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Higher Education

Whether you’re looking for an advanced degree or to put your child through a college close to home, it’s important to understand the higher education scene.

Thirty-two percent of KC’s population is college educated – that’s nearly 5% more than the national average. Education is highly valued in KC and many employers pay at least a portion of the cost to obtain advanced degrees and certifications.

Here’s a guide to what the KC area has to offer in higher ed:

• Avila University
  Kansas City, Mo.
  With approximately 1,800 students, offers 36 undergraduate majors, three graduate programs and three certificate programs. The only school in Missouri to offer a Master’s Degree in Counseling Art Therapy.
• Baker University
  Baldwin City, Kan.
  Ranks among the top 30 private schools in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. Recognized by Barron’s Best Buys in College Education. Offers more than 40 areas of undergraduate study, accelerated adult programs, Bachelors of Science in nursing and advanced education degrees.
• Benedictine College
  Atchison, Kan.
  This residential, four-year Catholic liberal arts college is located on a 110-acre wooded campus overlooking the Missouri River in the northeastern corner of the KC metro. Consistently scores in the top five percent of colleges and universities on the National Survey of Student Engagement. Its unique Discovery Program offers students across all 36 majors an opportunity to do research or creative projects outside of the classroom. Offers EMBA, International EMBA, MBA and MASL graduate degrees.
• Cleveland Chiropractic
  Kansas City, Mo.
  Locations in Los Angeles, and the original in Kansas City. Offers both regional and specialized accreditation, as well as both B.A. and Doctor of Chiropractic degree programs.
• DeVry University
  Kansas City, Mo.
  Two locations in South Kansas City and downtown. Offers degrees in technology and business – including a degree in Game and Simulation Technology. Day, evening and weekend classes are available.
• The Kansas City Art Institute
  Kansas City, Mo.
  A leader in visual arts and design education. At 111 years old, it is the only college of art and design in the six-state region. Many graduates go on to be studio artists, museum curators, graphic designers, filmmakers and more.
• Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
  Kansas City, Mo.
  Offers degrees in osteopathic medicine and biosciences. A not-for-profit institution founded in 1916, it’s the oldest medical school in Kansas City and the largest in Missouri. Focuses on leadership, humility, faith and positivity, integrity, compassion and service. These core values, coupled with exemplary basic sciences and clinical training, are at the heart of the KCUMB educational process from a student's first day on campus to the end of postdoctoral training and beyond.
• Kansas State University
  Manhattan, Kan.
  Called the “Little Apple,” Manhattan, Kansas is a two hour drive from Kansas City. K-State offers 250 undergraduate majors and more than 100 master’s, doctoral and certificate programs. Since 1986, has ranked first nationally among state schools for its number of Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater and Udall scholars. It’s been voted one of the best value public colleges by Consumer Reports and the Princeton Review. Recently opened a state-of-the-art Biosecurity Research Institute and its vet school is one of the best in the country.
• MidAmerican Nazarene University
  Kansas City, Mo.
  Founded in 1966, MidAmerica Nazarene University opened its doors to students in 1968 with an enrollment of 263 students. Since that initial semester of operation, enrollment has increased dramatically and now totals approximately 1,753. The University offers undergraduate academic majors in over 40 areas, including a bachelor's degree-completion program in Management and Human Relations, a baccalaureate degree affiliation with European Nazarene College in Germany, and graduate-level programs in education, nursing, business administration and counseling.
• Park University
  Parkville, Mo.
  An independent, liberal, four-year, co-ed, residential Christian institution founded in 1875. Located in historic Parkville, just 10 minutes from downtown Kansas City. The school is in the top two percent of colleges in the nation for online education. Offers 38 Bachelor’s degree programs, five Master’s degree programs and 10 online Bachelor’s degree programs.
• Rockhurst University
  Kansas City, Mo.
  A Catholic Jesuit university with 3,000 students, is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 15 schools in the Midwest. The most popular undergraduate majors of the 50 offered are nursing, psychology, biology, marketing and economics.
• University of Kansas – Lawrence
  Lawrence, Kan.
  Located 35 miles west of Kansas City in Lawrence, Kansas. With a student body of just under 30,000 enrolled in its 14 different colleges, KU is well-known for its programs in film and television, journalism, communications and business. The Kansas Jayhawks also offer competitive NCAA football and basketball for fans in the KC region.
• University of Kansas Medical Center
  Kansas City, Kan.
  Houses the University of Kansas’ schools of medicine, nursing, allied health and graduate studies. At the University of Kansas Hospital, students serve more than 19,000 patients each year. The University’s Research Institute is the region’s only Carnegie Level One Research institution.
• University of Kansas – Edwards Campus
  Overland Park, Kan.
  Offers seven undergraduate and certificate programs, plus 12 graduate programs for non-traditional students. Programs are tailored to meet the needs of working adults including late afternoon and evening classes.
• University of Missouri – Columbia
  Columbia, Mo.
  Located two hours from the KC metro, the University of Missouri was the first public university west of the Missouri River. The journalism school consistently ranks among the top in the country, along with programs in dispute resolution and family and community medicine. Also features a leading college of veterinary medicine and more than 20 NCAA Division I sports. Offers well over 100 graduate and doctoral degree programs, including evening classes and online degrees.
• University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC)
  Kansas City, Mo.
  This University of Missouri campus is located in the heart of Kansas City, just blocks from the Country Club Plaza. Most recognized for its dental program, law school, school of business and arts programs. Offers 46 master’s degree programs. The Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration is included in the Princeton Review’s list of Best Business Schools and the Bloch MBA in Entrepreneurship is one of the top 10 in the country according to Entrepreneur Magazine.
• Vatterott College
  Kansas City, Mo.
  A technical school offering a wide variety of vocational instruction and technical certifications.
• Webster University
  Kansas City, Mo.
  An independent, non-denominational comprehensive institution of higher education. Emphasizes excellence in teaching and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts, the fine and performing arts, education, business and communications. Also offers 25 masters degree programs in the classroom or online.
• William Jewell College
  Liberty, Mo.
  A private, liberal arts college founded in 1849, now serving 1,500 students. The college was named among the top 157 liberal arts colleges in 2007 by U.S. News and World Report. Named in 2006 by the Princeton Review one of America’s Top Ten Best Values among all private colleges and universities. Offers more than 70 undergraduate degrees, including pre-med, pre-law and pre-engineering programs.
• Johnson County Community College
  Overland Park, Kan.
  The third largest educational institution in the state of Kansas, JCCC is a two-year comprehensive community college offering day and evening credit and noncredit classes and community service activities. More than 18,000 credit students attend classes each semester. Received the 2003 Kansas Excellence award, the highest level of recognition for quality given by the Kansas Award for Excellence Foundation.
• Metropolitan Community Colleges
  A network of five two-year colleges across the metro area. The colleges collectively offer 70 degree programs and strong transfer programs.
  • Blue River – Independence, Mo.
    Offers a solid gen-ed foundation as well as extensive music and theater courses, and exceptional peace officer and firefighter academies.
  • Business and Technology – Kansas City, Mo.
    College headquarters for technical education and services.
  • Longview – Lee’s Summit, Mo.
    Exceptional liberal arts education, human services and engineering programs, as well as one of the nation’s finest automotive technology programs.
  • Maple Woods – Kansas City, Mo. (North)
    Strong academic programs as well as cutting-edge geographic information systems program, a sign language interpreting program and an exceptional veterinary technology program.
  • Penn Valley – Kansas City, Mo. (South)
    The college’s most diverse campus. Offers quality general education as well as healthcare career program, the Francis Child Development Institute and the Carter Arts Center.
• Kansas City Kansas Community College
  Kansas City, Kan.
  A public, urban, open-door and comprehensive community college committed to excellence in higher education. The KCKCC debate team has won three straight championships including the 2005 debate and forensics tournaments among 67 two-year colleges. The school has articulation agreements with schools including the University of Kansas and Regis University.