2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Missouri

[General Educational Leadership & Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/educational-leadership-and-administration-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general educational leadership & administration education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools to find the best return on investment for general educational leadership & administration students.
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2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Missouri
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general educational leadership & administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools
Leading the list is University Of Missouri St Louis, our #1 best value for general educational leadership & administration in Missouri. Set in the suburb of Saint Louis, University Of Missouri St Louis is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,120, compared with $37,620 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,943 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $54,832. Set against $25,943 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Missouri St Louis admits about 63% of applicants.
University Of Missouri Kansas City came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Set in the city of Kansas City, University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,371, while out-of-state students pay about $32,271. Students borrow a median of $23,741 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from University Of Missouri Kansas City generally make around $49,343. Set against $23,741 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Northwest Missouri State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general educational leadership & administration, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the town of Maryville, Northwest Missouri State University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,611, with out-of-state students paying around $17,324. Students borrow a median of $23,585 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn a median of $48,736 early in their careers. Set against $23,585 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general educational leadership & administration will find it at Southeast Missouri State University, which ranked #4. Southeast Missouri State University is a large public school located in the city of Cape Girardeau. In-state tuition and fees average $9,903. Students borrow a median of $23,289 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $46,212. That is a strong return on a $23,289 median debt. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general educational leadership & administration will find it at University Of Central Missouri, which ranked #5. University Of Central Missouri is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg. Students from in state pay about $10,050 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,600 for out-of-state students. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,304 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of University Of Central Missouri earn a median of $51,420 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
Park University earned the #6 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Park University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Parkville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,116. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $22,112 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Park University earn a median of $45,898 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Missouri State University Springfield landed the #7 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,502, while out-of-state students pay about $18,770. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,408. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Missouri State University Springfield earn a median of $47,570 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Missouri State University Springfield admits about 90% of applicants.
Lindenwood University placed #8 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Set in the city of Saint Charles, Lindenwood University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $21,600. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $28,663. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $56,609. That is a strong return on a $28,663 median debt. Lindenwood University admits about 57% of applicants.
Evangel University came in at #9 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Evangel University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Springfield. Students from in state pay about $28,548 in tuition and fees. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,876 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $42,039. Set against $24,876 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Missouri Columbia came in at #10 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,837, while out-of-state students pay about $36,056. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $21,818. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $66,860. That is a strong return on a $21,818 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Southwest Baptist University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the town of Bolivar, Southwest Baptist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,566. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,436 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Southwest Baptist University earn a median of $55,651 early in their careers. Set against $24,436 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Rockhurst University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Set in the city of Kansas City, Rockhurst University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $44,966 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,111. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Rockhurst University generally make around $70,849. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rockhurst University admits about 70% of applicants.
William Woods University earned the #13 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. William Woods University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Fulton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $30,340. Students borrow a median of $25,512 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of William Woods University earn a median of $63,398 early in their careers. Set against $25,512 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Missouri Baptist University came in at #14 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Missouri Baptist University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. In-state tuition and fees average $33,122. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $27,337 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Missouri Baptist University earn a median of $51,409 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Maryville University Of Saint Louis placed #15 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $27,166 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,499. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Maryville University Of Saint Louis generally make around $78,452. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Saint Louis University Main Campus earned the #16 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Saint Louis University Main Campus is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Louis. Students from in state pay about $55,760 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,586 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $64,822. That is a strong return on a $26,586 median debt. Saint Louis University Main Campus admits about 75% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 14 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.