Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Kansas City, MO (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Kansas City, Missouri has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts 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 liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $98,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Kansas City

The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Kansas City. Distances are calculated from Kansas City city center.

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

Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 5.2 miles from Kansas City BOC Score45.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Johnson County Community College

Overland Park, KS 16.8 miles from Kansas City BOC Score55.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Liberal Arts 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)
Public Relations Specialist$68,050Kansas City, MO-KS$73,568
Management Analyst$98,430Kansas City, MO-KS$106,411
Technical Writer$76,590Kansas City, MO-KS$82,800
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$48,490Kansas City, MO-KS$52,422
Editor$65,180Kansas City, MO-KS$70,465
Training and Development Specialist$66,300Kansas City, MO-KS$71,676
Human Resources Specialist$75,190Kansas City, MO-KS$81,286

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
Liberal Arts-related employment in Jackson County4,672 workers, 159 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Kansas City-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Kansas City, MO?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Kansas City. The closest is Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City in Kansas City, MO (5.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Johnson County Community College (16.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Kansas City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Kansas City are: Management Analyst ($98,430), Technical Writer ($76,590), Human Resources Specialist ($75,190). 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 liberal arts 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 liberal arts?

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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Kansas City

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

Data verified: June 11, 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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