Kansas City, Missouri Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Kansas City, Missouri shows: median public in-state tuition $14,094 (+155.7% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $52,773 (-2.9% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 91.0% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $13,516 (+0.6% vs U.S.) 23,895 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 19 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 23,895 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $14,094 (+155.7% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $52,773 (-2.9% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 91.0% (+3.1 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $23,006 (+130.8% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $13,516 (+0.6% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $17,500
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 52.6%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 78.3%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Kansas City, Missouri—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against Missouri and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Kansas City vs Missouri & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, Missouri | $14,094 | $23,006 | $13,516 | 52.6% | 23,895 |
| Missouri (state median) | $7,584 | $12,954 | $17,500 | 52.4% | 208,656 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Kansas City, Missouri vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, Missouri | $52,773 | 91.0% | 78.3% | 6.5% | — | 71.3% | 0.31 |
| Missouri (state median) | $48,991 | 91.3% | 70.8% | 5.9% | — | 71.5% | 0.45 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Missouri (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, Missouri | $14,094 | $23,006 | $13,516 | 52.6% | 23,895 | $52,773 | 91.0% |
| Columbia | $25,826 | $21,492 | $22,190 | 42.7% | 29,377 | $45,378 | 87.6% |
| Columbia | $25,826 | $21,492 | $22,190 | 42.7% | 29,377 | $45,378 | 87.6% |
| Springfield | $12,162 | $18,141 | $20,979 | 57.9% | 27,085 | $46,573 | 88.1% |
| Springfield | $12,162 | $18,141 | $20,979 | 57.9% | 27,085 | $46,573 | 88.1% |
| Springfield | $12,162 | $18,141 | $20,979 | 57.9% | 27,085 | $46,573 | 88.1% |
| Saint Louis | $22,587 | $22,066 | $22,500 | 54.9% | 25,801 | $53,037 | 93.7% |
| St. Louis | $19,975 | $21,786 | $9,833 | 97.1% | 8,690 | $89,294 | 85.5% |
| Cape Girardeau | $10,484 | $16,521 | $11,084 | 66.5% | 6,863 | $44,030 | 92.8% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Outcomes by sector in Kansas City, Missouri
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private nonprofit | 4 | $51,654 | 91.5% | 78.7% | 6.3% | — | 69.1% |
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 74.6%, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 58.0%, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
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Rank 3, Graduation Rate, 55.5%, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 4, Graduation Rate, 52.4%, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 5, Graduation Rate, 48.3%, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 95.6%, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 93.1%, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 91.0%, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 89.9%, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 82.3%, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Top 10 most selective colleges in Kansas City, Missouri (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 54.8%, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 69.6%, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 3, Admission Rate, 72.2%, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 4, Admission Rate, 87.8%, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 5, Admission Rate, 96.4%, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $76,086, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $69,011, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 3, Entry-Level Earnings, $67,179, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 4, Entry-Level Earnings, $42,567, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Rank 5, Entry-Level Earnings, $29,513, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $97,043, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $83,385, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 3, Early-Career Earnings, $79,817, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 4, Early-Career Earnings, $44,420, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Rank 5, Early-Career Earnings, $43,070, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $61,371, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $50,298, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $48,975, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,712, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $25,529, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $65,635, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $53,412, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $50,961, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,745, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $34,132, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $67,102, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $59,637, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $52,773, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $50,535, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $37,032, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $208,154, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $207,542, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $169,849, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $89,160, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $14,330, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Kansas City, Missouri (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $13,310, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 2, Net Price, $16,053, Avila University
Avila University
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Rank 3, Net Price, $23,006, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Rank 4, Net Price, $25,884, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 5, Net Price, $27,650, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
Top 10 colleges in Kansas City, Missouri by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 81.5%, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 79.1%, Rockhurst University
Rockhurst University
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Rank 3, First-Year Retention, 78.3%, Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute
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Rank 4, First-Year Retention, 75.4%, University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
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Rank 5, First-Year Retention, 70.5%, Avila University
Avila University
In-state tuition: Kansas City, Missouri vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Kansas City, Missouri median in-state tuition is $14,094, +155.7% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Kansas City, Missouri vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Kansas City, Missouri is $13,516 (+0.6% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $17,500.
Median earnings (10 years out): Kansas City, Missouri vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Kansas City, Missouri center around $52,773 (-2.9% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Kansas City, Missouri vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 91.0% at the median Kansas City, Missouri campus (+3.1 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Kansas City, Missouri median public in-state tuition is $14,094, about +155.7% vs the national median. Versus the Plains region, tuition is +126.4%.
Median graduate debt is $13,516 (+0.6% above the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Kansas City, Missouri are $52,773, about -2.9% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 91.0% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (+3.1 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 78.3% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 6.5% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 71.3% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Rockhurst University (95.6%), Avila University (93.1%), University of Missouri-Kansas City (91.0%), Kansas City Art Institute (89.9%), Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (82.3%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Kansas City, Missouri, sector medians diverge: Private nonprofit median 10-yr earnings $51,654 (4 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Kansas City, Missouri is 52.6% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Kansas City?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 19 campuses in Kansas City, Missouri with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Kansas City?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Kansas City is $14,094 and median net price is $23,006. For Missouri overall, medians are $7,584 and $12,954; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Kansas City?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Kansas City is $52,773 vs $48,991 for Missouri and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Kansas City colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Kansas City is $13,516 vs $17,500 for Missouri and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Kansas City?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include Rockhurst University (graduation) and Rockhurst University (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Kansas City?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 19 campuses in Kansas City, Missouri, 1 campus with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Concorde Career College-Broadway; 5 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Roman Catholic (2), Other Protestant (1), Southern Baptist (1).
Sources & related
- Missouri college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON