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Smith, Orie J., Black and White Stock Farm Historic DistrictSmith, Orie J., Black and White Stock Farm Historic District · Photo: Andrew.Belair · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Kirksville

Kirksville is a college town: 28 of every 100 residents are students

Truman State University (3,049 students on campus) and A T Still University of Health Sciences (2,555) are inside the city. Across Missouri, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town28% of residents are studentsTruman State UniversityA T Still University of Health Sciences

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Kirksville. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
5,604 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
Truman State
Residents in college
28%
Above MO (6%)
Nearest community college
54.2 mi
Moberly Area · $4,110 tuition
Nearest public university
0.8 mi
Truman State · $9,838 in-state
Students on campus in Kirksville
5,604
next to 17,863 residents

What stands out about college in Kirksville

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town28 of every 100 Kirksville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Missouri.Two colleges within 0.8 milesTruman State University admits 84% of applicants. Together they have 5,604 students on campus.In-state price at Truman StateLiving in Missouri, Truman State University charges $9,838 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,566. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 54.2 miles awayMoberly Area Community College in Moberly: tuition and fees $4,110 a year for Missouri residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Kirksville

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

28 of every 100 Kirksville residents are in college (MO: 6).

5,604students on campus at Kirksville’s 2 colleges, next to 17,863 residents (dorm students count as residents)
3,193college students live in Kirksville households rather than dorms
24.8median age · MO 39.0
52%of residents are women · MO 51% (±1.1 points)
52%of homes rented · MO 32%
$775median rent · 25% below the state
KirksvilleKirksville, MO
Cost of living$775/mo median rentASafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Kirksville’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 28.5% of Kirksville residents are below the poverty line, 15.5% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 77% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living A

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (28% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Kirksville’s median age is 24.8 (Missouri 39.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Kirksville

One private college within 0.8 miles, and one public college within 0.8 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miTruman StateA T Still University of Health SciencesKirksville
University or collegeCommunity college
Truman State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 3,049 on campus · In Kirksville84%admitted$13knet price69%graduate$56kearningsA T Still University of Health SciencesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,555 on campus · In KirksvilleGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Kirksville’s median household income ($50,071) falls.

Truman State UniversityIn Kirksville · sticker $25,115$12,426a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Kirksville: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Truman State
Truman State University69% graduate$56k earnings$21k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Kirksville

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Truman State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 16%Health professions 16%Biology 11%Parks & recreation 8%Psychology 7%Social sciences 6%Everything else 37%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations108 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
Biology, General72 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness67 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing55 graduates a year
$77k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services39 graduates a year
$85k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, General36 graduates a year
$39k4 yrs out
Public Health32 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies28 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Kirksville

Is Kirksville a college town?

Yes. 28 of every 100 Kirksville residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Missouri. Truman State University has 3,049 students on campus, next to 17,863 residents.

What colleges are in Kirksville?

Truman State University and A T Still University of Health Sciences are inside the city. Moberly Area Community College is 54.2 miles away in Moberly.

Why is Kirksville’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 28.5% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 15.5% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 6 points).

What is the closest community college to Kirksville, and what does it cost?

Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, 54.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,110 a year for Missouri residents; the federal net price, $6,810, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Truman State University?

Truman State University admitted 84% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,170–1,370 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Kirksville. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →