The cost of college in Missouri — and what it pays back
Across the 71 Missouri institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $18,086/yr, $1,184 above the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $43,071 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 26 of the 71 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Missouri's 71 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | $31,817 | $137,047 | 1.4 yrs |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | $16,298 | $82,957 | 1.9 yrs |
| Washington University in St Louis | $21,786 | $86,182 | 2.3 yrs |
| Chamberlain University-Missouri | $30,716 | $92,405 | 2.8 yrs |
| Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences | $19,390 | $60,918 | 3.1 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Charles Community College | $5,837 | $42,422 | no payback |
| College of the Ozarks | $6,100 | $41,592 | no payback |
| City Vision University | $6,353 | $21,123 | no payback |
| Moberly Area Community College | $6,810 | $37,537 | no payback |
| Ozarks Technical Community College | $6,936 | $36,455 | no payback |
How many Missouri colleges actually pay for themselves?
26 of 71 — 37% of the Missouri institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Missouri graduates out-earn the national median?
Missouri graduates report a median $43,071 ten years after entry, $478 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.