Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Saint Joseph, MO (2026)

Saint Joseph, Missouri has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs. Saint Joseph has a population of about 71,542. Median household income is $55,578 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Technical Writer at a median $80,840 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Saint Joseph

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

#1

Park University

Parkville, MO 40.1 miles from Saint Joseph 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

#2

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 51.5 miles from Saint Joseph 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

#3

Rockhurst University

Kansas City, MO 52.1 miles from Saint Joseph BOC Score 71.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,102
Avg net price $25,884/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Truman State University

Kirksville, MO 122.1 miles from Saint Joseph BOC Score 74.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,280
Avg net price $12,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 144.8 miles from Saint Joseph 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

#6

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, MO 185.1 miles from Saint Joseph BOC Score 42.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 195.4 miles from Saint Joseph BOC Score 56.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,827
Avg net price $17,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Rolla, MO 206.0 miles from Saint Joseph BOC Score 79.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,957
Avg net price $16,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph is part of the St. Joseph, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 41140). 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$56,480St. Joseph, MO-KS$65,370
Management Analyst$77,230St. Joseph, MO-KS$89,387
Technical Writer$80,840MO statewide$93,565
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$46,920MO statewide$54,306
Editor$61,620MO statewide$71,319
Training and Development Specialist$56,140St. Joseph, MO-KS$64,977
Human Resources Specialist$64,200St. Joseph, MO-KS$74,306

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.


Saint Joseph at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population71,542Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,578Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Saint Joseph-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Saint Joseph, MO?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Saint Joseph are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Saint Joseph?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Saint Joseph are: Technical Writer ($80,840), Management Analyst ($77,230), Human Resources Specialist ($64,200). 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 Leavenworth instead of Saint Joseph?

Leavenworth, KS is 30.7 miles from Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Saint Joseph’s median household income of $55,578 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.