Best Online Graphic Design Programs in Blue Springs, MO (2026)

Blue Springs, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs, with tuition ranging from $42,000 to $50,096 per year for indexed programs. Blue Springs has a population of about 59,416. Median household income is $84,075 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $88,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Blue Springs

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

#1

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 16.2 miles from Blue Springs 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

#2

Kansas City Art Institute

Kansas City, MO 16.9 miles from Blue Springs BOC Score 30.9
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,032
Avg net price $27,650/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Kansas City, MO 20.2 miles from Blue Springs BOC Score 37.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,535
Avg net price $23,006/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Park University

Parkville, MO 25.1 miles from Blue Springs 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

#5

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO 33.5 miles from Blue Springs 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

#6

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, MO 58.4 miles from Blue Springs 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

#7

Northwest Missouri State University

Maryville, MO 98.2 miles from Blue Springs BOC Score 48.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,885
Avg net price $16,244/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 104.5 miles from Blue Springs BOC Score 75.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,403
Avg net price $20,268/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Graphic Design Wages Near Blue Springs

Blue Springs 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)
Graphic Designer$59,990Kansas City, MO-KS$64,854
Art Director$88,610Kansas City, MO-KS$95,795
Web and Digital Interface Designer$75,690Kansas City, MO-KS$81,827
Special Effects Artist and Animator$69,820Kansas City, MO-KS$75,481

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.


Blue Springs at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population59,416Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,075Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Blue Springs-Area Cities With Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited graphic design schools are near Blue Springs, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Blue Springs. The closest is University of Missouri-Kansas City in Kansas City, MO (16.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Avila University (18.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying graphic design roles near Blue Springs?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Blue Springs are: Art Director ($88,610), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($75,690), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($69,820). 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 Independence instead of Blue Springs?

Independence, MO is 6.6 miles from Blue Springs and has its own set of local graphic design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Blue Springs an affordable place to study graphic design?

Blue Springs’s median household income of $84,075 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Blue Springs 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 Graphic Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Blue Springs

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

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.