Federal data
Highest earning liberal arts programs in Missouri
Missouri liberal arts programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Jewell College | Liberty | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $50,663 | 40 |
| 2 | Columbia College | Columbia | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $45,133 | 323 |
| 3 | University of Missouri-Kansas City | Kansas City | Public, 4-year | $39,992 | 58 |
| 4 | University of Missouri-Columbia | Columbia | Public, 4-year | $39,317 | 116 |
| 5 | University of Missouri-St Louis | Saint Louis | Public, 4-year | $38,332 | 104 |
| 6 | University of Central Missouri | Warrensburg | Public, 4-year | $36,845 | 112 |
| 7 | Missouri Southern State University | Joplin | Public, 4-year | $36,783 | 67 |
| 8 | Southeast Missouri State University | Cape Girardeau | Public, 4-year | $35,464 | 169 |
| 9 | Missouri State University-Springfield | Springfield | Public, 4-year | $33,014 | 92 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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