Missouri Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest In State Tution

Below is a college cost ranking of the 13 public colleges in Missouri with the lowest in state tution. What is the cheapest college in Missouri? Harris Stowe State University leads the list with a tuition and fee total of $8,208. Note these costs do not include room and board or living expenses.

Affordable doesn't simply mean finding a school with a low published price. It's important to research the typical financial aid package offered by a school, the average net price actually paid and most importantly the quality of education you receive for your tuition dollar. Sometimes a school which appears cheap based on list price can be a poor relative value if it can't award competitive financial aid or doesn't offer a quality education. The list below is a ranking on published in state tution with no consideration of actual average price paid or academic quality of the school. Please see the CollegeSimply Best Value Colleges in Missouri list for a ranking which considers school quality and average net price.

All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS 2025 survey and reflect reported costs for academic year 2024/2025.

List of Missouri Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest In State Tution
College Tuition In State

Saint Louis, Missouri

$8,208
$9,800

Kirksville, Missouri

$10,176
$10,884

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

$11,247

Warrensburg, Missouri

$11,550

Jefferson City, Missouri

$11,926

Saint Joseph, Missouri

$12,302

Saint Louis, Missouri

$14,112

Kansas City, Missouri

$14,208
$14,509

Columbia, Missouri

$16,016
$16,312

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.