Best-Value Colleges in Missouri
16 Missouri 4-year colleges ranked by return on investment — 10-year graduate earnings per dollar of net price — among schools that beat the state median on earnings and graduation rate.
The best-value college in Missouri is Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla — a net price of $16,298 against $82,957 in median 10-year earnings, an ROI of 5.1×, with a 64% graduation rate. Every school here turns a modest cost into outsized, above-median earnings.
| # | School | Net price /yr | 10-yr earnings | ROI (earn ÷ price) | Grad rate | In-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO | $16,298 | $82,957 | 5.1× | 64% | $14,984 |
| 2 | Truman State University Kirksville, MO | $12,780 | $56,280 | 4.4× | 68% | $9,838 |
| 3 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis Saint Louis, MO | $31,817 | $137,047 | 4.3× | 75% | $32,550 |
| 4 | Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO | $21,786 | $86,182 | 4.0× | 94% | $65,790 |
| 5 | William Jewell College Liberty, MO | $17,562 | $59,268 | 3.4× | 62% | $20,610 |
| 6 | Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences Cape Girardeau, MO | $19,390 | $60,918 | 3.1× | 100% | $11,064 |
| 7 | University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO | $20,268 | $63,403 | 3.1× | 76% | $14,837 |
| 8 | Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO | $16,244 | $47,885 | 2.9× | 57% | $10,611 |
| 9 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO | $24,398 | $70,783 | 2.9× | 80% | $55,760 |
| 10 | Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO | $17,613 | $49,827 | 2.8× | 57% | $9,502 |
| 11 | Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MO | $22,066 | $62,105 | 2.8× | 72% | $27,166 |
| 12 | Rockhurst University Kansas City, MO | $25,884 | $67,102 | 2.6× | 76% | $44,966 |
| 13 | Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Kansas City, MO | $23,006 | $50,535 | 2.2× | 70% | $10,120 |
| 14 | Westminster College Fulton, MO | $24,314 | $52,199 | 2.1× | 57% | $35,214 |
| 15 | Conception Seminary College Conception, MO | $24,558 | $50,430 | 2.1× | 64% | $26,206 |
| 16 | Webster University Saint Louis, MO | $27,047 | $50,876 | 1.9× | 61% | $31,750 |
How we ranked this
From every Missouri four-year college that publishes net price, 10-year median earnings, and graduation rate, we keep only those that beat the state median on earnings and that graduate at least 45% of students (or the state median grad rate, whichever is higher). We then rank by ROI = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price — the dollars of graduate earnings each dollar of net price buys — highest first. This rewards genuine return on investment rather than the cheapest sticker price, and the 4-year + outcome guards keep out the low-completion and 2-year outliers a pure price sort surfaces. Colleges missing any of the three figures are excluded, never estimated. Minimum 5 qualifying schools required to publish a page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-value college in Missouri?+
Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla has the highest return on investment among Missouri 4-year colleges that beat the state median on outcomes: a net price of $16,298 against $82,957 in 10-year median earnings — an ROI of 5.1× (dollars earned per dollar of annual net price) — with a 64% graduation rate.
What does "net price" mean?+
Net price is the average annual cost students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the full cost of attendance — a far better affordability measure than sticker tuition. We use the College Scorecard average net price.
How is "best value" defined here?+
Value means return on investment, not cheapness. Among Missouri four-year colleges that beat the state median on BOTH 10-year graduate earnings and graduation rate (and graduate at least 45% of students), we rank by the ROI ratio = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price. The school that turns each tuition dollar into the most graduate earnings ranks first.
Is the cheapest college always the best value?+
No. A rock-bottom price that leads to low earnings is worse value than a moderate price that leads to high earnings. That is exactly why we rank by the earnings-to-net-price ratio rather than by lowest price, and require above-median earnings and graduation rates first. Colleges missing net price, earnings, or graduation data are excluded rather than estimated.
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Data sources: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · IPEDS. Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.