Best General Studies Schools Near Joplin, MO (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Joplin, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $5,213 to $18,885 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 general studies-related role is Management Analysts at a median $82,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Joplin

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies 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.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 2.5 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.2 BOC Score
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: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $79,300 MO statewide $92,532
Management Analysts $82,760 Joplin, MO-KS $96,569
Human Resources Specialists $61,240 Joplin, MO-KS $71,459
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $55,050 Joplin, MO-KS $64,236
Writers and Authors $58,140 MO statewide $67,841
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $50,690 Joplin, MO-KS $59,148
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $56,800 Joplin, MO-KS $66,278
Social and Community Service Managers $62,930 Joplin, MO-KS $73,431

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

Metric Value Source
Population 52,218 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,154 Census 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 General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Joplin, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Joplin. The closest is Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Labette Community College (45.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Joplin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Joplin are: Management Analysts ($82,760), General and Operations Managers ($79,300), Social and Community Service Managers ($62,930). 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 general studies 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 general studies?

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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Joplin

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

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