Best colleges for nursing in Missouri
University of Missouri-Kansas City ranks first in Missouri for nursing value (#236 nationally, value score 57.3): graduates earn $88,249 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,778 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 20 Missouri colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best nursing colleges in Missouri
University of Missouri-Kansas City ranks first in Missouri for nursing value (#236 nationally, value score 57.3): graduates earn $88,249 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,778 a year. 20 Missouri colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $79,514 and the average net price is $17,190 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 20 Missouri colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $79,514 and the average net price is $17,190 a year.
- The lowest average net price among them is at Missouri Southern State University: $10,836 a year.
- Median earnings
- $79,514
- National: $85,171
- Median net price
- $17,190
- National: $18,014
- Median federal debt
- $19,990
- nursing graduates
- Public colleges
- 10 of 20
- in this list
20 colleges
The Missouri ranking
Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
- Rank in Missouri 1
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, MO · Public · #236 nationally
57.3Value- Earnings
- $88,249
- Net price
- $13,778
- Federal debt
- $24,250
- Graduation rate
- 56%
- Rank in Missouri 2
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, MO · Public · #248 nationally
56.4Value- Earnings
- $85,155
- Net price
- $17,110
- Federal debt
- $18,911
- Graduation rate
- 61%
- Earnings
- $83,231
- Net price
- $21,142
- Federal debt
- $20,413
- Graduation rate
- 77%
- Rank in Missouri 4
University of Missouri-St Louis
Saint Louis, MO · Public · #356 nationally
48.7Value- Earnings
- $78,608
- Net price
- $14,990
- Federal debt
- $16,812
- Graduation rate
- 62%
- Rank in Missouri 5
Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies
Fayette, MO · Private nonprofit · #379 nationally
47.4Value- Earnings
- $85,140
- Net price
- $16,532
- Federal debt
- $19,000
- Graduation rate
- 0%
- Rank in Missouri 6
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Fayette, MO · Private nonprofit · #397 nationally
45.8Value- Earnings
- $85,140
- Net price
- $21,697
- Federal debt
- $19,000
- Graduation rate
- 49%
- Earnings
- $80,542
- Net price
- $15,554
- Federal debt
- $19,827
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Earnings
- $79,507
- Net price
- $19,678
- Federal debt
- $19,125
- Graduation rate
- 63%
- Rank in Missouri 9
Missouri State University-Springfield
Springfield, MO · Public · #451 nationally
42.2Value- Earnings
- $79,615
- Net price
- $17,270
- Federal debt
- $20,447
- Graduation rate
- 59%
- Rank in Missouri 10
Kansas City, MO · Private nonprofit · #452 nationally
42.1Value- Earnings
- $79,817
- Net price
- $24,702
- Federal debt
- $17,500
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Earnings
- $77,315
- Net price
- $12,317
- Federal debt
- $25,500
- Graduation rate
- 74%
- Rank in Missouri 12
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · #512 nationally
37.6Value- Earnings
- $81,525
- Net price
- $29,674
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 79%
- Earnings
- $75,985
- Net price
- $10,836
- Federal debt
- $18,874
- Graduation rate
- 39%
- Rank in Missouri 14
Jefferson City, MO · Public · #540 nationally
35.8Value- Earnings
- $79,520
- Net price
- $13,788
- Federal debt
- Not reported
- Graduation rate
- 24%
- Rank in Missouri 15
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · #564 nationally
33.2Value- Earnings
- $79,219
- Net price
- $20,199
- Federal debt
- $24,752
- Graduation rate
- 62%
- Rank in Missouri 16
Bolivar, MO · Private nonprofit · #608 nationally
28.6Value- Earnings
- $78,525
- Net price
- $21,174
- Federal debt
- $19,990
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Rank in Missouri 17
Missouri Western State University
Saint Joseph, MO · Public · #623 nationally
26.9Value- Earnings
- $74,875
- Net price
- $16,379
- Federal debt
- $20,000
- Graduation rate
- 35%
- Rank in Missouri 18
Columbia, MO · Private nonprofit · #640 nationally
25.4Value- Earnings
- $78,632
- Net price
- $25,982
- Federal debt
- $21,126
- Graduation rate
- 51%
- Earnings
- $74,562
- Net price
- $16,675
- Federal debt
- $23,546
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Earnings
- $65,225
- Net price
- $19,119
- Federal debt
- $19,550
- Graduation rate
- 36%
Method: the same value score as the national nursing ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.
Questions about nursing colleges in Missouri
What are the best colleges for nursing in Missouri?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Missouri colleges for nursing are University of Missouri-Kansas City (value score 57.3), Southeast Missouri State University (value score 56.4) and University of Missouri-Columbia (value score 49.1). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which Missouri college has the highest earnings for nursing graduates?
University of Missouri-Kansas City: its nursing graduates have median earnings of $88,249 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable nursing college in Missouri on this list?
Missouri Southern State University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Missouri colleges, $10,836 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many Missouri colleges are ranked for nursing?
20 Missouri colleges have a nursing bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Missouri.