University Of Missouri-Kansas City

University of Missouri-Kansas City's published cost of attendance is $25,320. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $10,576, middle-income families pay around $12,613, and higher-income families pay approximately $18,877.

Azimuth ranks University of Missouri-Kansas City #214 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability rank reflects both the headline sticker price and the debt load graduates carry; [net price and sticker price can differ substantially](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), and understanding that gap helps families budget realistically.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $18,750, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $18,462; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures. See the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's typical four-year earnings of $65,925, median federal debt of $18,750 projects to a monthly payment of about $212 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $65,925, placing University of Missouri-Kansas City in the 70.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,353 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of Missouri-Kansas City in the 86.2 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks University of Missouri-Kansas City #369 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median earnings figure runs above the $56,249 median at comparable institutions, reflecting a graduate profile shaped by University of Missouri-Kansas City's concentration in professional and applied fields in the MO labor market.

The program mix at University of Missouri-Kansas City is anchored by Business, which forms the core of the institution's degree output and connects graduates to career paths with solid early earnings. Business/Commerce, General is the highest aggregate-return program, graduating 237 students with median 4-year earnings of $63,569; Azimuth ranks Business/Commerce, General #23 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).

Biology, General and General Studies are also among the most-enrolled programs, with graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $59,183 and $52,117 respectively. On the higher-earning end, Psychology, General and Computer Science deliver stronger early-career pay, with Azimuth ranking Psychology, General #243 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions and Computer Science #122 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Together, these programs reflect University of Missouri-Kansas City's broad professional orientation and its alignment with MO's regional employer base.

University of Missouri-Kansas City's program mix is anchored in Business, with enrollment across health, education, and social-science fields — a portfolio shaped by the university's urban professional identity in Kansas City. Business accounts for 20% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 8% and Social Sciences at 7%.

The largest programs by graduate volume are Business/Commerce, General (237 graduates), Biology, General (163 graduates), and General Studies (120 graduates), together representing the core of the institution's degree output across 36 programs serving roughly 1,653 students annually. The strongest earnings outcomes at University of Missouri-Kansas City are concentrated in business-adjacent and health fields.

Business/Commerce, General combines substantial cohort scale with competitive four-year earnings. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #122 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $97,043 from a cohort of 91.

Azimuth ranks Nursing #180 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with graduates earning $88,249, and Accounting ranks #171 with graduates earning median earnings of $73,096 four years after enrollment. Several of University of Missouri-Kansas City's programs follow high-mobility, direct-to-workforce pathways — particularly in business, nursing, and information technology — where four-year earnings reflect labor-market outcomes directly.

Other programs, including those in the biological and social sciences, are more grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount long-term trajectory for graduates who continue to professional or graduate study.