All 40 Colleges and Universities in Missouri

Are you looking for all the colleges and universities in Missouri? Here, we will go over the list of private and public universities and colleges in Missouri.

In our database, there are a total of 40 institutions in Missouri including A.T. Still University, Avila University, and Carson–Newman University . Out of those institutions, 13 are public and 27 are private. Some of the public institutions are Culver-Stockton College, Lincoln University, Missouri, and Missouri Southern State University. Some examples of private universities in Missouri are A.T. Still University, Avila University, and Carson–Newman University.

In these universities and colleges in Missouri, the total number of students is 265,058, and the total number of international students is 8,338.

1. A.T. Still University

A.T. Still University is a private university specializing in the field of medicine. It is a prestigious academic institution that has received various accreditations and accolades. It also boasts a hundred percent passing rate for its students in board certification exams in recent years. Its mission is to create highly competent and responsible medical graduates, who will innovate, advance, and give respect to the profession of medicine.

2. Avila University

Avila University is a private Catholic educational institution in Kansas, Missouri known for its commitment to community service and social justice. The university has several initiatives to raise awareness and encourage discussions about different social issues and provide opportunities for students and faculty to engage with ordinary people and empower the marginalized. Classes at the university are smaller in size, guaranteeing increased interaction and individual attention, and are taught by accomplished individuals in their respective fields. 

3. Carson–Newman University

Though considered a small liberal arts college, Carson-Newman University continues to prosper and provides over 90 academic programs. The university aims to uphold its Christian doctrines by honing students with wisdom and moral principles. Throughout the years, it began to welcome more students around the globe and started to participate in various international events.

4. Central Methodist University

Founded in 1854, Central Methodist University is a four-year, private liberal arts university. It aims to be a diverse and caring community, empowering students to become lifelong learners, committed to academic excellence, and prepared to engage in a complex world. Central Methodist University nurtures a spirit of community and caring among students, faculty, and staff.

5. College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks, not to be confused with the University of Ozarks, is a private college in Point Lookout, Missouri that was founded in 1906. It follows Christian beliefs to guide its students into a purposeful and quality education. The college has also received accreditations from various national organizations such as U.S. News and World Reports, Princeton Review, College Consensus 2021, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Wall Street Journal 2021 to name a few. The 1565 students in the care of the school afford recreational activities and services such as camps, forums, and athletic events.

6. Columbia College

Columbia College is a private academic institution in Missouri, United States, providing undergraduate and master's education through its residential campus and online classes. Besides its campus in Columbia, the college also offers education to around 18,000 students on over 30 locations in the US and Cuba. Although it is a nonsectarian school, Columbia College maintains its more than century-long affiliation with Christian Church.

7. Culver-Stockton College

Culver-Stockton College is a public university located in Canton, Missouri, United States. The university was built in 1853, but most of the buildings on today's campus were built, renovated, and built after 1937. Within Culver-Stockton College is Henderson Hall, a national historic building, which is the first building on the Culver-Stockton College campus. The most popular majors in this university are business administration and management.

8. Drury University

The former Springfield College is now known as Drury University. This liberal arts institution offers certificate and degree-granting programs for undergrad and grad levels. Students may also opt for more flexible and versatile schedules through Drury GO, which offers online and evening courses.

9. Evangel University

Evangel University is a Christian university that commits to delivering excellent academic and training programs. It aims to produce faithful and intelligent leaders who can all serve the community someday. The university is hopeful in its goal of creating an environment full of dedicated faculty that are willing to guide students in their academic and spiritual growth.

10. Fontbonne University

Initially, the university was aptly named St. Joseph's Academy, reflecting its ties with the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Its present name still connects because Fontbonne was taken from Mother St. John Fontbonne, who re-founded the congregation in 1808. The university's s training imbibes students with respect, faith, justice, service, and other essential virtues. Both onsite and online programs are offered at Fontbonne University. You may also pursue some of their accelerated courses.

11. Hannibal-LaGrange University

Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU) is a liberal arts university that aligns its Christian traditions and Biblical values with its curriculum. The university’s rich history can be traced back to 1858, and over the years, it has stayed true to its mission to provide excellent education and transform the lives of its students. Today, HLGU is regarded as a leading private institution in Missouri that offers quality education and career-oriented programs.

12. Kansas City Art Institute

Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school located in Kansas City, Missouri. It was founded in 1885 by art enthusiasts, and the first meetings were held in private homes. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at KCAI includes 13 majors such as Animation, Creative Writing, Filmmaking, Illustration, and Graphic Design.

13. Kansas City University

Kansas City University is a highly-specialized medical institution in Missouri. It is a pioneer of osteopathic medicine in the country. Its programs are mainly for graduate students and are often available at the doctorate level only: medicine, psychology, and dental medicine. There is a master's program in biomedical sciences, for which you may choose from one of two tracks. Besides those, the university also offers dual and partner programs. Their dual programs may be a partnership with other universities. Meanwhile, the partner programs allow early admission of undergrads into its highly-coveted programs.

14. Lincoln University, Missouri

Lincoln University, Missouri was founded in 1866 and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. Its history is molded by African-American veterans who established the school. They provide top-notch, globalized liberal arts education, with tradition and social values revolving around social responsibility, and leadership. With their core values respect, responsibility, and results, they produce exemplar students from in and out of Hawaii.

15. Lindenwood University

Lindenwood University offers a broad and excellent selection of programs for undergrad and graduate students. The university was initially founded as a school for girls. Over time, it has become an innovative and dedicated institution for students of different origins and gender. It also maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1.

16. Logan University

Logan University is a private special focus institution in Chesterfield, Missouri. The university focuses on chiropractic and health sciences programs. It was founded in 1935 and named after its founder and first president, Hugh B. Logan. Logan University offers two Bachelor's degrees, three Master's degrees, and a doctorate in Chiropractic and Health Sciences Education.

17. Maryville University

Maryville University is a fast-growing university located in St. Louis, Missouri. It has been awarded several recognitions for its excellent programs in business, cybersecurity, interior design, music, and actuarial science. The university also has numerous industry partners for students to develop valuable skills in the professional world. 

18. Missouri Baptist University

Missouri Baptist University is a Christian liberal arts institution. It upholds to its purpose, offering programs of study leading to professional certificates, undergraduate degrees, and graduate degrees. The university aims to emphasize academic excellence where biblically-based Christian outlook is maintained. The university is devoted to improving its students' lives spiritually, intellectually, and professionally and conditioning them to serve in a diverse global community.

19. Missouri Southern State University

Missouri Southern State University offers undergrad degrees, minors, graduate degrees, and certificate courses for undergrad and grad students. Some of the its courses may be conducted online or distance learning mode. The university was founded as Joplin Junior College.

20. Missouri State University

Missouri State University is one of Missouri's most populated universities. Formerly known as Southwest Missouri State University, MSU was established in 1905 as a normal school or preparatory institution for teachers. It has since become a four-campus system with locations in Springfield, West Plains, Mountain Grove, and Dalian, China. The university has also developed an online setup to make its education even more accessible anytime, anywhere.

21. Missouri University of Science and Technology

The Missouri University of Science and Technology offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in its 3 colleges. This university is famous for its engineering programs and for the learning opportunities given to students, which include participating in multiple projects. Their Design Center is an example of this, with 20 design teams that work in creating everything from vehicles to rockets. The university also has many modern facilities that are the perfect space for research, such as the Nuclear Reactor or the Solar Village.

22. Missouri Western State University

Missouri Western State University is a higher learning institution in Saint Joseph, Missouri accredited by multiple organizations and offers a variety of degree programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Founded in 1915, its mission and vision have created a student-centered community that aims to transform lives and create an inclusive as well as diverse learning environment. Their core values are service, quality, enthusiasm, freedom, respect, and courage which guide the fulfillment and maintenance of their culture and tradition.

23. Northwest Missouri State University

Founded in 1905, Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution that provides high-quality academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The university offers a wide spectrum of industry-specific programs, explicitly designed so students can choose the right educational program for their future career path. In addition, the school uses the practice-based learning approach to its curriculum. This way, students will be able to observe and train in a real working environment.

24. Park University

Park University is a private institution for higher education with its main campus located in Parkville, Missouri. It offers 78 academic programs in different liberal arts disciplines. Its most famous structure, Mackay Hall, was built by students in 1883.

25. Rockhurst University

Rockhurst University, founded in 1910, is a private university in Kansas, Missouri. It is a Jesuit university that stays true to the traditional Ignatian philosophy of service education, in which students learn leadership and service in addition to academics. Accounting, computer science, psychology, international business, and theology are just a few of the graduate and undergraduate programs available at the university.

26. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis University is a prominent and renowned Catholic university worldwide. It was established in 1818 by the Jesuits with a dedication to academic excellence and solid faith. Besides Missouri, the university also has a campus in Madrid, Spain, which is one of the first American universities to be acknowledged by the Spanish education authority. With over 100 years of experience, the university delivers nothing short of quality and Catholic-based education and training.

27. Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University was initially founded as a Normal School, training teachers for elementary and high school education. The university continued to grow, and exponentially so, during the 1950s and 1960s, committing to providing student-centered education. Affordability, accessibility, and quality are offered within the university's gates, providing academic excellence and a transformative educational experience.

28. Southwest Baptist University

Southwest Baptist University (SBU) is a private Baptist university in Bolivar, Missouri. It was established in 1878 with only 60 students and six faculty members. More than 100 areas of study are available at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels at the university. Through a Christ-centered academic community, SBU's mission is to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society.

29. Stephens College

Stephens College was founded in 1833 in Columbia, Missouri guided by its tradition of faith, technical excellence, and individual leadership. Their inclusive and equitable community allows students to find comfortable on-campus learning in hand with providing rigorous and challenging experiences that both help them grow. Its mission of learning, growing, and leading cements itself through the student body and school policies in place. For 187 years, they have innovated education in Missouri with exemplar student service in the process.

30. Truman State University

Divided into 5 schools, Truman State University offers 52 bachelor's degree programs and 11 master's degree programs. Education in this university focuses on giving students the right tools for their professional careers and offering internship and research opportunities. All of this is done in their modern facilities which include an observatory, a farm, a nursing simulation center, and multiple cultural centers.

31. University of Central Missouri

The University of Central Missouri is among the midwest region's top public academic institutions. It was originally established in 1871 as a teacher's college. At present, the university offers over 150 diverse programs and is well known for its excellence in the fields of business, nursing, and pathology. 

32. University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis

The University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis is a medical school in Missouri that offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Founded in 1864, the school has an extensive network of partnerships with other medical institutions. The college has a diverse, equity, and inclusion student population. The school has produced leading and innovative medical professionals in the United States despite going through war times.

33. University of Missouri

The University of Missouri vouches for excellence through constant improvement, effort, and partnership. It is considered the largest university in Missouri, which is why it greatly attracts students from different parts of the world. More than its outstanding educational approach, the university also actively supports external collaborations through conferences, competitions, and exchange programs.

34. University of Missouri-Kansas City

University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) is a public institution established in 1933. Since its inception, it has provided top-quality higher education in the city of Kansas. Over the years, it has continued to improve and has become one of the leading universities across the globe. It cultivated countless students who have become successful in their respective careers. At present, UMKC is still dedicated to providing high standards of teaching by developing interdisciplinary programs from a wide spectrum of disciplines.

35. University of Missouri-St. Louis

The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) offers a one-of-a-kind student experience to a diverse student body. It has a welcoming community of culturally diverse students and highly-qualified academic faculty. In addition, USML is among Missouri's top public research universities that provide good quality education. It offers educational programs from various fields of study such as business administration, arts and science, education, and nursing. Graduates of these traditional and industry-specific programs have pursued a career in the state, significantly contributing to its local economy.

36. Washington University in St. Louis

The Washington University in St. Louis was established in 1853 and is among the leading educational institutions in the world. It is known for its services to the community through social work, law, and medicine programs. The university has also made significant contributions to medical research and sustainability. 

37. Webster University

For more than 100 years, Webster University has provided high-quality education to students worldwide. It is equipped with adequate resources and tools that help facilitate the student's learning process. The university aims to guide future industry leaders in society by assisting them in their chosen career fields.

38. Westminster College, Missouri

Westminster College educates and encourages all its students through a typical liberal arts curriculum and dynamic developmental knowledge. WC Missouri challenges its students to be critically knowledgeable, lifelong learners, and leaders of personality. The institution is also committed to shaping the students' values of virtue, righteousness, respect, and responsibility and to prepare them for their future careers.

39. William Jewell College

William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri. The Missouri Baptist Convention founded it in 1849 and named it after Dr. William Jewell, a major donor to the school. Over 40 majors and 10 pre-professional programs are available at the college. Nursing, Business Administration, Biology, and Psychology are among the most popular majors at William Jewell College.

40. William Woods University

William Woods University’s rich tradition can be traced back to 1870. The university has gone thru several challenging yet fruitful years since its inception. From its humble beginning as a college school training teachers, it eventually became a well-established institution and was granted university status in 1990. With its expansion, the university now offers various academic disciplines at all levels. Some of its study programs are internationally recognized, such as Equestrian Studies, American Sign Language, and Criminal Justice programs.