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Buchanan County Courthouse St Joseph MissouriPhoto: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Colleges in and near St. Joseph

St. Joseph is home to Missouri Western State University

Missouri Western State University (3,498 students on campus) is inside the city. About 5% of St. Joseph’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Missouri (6%).

Missouri Western State University

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 St. Joseph. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
3,498 students on campus
Nearest college
1.9 mi
Missouri Western State
Residents in college
5%
About the same as MO (6%)
Nearest community college
49.3 mi
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City · $3,630 tuition
Nearest public university
1.9 mi
Missouri Western State · $10,306 in-state
Median household income
$58K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in St. Joseph

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

A university in St. JosephMissouri Western State University has 3,498 students on campus in St. Joseph, 39% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Missouri Western StateLiving in Missouri, Missouri Western State University charges $10,306 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $20,866. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 49.3 miles awayMetropolitan Community College-Kansas City in Kansas City: tuition and fees $3,630 a year for Missouri residents.Students are 5% 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 St. Joseph

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from St. Joseph.

5 mi10 mi15 miMissouri Western StateSt. Joseph
University or collegeCommunity college
Missouri Western State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 3,498 on campus · In St. Joseph$13knet price39%graduate$43kearnings

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 St. Joseph’s median household income ($57,956) falls.

Missouri Western State UniversityIn St. Joseph · sticker $21,595$13,965a 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 St. Joseph: 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 →Missouri Western State
Missouri Western State University39% graduate$43k earnings$20k 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 St. Joseph

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

Health professions 20%Business 17%Education 9%Parks & recreation 7%Psychology 7%Interdisciplinary 6%Everything else 33%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing91 graduates a year
$75k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations54 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other44 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods38 graduates a year
$39k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections38 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Marketing36 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness31 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Biology, General29 graduates a year
$54k4 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 St. Joseph

Is St. Joseph a college town?

No. About 5 of every 100 St. Joseph residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Missouri (6). The largest campus in the city, Missouri Western State University, has 3,498 students on campus.

What colleges are in St. Joseph?

Missouri Western State University is inside the city. Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City is 49.3 miles away in Kansas City.

What is the closest community college to St. Joseph, and what does it cost?

Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City in Kansas City, 49.3 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 Missouri Western State University cost if we live in Missouri?

Tuition and fees are $10,306 a year in-state and $20,866 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $11,243 (under $30,000 income) to $17,764 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

Neighbors talk college

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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 St. Joseph. 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 →