Best Professional Writing Schools Near Columbia, MO (2026)

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

Columbia, Missouri has 3 accredited schools offering professional writing programs, with tuition ranging from $10,050 to $43,635 per year for indexed programs. Columbia has a population of about 127,200. Median household income is $64,488 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 56.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning professional writing-related role is Technical Writer at a median $80,840 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Professional Writing Schools to Columbia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer professional writing programs near Columbia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbia 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 Columbia. 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

Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Fayette, MO 23.8 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
31.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,991
Avg net price $22,766/yr
Tuition
In‑state$28,260
Out‑of‑state$28,260
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Rolla, MO 74.9 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.2 BOC Score
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: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO 77.0 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 64%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,560
Avg net price $14,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,050
Out‑of‑state$18,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Missouri-St Louis

Saint Louis, MO 109.7 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,037
Avg net price $15,071/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 86

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO 110.5 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Park University

Parkville, MO 127.3 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.2 BOC Score
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: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Drury University

Springfield, MO 130.3 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,694
Avg net price $20,831/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 131.5 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.3 BOC Score
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: 200

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Professional Writing Wages Near Columbia

Columbia is part of the Columbia, MO metro area (BLS area code 17860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$63,030Columbia, MO$70,503
Technical Writer$80,840MO statewide$90,425
Editor$54,250Columbia, MO$60,682

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.

Columbia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population127,200Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,488Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+56.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Professional Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited professional writing schools are near Columbia, MO?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering professional writing programs near Columbia. The closest is Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Fayette, MO (23.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Central Missouri (77.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying professional writing roles near Columbia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying professional writing-related roles near Columbia are: Technical Writer ($80,840), Writer and Author ($63,030), Editor ($54,250). 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 Jefferson City instead of Columbia?

Jefferson City, MO is 27.5 miles from Columbia and has its own set of local professional writing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Columbia an affordable place to study professional writing?

Columbia’s median household income of $64,488 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia 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 Professional Writing Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbia

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

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.

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