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Liberty CourthousePhoto: Chiefs190 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Liberty

Liberty is home to William Jewell College

William Jewell College (885 students on campus) is inside the city. About 6% of Liberty’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Missouri (6%).

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 Liberty. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
5
17,240 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
William Jewell College
Residents in college
6%
About the same as MO (6%)
Nearest community college
15 mi
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · $3,630 tuition
Nearest public university
16.8 mi
University of Missouri-Kansas City · $12,587 in-state
Median household income
$89K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Liberty

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

A college in LibertyWilliam Jewell College has 885 students on campus in Liberty, 68% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 15 miles awayMetropolitan Community College-Kansas City in Kansas City: tuition and fees $3,630 a year for Missouri residents.In-state price at University of Missouri-Kansas CityLiving in Missouri, the University of Missouri-Kansas City charges $12,587 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $30,227. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 6% of residentsAbout the same as Missouri (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Liberty

Four private colleges within 14.4 miles, and Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City 15 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, University of Missouri-Kansas City, is 16.8 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miMetropolitan Community College-Kansas CityPark UniversityKansas City UniversityLiberty
University or collegeCommunity college
William Jewell CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 885 on campus · In Liberty38%admitted$18knet price68%graduate$59kearningsMidwestern Baptist Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,011 on campus · 9.1 mi · Kansas City96%admitted$23knet price48%graduate$51kearningsKansas City UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,048 on campus · 12 mi · Kansas CityGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Park UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,059 on campus · 14.4 mi · Parkville · mostly online$21knet price38%graduate$56kearnings69% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityCommunity college · Public · 10,237 on campus · 15 mi · Kansas City$8knet price34%graduate$41kearningsTuition and fees: $3,630 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

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 and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Liberty’s median household income ($88,542) falls.

Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City15 mi · Kansas City · sticker $14,665 · tuition $3,630$10,667a year
University of Missouri-Kansas City16.8 mi · Kansas City · sticker $25,320$16,019a year
William Jewell CollegeIn Liberty · sticker $35,785$16,624a year
Park University14.4 mi · Parkville · mostly online · sticker $29,427$23,208a year
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary9.1 mi · Kansas City · sticker $29,080$26,461a 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: 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 →William Jewell CollegeMidwestern Baptist Theological SeminaryPark UniversityMetropolitan Community College-Kansas CityUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City55% graduate$60k earnings$19k typical debt
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City34% graduate$41k earnings$10k typical debt
Park University38% graduate$56k earnings$22k typical debt
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary48% graduate$51k earnings$16k typical debt
William Jewell College68% graduate$59k earnings$24k 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 Liberty

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at William Jewell College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 31%Health professions 14%Psychology 13%Interdisciplinary 7%Biology 6%Social sciences 5%Everything else 23%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing52 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations39 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Psychology, General19 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities9 graduates a year
$73k4 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 Liberty

Is Liberty a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Liberty residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Missouri (6). The largest campus in the city, William Jewell College, has 885 students on campus.

What colleges are in Liberty?

William Jewell College is inside the city. Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City is 15 miles away in Kansas City.

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

Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City in Kansas City, 15 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,630 a year for Missouri residents; the federal net price, $8,398, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of Missouri-Kansas City cost if we live in Missouri?

Tuition and fees are $12,587 a year in-state and $30,227 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $10,576 (under $30,000 income) to $18,877 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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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 Liberty. 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 →