Education in Missouri - Colleges and Universities

Colleges and Universities

See also: List of colleges and universities in Missouri

Public colleges and universities in Missouri are administered by the Missouri Department of Higher Education. The state system of higher education includes 13 four-year universities and 20 two-year colleges, which includes the University of Missouri System, the state's public university system. The flagship institution and largest university in the state is the University of Missouri in Columbia. The others in the system are University of Missouri–St. Louis, University of Missouri–Kansas City and Missouri University of Science and Technology. The state also maintains another set of public universities that are not part of the University of Missouri system, which include Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri State University in Springfield, Truman State University in Kirksville, Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville and the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. The state also funds a $2000, renewable merit-based scholarship known as Bright Flight, which is given to Missouri students attending an in-state university who earned a composite score on the ACT or SAT in the top 3 percent of all Missouri students taking those tests, or a score among the top 5% of test takers nationally.

Private universities in Missouri include Saint Louis University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Rockhurst University in Kansas City. There are numerous junior colleges, trade schools, seminaries, church universities and private universities.