The Top 50 Best Colleges in the US is College Raptor’s most prestigious rankings list. Updated annually, these schools are celebrated for their rich histories, stunning campuses, excellent academics, and vibrant student life. The institutions on this list are known for both academic excellence and impressive extracurricular opportunities, making them “dream schools” for students around the world. Use these rankings as a jumping-off point for you to create your own personalized rankings using our college match tool.
Each of these rankings is based on an analysis of data about the school’s selectivity, financial health, graduation rates, student success, and more. We’ve outlined our full methodology here.
| Rank | Institution | Undergraduates | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington University in St Louis | 8220 | 12.06 | 1,480 – 1,560 | 22440 | 78073 |
#1
Washington University in St Louis
|
| 2 | Saint Louis University | 10436 | 75.04 | 1,140 – 1,400 | 30911 | 60716 |
#2
Saint Louis University
|
| 3 | University of Missouri-Columbia | 24457 | 78.47 | 1,150 – 1,370 | 20006 | 52756 |
University of Missouri-Columbia
|
| 4 | Rockhurst University | 2304 | 70.89 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 23785 | 61371 |
Rockhurst University
|
| 5 | Truman State University | 3265 | 83.77 | 1,210 – 1,400 | 12798 | 43966 |
Truman State University
|
| 6 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | 5692 | 95.08 | 970 – 1,210 | 26733 | 55047 |
Maryville University of Saint Louis
|
| 7 | University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 275 | 75.15 | 1,160 – 1,330 | 33392 | 116360 |
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
|
| 8 | College of the Ozarks | 1454 | 11.99 | 1,050 – 1,220 | 12279 | 36507 |
College of the Ozarks
|
| 9 | William Jewell College | 969 | 38.36 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 17408 | 54197 |
#9
William Jewell College
|
| 10 | Kansas City Art Institute | 813 | 54.76 | 890 – 1,230 | 30142 | 25529 |
Kansas City Art Institute
|
| 11 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | 5552 | 72.55 | 1,210 – 1,410 | 14414 | 69295 |
Missouri University of Science and Technology
|
| 12 | Cottey College | 261 | 70.23 | 970 – 1,210 | 18430 | 32903 |
Cottey College
|
| 13 | Webster University | 2091 | 95.94 | 990 – 1,220 | 27695 | 39656 |
Webster University
|
| 14 | Drury University | 1391 | 57.58 | 1,120 – 1,340 | 22194 | 37508 |
Drury University
|
| 15 | Evangel University | 1843 | 71.61 | 1,070 – 1,300 | 18748 | 39332 | |
| 16 | William Woods University | 1097 | 74.49 | 1,040 – 1,240 | 22925 | 39265 |
William Woods University
|
| 17 | Missouri State University-Springfield | 20584 | 90.53 | 1,020 – 1,250 | 17104 | 40553 |
Missouri State University-Springfield
|
| 18 | Stephens College | 354 | 91.85 | 1,100 – 1,270 | 23261 | 36778 |
Stephens College
|
| 19 | University of Missouri-Kansas City | 10206 | 72.18 | 1,060 – 1,330 | 14201 | 50298 |
University of Missouri-Kansas City
|
| 20 | Fontbonne University | 650 | 95.03 | 970 – 1,210 | 19519 | 44150 |
Fontbonne University
|
| 21 | University of Missouri-St Louis | 12151 | 57.16 | 1,040 – 1,270 | 11577 | 47564 |
University of Missouri-St Louis
|
| 22 | Lindenwood University | 4663 | 56.84 | 1,070 – 1,270 | 18698 | 45711 |
Lindenwood University
|
| 23 | Ozark Christian College | 614 | 98.19 | 1,040 – 1,280 | 17968 | 32528 |
Ozark Christian College
|
| 24 | Southeast Missouri State University | 7926 | 68.97 | 970 – 1,190 | 14843 | 38150 |
Southeast Missouri State University
|
| 25 | Westminster College | 593 | 77.58 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 26780 | 40992 |
#25
Westminster College
|
| 26 | Northwest Missouri State University | 5241 | 86.13 | 970 – 1,180 | 15497 | 41695 |
Northwest Missouri State University
|
| 27 | Hannibal-LaGrange University | 402 | 58.74 | 1,020 – 1,230 | 20640 | 41185 | |
| 28 | University of Central Missouri | 7584 | 63.8 | 930 – 1,180 | 15728 | 41593 |
University of Central Missouri
|
| 29 | Southwest Baptist University | 1622 | 99.72 | 970 – 1,210 | 19781 | 38855 |
Southwest Baptist University
|
| 30 | Central Christian College of the Bible | 155 | 70.91 | 930 – 1,080 | 13695 | 30223 |
Central Christian College of the Bible
|
| 31 | Culver-Stockton College | 861 | 65.18 | -- | 22103 | 40673 |
Culver-Stockton College
|
| 32 | Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | 1041 | 56.86 | 940 – 1,140 | 25050 | 43860 |
#32
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
|
| 33 | Urshan College | 514 | 83.87 | 950 – 1,130 | 12427 | 63721 | |
| 34 | Chamberlain University-Missouri | 328 | 83.33 | -- | 34947 | 84533 | |
| 35 | Columbia College | 876 | 88.78 | 930 – 1,120 | 22655 | 40747 |
Columbia College
|
| 36 | Avila University | 1335 | 87.8 | 890 – 1,080 | 17482 | 48975 |
Avila University
|
| 37 | Missouri Southern State University | 3881 | 97.06 | 950 – 1,200 | 11264 | 37866 |
Missouri Southern State University
|
| 38 | Missouri Baptist University | 4958 | 68.6 | 710 – 970 | 26117 | 38997 |
Missouri Baptist University
|
| 39 | Spurgeon College | 1067 | 94.33 | 1,040 – 1,190 | 25380 | 39712 |
Spurgeon College
|
| 40 | Park University | 6238 | 69.04 | 930 – 1,140 | 15637 | 50550 |
Park University
|
| 41 | Calvary University | 198 | 70.91 | 870 – 1,170 | 12860 | 33144 | |
| 42 | Harris-Stowe State University | 1098 | 51.4 | 850 – 1,010 | 9302 | 26634 |
Harris-Stowe State University
|
| 43 | Missouri Valley College | 1558 | 52.69 | 900 – 1,070 | 18396 | 36902 |
Missouri Valley College
|
| 44 | Mission University | 342 | 59.54 | 1,010 – 1,140 | 21138 | 30600 |
Mission University
|
| 45 | Missouri Western State University | 3494 | 99.96 | 890 – 1,140 | 12764 | 37499 |
Missouri Western State University
|
| 46 | Ranken Technical College | 1696 | 0 | -- | 16136 | 51342 | |
| 47 | Lincoln University | 1707 | 0 | 800 – 1,040 | 12673 | 32185 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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