Those unfamiliar with Missouri’s history may not know the interesting story behind the Corps of Discovery. A specially formed unit in the United States Army, it worked jointly with the Lewis and Clark expedition for 2 years, between 1804 and 1806. Their purpose? To explore the plants, animals and indigenous peoples of the region, and to examine the ways in which the Louisiana Purchase could benefit the country. The early understanding and subsequent settlement of Missouri’s territory is in part due to the Corp. It is no wonder that Missouri has continued in its long tradition of discovery and exploration. The educational scene in Missouri is one that is hard to match, and is certainly among the best in the Midwestern states.
Missouri is brimming with educational opportunities for prospective students, with 67 accredited colleges and universities across the state. This includes 13 public universities, 39 private colleges and thirteen community colleges.
Missouri’s 13 public universities include some of the top schools in the nation. Unlike most states, whose public universities are all part of the state’s official university system, Missouri has several independent public universities. This means that, while the schools operate independently, they do receive aid money from the state, thereby making them offer both in-state and out-of-state tuition options. The 4 universities in the state’s university system are: Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Missouri, University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. These schools account for the majority of the state’s public institution enrollments. The other public universities in the state are: Harris-Stowe State University, Lincoln University, Missouri Southern State University, Missouri State University, Missouri Western State University, Northwest Missouri State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Truman State University and the University of Central Missouri.
Despite being added to as a state in 1821, most of Missouri’s colleges, to include the private and public institutions, were founded in the 1800s. The oldest private university in the state is Saint Louis University, which was founded in 1818. Among the public universities, the oldest is the University of Missouri, which saw its founding in 1839. All of this points toward a state that has always been big on post-secondary education, even during historical periods where most people were lucky to go beyond high school.
Several of the accredited, post-secondary institutions in the state are highly ranked in many different areas. Washington University in Saint Louis, for example, is tied for #27 with Pennsylvania State University and Ohio State University for Economics PhD programs. Truman State University ranks impressively among Midwestern universities with a solid #8 position. Meanwhile, the majority of the state’s private universities also rank high on the regional, Midwestern rankings. Washington University in St. Louis, aside from being an Economics powerhouse, also ranks nationally, at a very impressive #15 for national universities.
In-state and out-of-state tuition prices for public schools in Missouri are all well below the national average. Unfortunately, almost every private college or university in the state is well above the national average for annual costs. Cash-strapped prospective students interested in Missouri’s many educational institutions will likely need to ensure that they are funding their education through scholarships, grants and loans. Even the alternative, technical and career colleges charge rather hefty fees. The Chamberlain College of Nursing-Missouri, for example, requires just over $22,000 a year in annual costs. ITT Technical Institute-Earth City asks for around $21,000, and ITT Technical Institute-Arnold requires just under $24,000. These are not “steals” by any means. However, those who do wish to attend colleges and universities in
Missouri will be pleased to know that most students who attend theses schools find financial success afterward. The average salary after attending most of the colleges, including public, private and technical schools, is at or above the national average. Seeing as the national average is around $35,000, this is not necessarily wonderful news. However, most of the top public and private institutions post post-graduation salaries in the $40,000 to $60,000 range.
Allied College
Colorado Technical University
Concorde Career Colleger
DeVry University
Heritage College
High-Tech Institute
Keller Graduate School of Management
National American University
Pinnacle Career InstituteUniversity of Phoenix
Vatterott College<
Vatterott College
Wichita Technical Institute
A Gathering Place
Allied College
University of Phoenix
Allied College
Sanford-Brown College
Sanford-Brown College
National American University
Sanford Brown College
National American University
Prospective students interested in Missouri’s many public and private post-secondary schools will be happy to know that many schools offer some form of online education. This includes most of Missouri’s public institutions, which provide high quality online degrees and certificate programs for a fraction of the cost students will find at the private colleges. A 2012 report from the National Center for Educational Statistics found that 12.2% of Missouri’s public and privately enrolled students were taking classes completely online. Many of these students were taking classes through Missouri’s Mizzou Online network, which connects prospective and current students to over 80 different degree and certificate programs, all offered through the state’s highly ranked public universities.
Mizzou Online offers degrees in most academic fields that students may be interested in, and provides programs that range from Bachelor’s up to Doctorate degrees. There are currently only 9 Bachelor’s degrees available for students, but many more Master’s degrees (41 in all). There are 10 options for Doctoral degrees, although the majority of these are in Nursing. Many of these online programs do require some campus visits, so they cannot be true, 100% online courses. However, due to the nature of the programs (many of which are related to Nursing and Education), it is understanding that these require some physical presence at some point.
Outside of the state’s official university system, most of the other public colleges and many of the private colleges provide rigorous online degree programs. Missouri State University has its own program, Missouri State Online, which provides 11 Bachelor’s degree options, 2 certificate options, 2 Minors, and 13 Master’s degrees. While some of the Bachelor’s degrees may require physical presence at some point, the graduate degrees (and graduate certificates) can all be completed 100% online. As with most online degree programs, most of these programs are in technology, education, business administration and social sciences.
Students looking for excellent value will want to consider the following schools: William Woods University ($4,800 annual tuition), Lincoln University ($5,693 annual tuition), Missouri Southern State University ($5,958 annual tuition), Missouri Valley College ($6,000 annual tuition) and Columbia College ($6,240 annual tuition). Those more concerned with school ranking should consider these schools: Missouri Southern State University (which not only tops the list, but also offers great value), Missouri Valley College, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Missouri-St. Louis and William Woods University.