Best Online Biology Programs in Raytown, MO (2026)

Raytown, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $42,000 to $50,096 per year for indexed programs. Raytown has a population of about 29,593. Median household income is $67,227 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $81,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Raytown

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Raytown, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Raytown city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Raytown. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Rockhurst University

Kansas City, MO 6.3 miles from Raytown BOC Score 71.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,102
Avg net price $25,884/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 6.6 miles from Raytown BOC Score 64.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,637
Avg net price $13,310/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Avila University

Kansas City, MO 8.9 miles from Raytown BOC Score 53.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,773
Avg net price $16,053/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,000
Out‑of‑state$42,000
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Kansas City University

Kansas City, MO 9.3 miles from Raytown
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Park University

Parkville, MO 17.8 miles from Raytown BOC Score 41.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,309
Avg net price $21,032/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

William Jewell College

Liberty, MO 18.0 miles from Raytown BOC Score 65.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,268
Avg net price $17,562/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO 42.1 miles from Raytown BOC Score 54.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 64%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,560
Avg net price $14,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,050
Out‑of‑state$18,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, MO 55.5 miles from Raytown BOC Score 37.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,647
Avg net price $13,251/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Missouri schools on the Missouri biology page.


Biology Wages Near Raytown

Raytown is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 28140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientist$81,250Kansas City, MO-KS$87,838
Biological Technician$52,630Kansas City, MO-KS$56,897
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$76,400MO statewide$82,595
Soil and Plant Scientist$65,190Kansas City, MO-KS$70,476

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Raytown at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,593Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,227Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Raytown-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Raytown, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Raytown. The closest is Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO (6.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kansas City University (9.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Raytown?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Raytown are: Medical Scientist ($81,250), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($76,400), Soil and Plant Scientist ($65,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lees Summit instead of Raytown?

Lees Summit, MO is 6.9 miles from Raytown and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Raytown an affordable place to study biology?

Raytown’s median household income of $67,227 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Raytown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Biology Programs

Other Programs Available in Raytown

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Raytown:

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.