Best Online Human Services Programs in Kansas City, MO (2026)

Kansas City, Missouri has 4 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $13,296 to $13,296 per year for indexed programs. Kansas City has a population of about 508,233. 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 human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $78,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to Kansas City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer human services 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.

#1

Columbia College

Columbia, MO 120.1 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 32.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,378
Avg net price $22,715/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,826
Out‑of‑state$25,826
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Westminster College

Fulton, MO 140.9 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 44.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

William Woods University

Fulton, MO 141.1 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 33.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,401
Avg net price $26,569/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies

Springfield, MO 148.6 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 36.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,694
Avg net price $10,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 47%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Evangel University-College of Online Learning

Springfield, MO 148.9 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 42.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 49%
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,573
Avg net price $22,503/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,175
Out‑of‑state$8,175
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Urshan University

Wentzville, MO 201.3 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 51.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Avg net price $14,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Missouri Baptist University

Saint Louis, MO 222.5 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 36.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,660
Avg net price $27,006/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Saint Louis Community College

Bridgeton, MO 222.8 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 34.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Human Services 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)
Social and Human Service Assistant$45,860Kansas City, MO-KS$49,578
Social and Community Service Manager$78,920Kansas City, MO-KS$85,319
Child, Family and School Social Worker$49,880Kansas City, MO-KS$53,924
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$60,690Kansas City, MO-KS$65,611

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 Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Kansas City, MO?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering human services programs near Kansas City. The closest is Ottawa University-Kansas City in Overland Park, KS (14.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rasmussen University-Kansas (62.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles near Kansas City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Kansas City are: Social and Community Service Manager ($78,920), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($60,690), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($49,880). 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 human services 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 human services?

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 Human Services Programs

Other Programs Available in Kansas City

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

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.