Highest Paying Colleges in Missouri (2026)
Updated
Highest Paying Colleges in Missouri lists 41 four-year institutions in Missouri. Azimuth's return pillar orders them by four-year earnings and related benchmarks, highest first.
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $131,813 for its graduates four years after completing. Washington University in St Louis follows at 2nd, with median earnings of $95,899 for its graduates four years after completing. The list includes 13 public and 28 private nonprofit schools.
Public institutions make up 32% of the list. Washington University in St Louis ranks 97th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally. College of the Ozarks reports the lowest average net price at $6,100.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $131,813 | $31,817 | $24,456 | 89.8% |
| University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis reports median earnings of $131,813 for its graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Washington University in St Louis · St. Louis, MO | $95,899 | $21,786 | $1,716 | 12.1% |
| Washington University in St Louis admits 12% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 94%. | |||||
| 3 | Missouri University of Science and Technology · Rolla, MO | $93,514 | $16,298 | $10,912 | 72.6% |
| A public university in Rolla, Missouri University of Science and Technology has an average net price of $16,298. | |||||
| 4 | Maryville University of Saint Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $84,871 | $22,066 | $16,528 | 95.1% |
| Maryville University of Saint Louis ranks 4th on this list and shows median earnings of $84,871 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO | $77,024 | $24,398 | $22,501 | 75.0% |
| Saint Louis University graduates 80% of its students within six years and reports an average net price of $24,398. | |||||
| 6 | Webster University · Saint Louis, MO | $75,697 | $27,047 | $22,359 | 86.2% |
| With an admission rate of 86%, Webster University reports median earnings of $75,697 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Rockhurst University · Kansas City, MO | $76,125 | $25,884 | $22,797 | 69.6% |
| Rockhurst University ranks 622nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a six-year completion rate of 75%. | |||||
| 8 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $69,651 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| University of Missouri-Columbia, a public institution, has an average net price of $13,841 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 9 | Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing · Saint Louis, MO | $79,407 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing reports median earnings of $79,407 for its graduates four years after completing and ranks 772nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 10 | University of Missouri-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO | $65,925 | $13,310 | $10,576 | 72.2% |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City admits 72% of applicants and has a six-year completion rate of 55%. | |||||
| 11 | Park University · Parkville, MO | $63,456 | $21,032 | $18,687 | Not reported |
| Park University reports median earnings of $63,456 for its graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 38%. | |||||
| 12 | Avila University · Kansas City, MO | $61,078 | $16,053 | $15,694 | 87.8% |
| Avila University, a private nonprofit institution in Kansas City, has an average net price of $16,053. | |||||
| 13 | Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary · Kansas City, MO | $62,368 | $23,006 | $19,818 | 96.4% |
| Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a private nonprofit institution in Kansas City, reports median earnings of $62,368 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | University of Missouri-St Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $62,350 | $15,071 | $13,031 | 62.7% |
| University of Missouri-St Louis ranks 14th on this list and posts a six-year completion rate of 57%. | |||||
| 15 | Columbia College · Columbia, MO | $57,679 | $22,715 | $23,967 | Not reported |
| Columbia College carries an average net price of $22,715, while its graduates across all fields earn a median of $57,679 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | William Jewell College · Liberty, MO | $66,965 | $17,562 | $12,909 | 38.4% |
| William Jewell College admits 38% of applicants and reports median earnings of $66,965 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Truman State University · Kirksville, MO | $56,947 | $12,780 | $6,046 | 83.8% |
| Truman State University ranks 678th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $56,947 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Missouri Western State University · Saint Joseph, MO | $53,293 | $13,251 | $11,243 | Not reported |
| Missouri Western State University ranks 18th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 39% and median earnings of $53,293 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Lindenwood University · Saint Charles, MO | $58,207 | $19,638 | $15,678 | 56.8% |
| Lindenwood University reports median earnings of $58,207 for its graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 57%. | |||||
| 20 | Westminster College · Fulton, MO | $51,238 | $24,314 | $24,543 | 79.2% |
| Westminster College ranks 20th on this list and carries an average net price of $24,314. | |||||
| 21 | Stephens College · Columbia, MO | $46,218 | $23,459 | $9,918 | 77.2% |
| Stephens College reports an average net price of $9,918 for families earning under $30,000, alongside a six-year completion rate of 43%. | |||||
| 22 | Missouri Southern State University · Joplin, MO | $52,419 | $12,007 | $9,759 | 97.0% |
| Missouri Southern State University admits 97% of applicants and reports median earnings of $52,419 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Lincoln University · Jefferson City, MO | $50,859 | $19,092 | $20,070 | Not reported |
| Lincoln University ranks 23rd on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 21% and an average net price of $19,092. | |||||
| 24 | Harris-Stowe State University · Saint Louis, MO | $46,752 | $9,922 | $9,827 | Not reported |
| Harris-Stowe State University reports an average net price of $9,827 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 24th on this list. | |||||
| 25 | Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO | $53,058 | $17,613 | $13,718 | 90.5% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield reports median earnings of $53,058 for its graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $17,613. | |||||
| 26 | Southwest Baptist University · Bolivar, MO | $54,286 | $21,677 | $21,978 | 68.4% |
| Southwest Baptist University admits 68% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 55%. | |||||
| 27 | William Woods University · Fulton, MO | $52,367 | $26,569 | $24,014 | 71.0% |
| An average net price of $24,014 for families earning under $30,000 is reported at William Woods University, which ranks 27th on this list. | |||||
| 28 | Northwest Missouri State University · Maryville, MO | $52,213 | $16,244 | $13,176 | 86.1% |
| Northwest Missouri State University graduates 54% within six years, and its graduates across all fields earn a median of $52,213 four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | Southeast Missouri State University · Cape Girardeau, MO | $51,502 | $15,882 | $12,704 | 73.5% |
| Southeast Missouri State University ranks 632nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with an admission rate of 74%. | |||||
| 30 | University of Central Missouri · Warrensburg, MO | $54,054 | $14,462 | $10,965 | 63.8% |
| With an average net price of $14,462, University of Central Missouri reports median earnings of $54,054 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Missouri Baptist University · Saint Louis, MO | $52,550 | $27,006 | $21,808 | 68.6% |
| Missouri Baptist University admits 69% of applicants and ranks 1394th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 32 | Mission University · Springfield, MO | $38,240 | $21,383 | $22,017 | Not reported |
| A six-year completion rate of 44% coincides with median earnings of $38,240 at Mission University four years after completing. | |||||
| 33 | Missouri Valley College · Marshall, MO | $49,963 | $18,086 | $16,132 | 69.2% |
| Missouri Valley College reports an average net price of $16,132 for families earning under $30,000, and its graduates across all fields earn a median of $49,963 four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | Culver-Stockton College · Canton, MO | $48,225 | $21,983 | $17,712 | 99.1% |
| Culver-Stockton College admits 99% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 39%. | |||||
| 35 | Drury University · Springfield, MO | $47,568 | $20,831 | $18,759 | 57.6% |
| Drury University reports median earnings of $47,568 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $20,831. | |||||
| 36 | Evangel University · Springfield, MO | $46,593 | $18,669 | $16,198 | 71.6% |
| Evangel University ranks 1231st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and graduates 65% within six years. | |||||
| 37 | Ozark Christian College · Joplin, MO | $40,563 | $20,580 | $17,900 | 93.6% |
| Ozark Christian College reports median earnings of $40,563 for its graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate stands at 64%. | |||||
| 38 | Hannibal-LaGrange University · Hannibal, MO | $46,655 | $22,814 | $21,285 | 72.6% |
| Hannibal-LaGrange University admits 73% of applicants and carries an average net price of $22,814. | |||||
| 39 | Kansas City Art Institute · Kansas City, MO | $36,640 | $27,650 | $26,293 | 54.8% |
| Kansas City Art Institute ranks 39th on this list, with an average net price of $26,293 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 40 | Calvary University · Kansas City, MO | $32,281 | $16,334 | $16,764 | 71.7% |
| Calvary University posts a six-year completion rate of 52% and median earnings of $32,281 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 41 | College of the Ozarks · Point Lookout, MO | $44,258 | $6,100 | $6,381 | 12.0% |
| College of the Ozarks admits 12% of applicants and reports an average net price of $6,100. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's return pillar for Missouri, highest first. The pillar measures four-year earnings, modeled value added and program earnings relative to national benchmarks, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The ordering metric is the median earnings of federally aided completers at each institution, across all fields, measured four years after completing, among those working and not enrolled. The list does not measure earnings in any one major or teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 41 schools with a reported completion median. University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis reports $131,813 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing, while Washington University in St Louis reports $95,899.