Best Health Science Schools Near Kansas City, MO (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Kansas City, Missouri is home to about 508,233 residents. Median household income is $67,449 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning health science-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $124,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Health Science Schools to Kansas City

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

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

Sort:
#1

Moberly Area Community College

Moberly, MO 114.2 miles from Kansas City
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
52.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,537
Avg net price $6,810/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 120.1 miles from Kansas City
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
75.7 BOC Score
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: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 140.1 miles from Kansas City
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Westminster College

Fulton, MO 140.9 miles from Kansas City
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
44.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,199
Avg net price $24,314/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Ozarks Technical Community College

Springfield, MO 148.9 miles from Kansas City
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
54.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,455
Avg net price $6,936/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

St Charles Community College

Cottleville, MO 211.7 miles from Kansas City
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,422
Avg net price $5,837/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,048
Out‑of‑state$6,096
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Saint Louis Community College

Bridgeton, MO 222.8 miles from Kansas City
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
34.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,325
Avg net price $8,440/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO 231.0 miles from Kansas City
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
85.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,182
Avg net price $21,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Health Science Wages Near Kansas City

Kansas City 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 and Health Services Manager$124,990Kansas City, MO-KS$135,124
Health Education Specialist$62,990Kansas City, MO-KS$68,097
Health Information Technologist$54,510Kansas City, MO-KS$58,930
Health Technologist and Technician$48,720Kansas City, MO-KS$52,670

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.

Kansas City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population508,233Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,449Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+37.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Kansas City-Area Cities With Health Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying health science roles near Kansas City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying health science-related roles near Kansas City are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($124,990), Health Education Specialist ($62,990), Health Information Technologist ($54,510). 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 Gladstone instead of Kansas City?

Gladstone, MO is 6.2 miles from Kansas City and has its own set of local health science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Kansas City an affordable place to study health science?

Kansas City’s median household income of $67,449 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kansas City 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 Health Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Kansas City

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

Data verified: August 25, 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.

Back to Best Health Science Schools in Missouri (2026)