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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k

14 Ranked Colleges
1,291 Degrees Awarded
$13,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across Missouri, there were 10,007 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,115 and $16,130 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,291 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,837 and $25,380 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Missouri

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#2

Fontbonne University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Fontbonne University landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Fontbonne University has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fontbonne University is $12,913 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Fontbonne University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#3

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southeast Missouri State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Southeast Missouri State University is located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 172 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Southeast Missouri State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The yearly cost to attend Southeast Missouri State University is $9,092 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Southeast Missouri State University

#4

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 97 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMSL, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $7,401 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Missouri - St Louis

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri Southern State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Joplin, Missouri, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Missouri Southern has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. It costs about $7,882 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri Southern State University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Missouri Southern State University

With a ranking of #6, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 151 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

UMKC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $12,065 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#7

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCM is a medium-sized public school situated in Warrensburg, Missouri. It awarded 86 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UCM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The yearly cost to attend UCM is $10,608 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Central Missouri Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#8

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. It costs about $20,051 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Louis University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full SLU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#9

William Jewell College

Liberty, Missouri

William Jewell College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Liberty, Missouri, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

William Jewell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The estimated yearly cost for William Jewell College is $16,989 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at William Jewell College

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k list. Missouri State University - Springfield is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 90 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $12,527 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Missouri State Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#11

Lincoln University

Jefferson City, Missouri

Lincoln University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Lincoln University is a small public school situated in Jefferson City, Missouri. It awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, LU Missouri has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lincoln University is $4,603 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Lincoln University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#12

Cottey College

Nevada, Missouri
#12 in overall quality

Cottey College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Nevada, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

Cottey College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cottey College is $17,119 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Cottey College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#13

Columbia College

Columbia, Missouri

Columbia College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 377 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia College Missouri did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Missouri is $29,149 for missouri bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia College Missouri

Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Missouri For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Drury University - CCPS also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Missouri” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Drury University - CCPS is $12,351 for Missouri Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies Liberal Arts General Studies Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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