2025 Best Liberal Arts Schools in Missouri
16
Colleges in Missouri
6,781
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Ranked #2 in popularity,
liberal arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in Missouri to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 6,781 degrees in liberal arts to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Liberal Arts School
The liberal studies program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Liberal Arts rankings. For our Best Overall Liberal Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Liberal Arts Rankings by Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Liberal Arts Schools in Missouri ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Liberal Arts in Missouri
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the liberal studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Missouri Schools in Liberal Studies
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
14th
Most Popular In MO
69
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Any student pursuing a degree in liberal arts needs to take a look at Columbia College. Columbia College Missouri is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #634 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia College Missouri is a great college overall.
There were about 69 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Columbia College Missouri in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Columbia College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In MO
2,499
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Any student pursuing a degree in liberal arts has to look into Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City. Located in the large city of Kansas City, MCC is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #690 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means MCC is a great college overall.
There were roughly 2499 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at MCC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City
Associates
Degree Type
AA in Liberal Arts
Program Name
Strengthen your communication and critical-thinking skills with this online associate in liberal arts degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in AA in Liberal Arts from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In MO
530
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat St Charles Community College if you want to pursue a degree in liberal arts. SCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the large suburb of Cottleville. A Best Colleges rank of #787 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SCC is a great college overall.
There were approximately 530 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at SCC in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from St Charles Community College
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In MO
121
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
It is hard to beat University of Missouri - Kansas City if you wish to pursue a degree in liberal arts. UMKC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Kansas City. A Best Colleges rank of #674 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMKC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 121 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UMKC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Missouri - Kansas City
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In MO
80
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the midsize city of Springfield, Missouri State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #575 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Missouri State is a great university overall.
There were about 80 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Missouri State University - Springfield
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In MO
385
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
State Fair Community College is a small public college located in the remote town of Sedalia. This college ranks 24th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were approximately 385 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at State Fair Community College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from State Fair Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In MO
1,327
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Saint Louis Community College is a large public college located in the large suburb of Bridgeton. A Best Colleges rank of #1278 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Saint Louis Community College is a great college overall.
There were about 1327 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Saint Louis Community College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Saint Louis Community College
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in General Studies
Program Name
Maximize your transfer credits and complete your bachelor's degree faster with this flexible online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in General Studies from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
12th
Most Popular In MO
69
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
UMSL is a large public university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #632 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMSL is a great university overall.
There were approximately 69 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UMSL in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Missouri - St Louis
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In MO
586
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the distant town of Moberly, MACC is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 29th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were about 586 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at MACC in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Moberly Area Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
7th
Most Popular In MO
293
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
MAC is a small public college located in the town of Park Hills. This college ranks 31st out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were about 293 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at MAC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Mineral Area College
