Best Legal Studies Schools Near Springfield, MO (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Springfield, Missouri has 1 accredited school offering legal studies programs. Springfield has a population of about 169,432. Median household income is $45,984 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Springfield, MO metro area, the top-earning legal studies-related role is Lawyer at a median $103,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer legal studies programs near Springfield, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Springfield 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 Springfield. 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 64.8 miles from Springfield
  • 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

#2

Webster University

Saint Louis, MO 187.3 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,876
Avg net price $27,047/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Fontbonne University

Saint Louis, MO 190.6 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO 194.1 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,783
Avg net price $24,398/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, MO 194.7 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.8 BOC Score
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: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Culver-Stockton College

Canton, MO 223.9 miles from Springfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,092
Avg net price $21,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Springfield is part of the Springfield, MO metro area (BLS area code 44180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Paralegal and Legal Assistant$49,210Springfield, MO$55,542
Lawyer$103,790Springfield, MO$117,144
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$37,900Springfield, MO$42,777

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.

Springfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population169,432Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$45,984Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering legal studies programs near Springfield. The closest is Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO (64.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Missouri Southern State University (64.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying legal studies-related roles near Springfield are: Lawyer ($103,790), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($49,210), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($37,900). 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 Nixa instead of Springfield?

Nixa, MO is 10.3 miles from Springfield and has its own set of local legal studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Springfield’s median household income of $45,984 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Springfield 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.

Other Programs Available in Springfield

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

Data verified: August 31, 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 Legal Studies Schools in Missouri: Online Programs (2026)