missouri landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, the fairly large public school awarded 3,103 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UCM are $16,815 a year. On average, students take out $25,019 in loans while pursuing their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $168, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from UCM, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $41,823 during the early years of their career.
Three Rivers College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Schools in Missouri ranking. This small public school is located in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and it awarded 897 degrees in 2020-2021.
Three Rivers College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,510 in tuition and fees each year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $16,574 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Three Rivers College graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $28,775 during the early year of their career.
Stephens College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Missouri list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, the very small private not-for-profit school handed out 182 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Stephens are $24,570 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $42,396 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $213.After graduating from Stephens, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $36,583 during the early years of their career.
Stephens did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Schools in Missouri list.
University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Schools in Missouri ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 3,692 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMKC are $28,023 per year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,022 in student loans. Those who take out this much in loans have to make a monthly payment of about $184 if they are on a 10-year repayment plan. Once they receive their degree, UMKC graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $57,524 during the early year of their career.
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Missouri list. UMSL is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3,031 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMSL are $30,570 per year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,595 in student loans. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $120. During the early years of their career, UMSL graduates make an average of $45,753 annually.
Best Value Schools in the Plains States Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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