Best Online Elementary Education Programs in Joplin, MO (2026)

Joplin, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs, with tuition ranging from $5,213 to $28,448 per year for indexed programs. Joplin has a population of about 52,218. Median household income is $51,154 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Joplin, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning elementary education-related role is Secondary School Teacher at a median $50,690 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Elementary Education Schools to Joplin

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer elementary education programs near Joplin, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Joplin 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 Joplin. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 3.5 miles from Joplin BOC Score 42.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,620
Avg net price $12,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Elementary Education Wages Near Joplin

Joplin is part of the Joplin, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 27900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Elementary School Teacher$48,770Joplin, MO-KS$56,908
Middle School Teacher$49,110Joplin, MO-KS$57,305
Secondary School Teacher$50,690Joplin, MO-KS$59,148
Teaching Assistant$35,050Joplin, MO-KS$40,898

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.


Joplin at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population52,218Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,154Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Joplin-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited elementary education schools are near Joplin, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Joplin. The closest is Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO (3.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mission University (63.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying elementary education roles near Joplin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles near Joplin are: Secondary School Teacher ($50,690), Middle School Teacher ($49,110), Elementary School Teacher ($48,770). 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 Pittsburg instead of Joplin?

Pittsburg, KS is 25.7 miles from Joplin and has its own set of local elementary education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Joplin an affordable place to study elementary education?

Joplin’s median household income of $51,154 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Joplin 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Joplin

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.