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2025 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Missouri

16 Colleges in Missouri
6,407 Associate Degrees
$28,102 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a associate degree in liberal arts general studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #1 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in Missouri to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts general studies students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 6,407 associate degrees in liberal arts general studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts General Studies School for Your Associate Degree

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Missouri The liberal arts associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality liberal arts program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Liberal Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The liberal arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Missouri.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Liberal Arts General Studies in Missouri

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts general studies.

10 Top Missouri Schools for an Associate in Liberal Arts

1
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, MO

Any student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in liberal arts general studies needs to check out Columbia College. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the city of Columbia.

Associate recipients from the liberal arts general studies program at Columbia College earn $19,496 above the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Columbia College

2
1,209 Annual Graduates
$28,092 Median Starting Salary

Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the city of Kansas City, MCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After graduating, liberal arts associate recipients typically make around $28,092 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City

3

It is hard to beat St Charles Community College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. SCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Cottleville.

Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career income of $25,968.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from St Charles Community College

4

It's difficult to beat State Fair Community College if you want to pursue an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. State Fair Community College is a small public college located in the remote town of Sedalia.

Soon after graduating, liberal arts associate recipients usually make around $26,386 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from State Fair Community College

5
1,210 Annual Graduates
$25,841 Median Starting Salary

Saint Louis Community College is a large public college located in the large suburb of Bridgeton.

Soon after graduating, liberal arts associate recipients generally make about $25,841 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Saint Louis Community College

6

OTC is a fairly large public college located in the city of Springfield.

Soon after graduating, liberal arts associate recipients usually make about $26,787 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Ozarks Technical Community College

7

Located in the town of Moberly, MACC is a public college with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $26,306.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Moberly Area Community College

8
MAC crest
Mineral Area College
Park Hills, MO

MAC is a small public college located in the distant town of Park Hills.

Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $25,462.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Mineral Area College

9
JeffCo crest
Jefferson College
Hillsboro, MO

Located in the rural area of Hillsboro, JeffCo is a public college with a small student population.

Associate students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program earn an average of $24,813 for their early career.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Jefferson College

10
Three Rivers College crest
Three Rivers College
Poplar Bluff, MO

Located in the town of Poplar Bluff, Three Rivers College is a public college with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career wages of $28,645.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Three Rivers College

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 151 6,170
Kansas 146 5,695
Iowa 116 5,487
Nebraska 98 1,161
South Dakota 93 101
North Dakota 92 778

View All Rankings >

One of 0 majors within the Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities area of study, Liberal Arts General Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Liberal Arts Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts 4,896
General Studies 1,048
Individualized Studies 463

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