25 Best Universities In Missouri For International Students 2026

Missouri is surely one of the places you should be considering if you’re looking to study in United States. This location has a lot to offer for international students, including world-class universities and exciting student experiences. With more than 40 universities and colleges in Missouri, you’ll surely have a wide range of choices.

Out of 40 universities in Missouri, Washington University in St. Louis and University of Missouri are the top-performing schools in Missouri. This list covers both public and private institutions in Missouri.

To help you narrow down your school options, we’ve compiled the best universities in Missouri. We based our rankings on academic reputations from reputable sources and the number of international students. By doing this, you’ll have an efficient way of comparing your target universities and choose your host university in Missouri.

How do I get admission to the best universities in Missouri?

Applying to the universities in Missouri involves submitting requirements and following specific admissions procedures set by your chosen university. The requirements often include a student visa, application packages, and language scores. Check out our guide for international students who want to study in Missouri to learn more about applying for admission in this country’s universities!

How much are the tuition fees at the best universities in Missouri?

Tuition fees at Missouri’s universities can vary depending on which university, degree, and program you will be enrolling in. Generally, tuition fees for the bachelor’s level range from 0 USD to 68,300 USD , while tuition fees for the master’s level range from 3,300 USD to 70,300 USD. If you are interested, check out the affordable universities in Missouri!

As we cover the best universities in Missouri for international students, feel free to check out the university’s information on Admission, Tuition, Courses, and Language Requirements by looking at the individual university pages.

Top Universities in Missouri for International Students

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.