What are Kansas and Missouri’s top colleges? Ranking compares debt, salaries
Mizzou beats KU not only in the football border war, but also in a recent ranking of top colleges.
The University of Missouri in Columbia was ranked higher than the University of Kansas in a list of top universities for 2026, according to Forbes, a financial publication.
But both were outranked by Washington University in St. Louis, which made the top 25.
Forbes compiled a list of the top 500 higher education institutions in the country by looking at alumni salaries, retention and graduation rates and amount of student debt, among other factors.
One of the most obscure of the metrics is what Forbes dubs the “Forbes American Leaders List.” Making up 15% of the score, this metric counts the number of alumni on Forbes lists like the Forbes 30 under 30, with high-profile government positions, and who have won prestigious prizes.
Economic research shows that college graduates earn more than their peers with only a high school diploma. In 2024, people aged 22 to 27 with a bachelor’s degree earned on average $60,000 a year, compared to $40,000 for high school graduates, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. And the earnings gap grows as workers build their careers.
But the bachelor’s degree comes at a cost. On average, a person with a four-year degree who took out student loans owes between $20,000 and $25,000, according to the Pew Research Center.
Forbes publishes a variety of rankings, including the best employers and the richest people. The publication did not respond to a request for methodology and median information on grant aid, debt and salary for Kansas and Missouri universities.
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Rank: 25
- Average grant aid: $61,036
- Average debt: $7,789
- Median 20-year salary: $146,800
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- Rank: 126
- Average grant aid: $11,734
- Average debt: $8,609
- Median 20-year salary: $122,500
- University of Kansas
- Rank: 165
- Average grant aid: $10,644
- Average debt: $7,351
- Median 20-year salary: $121,600
- Saint Louis University
- Rank: 203
- Average grant aid: $38,498
- Average debt: $7,750
- Median 20-year salary: $113,400
- Kansas State University
- Rank: 213
- Average grant aid: $9,391
- Average debt: $7,240
- Median 20-year salary: $117,400
- Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Rank: 235
- Average grant aid: $13,952
- Average debt: $8,692
- Median 20-year salary: $145,600
- Truman State University
- Rank: 257
- Average grant aid: $10,904
- Average debt: $6,914
- Median 20-year salary: $110,400
- University of Missouri-Kansas City
- Rank: 339
- Average grant aid: $10,130
- Average debt: $6,331
- Median 20-year salary: $107,400
- Rockhurst University
- Rank: 344
- Average grant aid: $34,253
- Average debt: $6,703
- Median 20-year salary: $111,200
- William Jewell College
- Rank: 409
- Average grant aid: $16,922
- Average debt: $6,810
- Median 20-year salary: $121,600
- Maryville University of Saint Louis
- Rank: 438
- Average grant aid: $18,185
- Average debt: $8,359
- Median 20 year salary: $95,700
