Missouri · Business/Commerce

Best colleges for Business/Commerce in Missouri

Ranked by graduate earnings

University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Missouri-St Louis and University of Missouri-Kansas City are the top bachelor's Business/Commerce programs in Missouri by graduate earnings. University of Missouri-Columbia leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $55,999, College Scorecard. University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Missouri-St Louis and Columbia College award the most Business/Commerce degrees in Missouri: 1,058, 406 and 345 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 23 Missouri colleges offer Business/Commerce and award 3,023 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Business/Commerce program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of business management, marketing, and related services. This program is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in…

Institutions
23
offering CIP 52.01
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
3,023
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$47,530
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
12
College Scorecard
Median net price
$20,939
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
51%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · General and Operations Managers
$102,610
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 9 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia Public · Bachelor's degree
$55,9991,05875%—$21,500
2University of Missouri-St Louis
Saint Louis Public · Bachelor's degree
$48,92840657%—$21,538
3University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City Public · Bachelor's degree
$48,60326655%—$21,853
4Columbia College
Columbia Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$48,32934542%$23,247$28,100
5Lindenwood University
Saint Charles Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$47,82128849%$17,436$31,000
6Missouri Southern State University
Joplin Public · Bachelor's degree
$44,26214442%—$20,737
7Missouri State University - Springfield
Springfield Public · Bachelor's degree
$43,3648058%—$26,000
8Avila University
Kansas City Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$47,5301352%$16,721$32,750
9Central Methodist University - College of Graduate and Extended Studies
Fayette Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$39,435900%$14,535$22,732

Top 2 certificate and associate programs

Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Saint Louis Community College
Bridgeton Public · Associate degree Small program
$34,419121%—$11,000
2Bryan University
Springfield Private for-profit · Associate degree Online Small program
$28,014690%$21,006$23,449

Colleges awarding the most Business/Commerce degrees in Missouri

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia Public
1,058$55,999
2University of Missouri-St Louis
Saint Louis Public
406$48,928
3Columbia College
Columbia Private not-for-profit
345$48,329
4Lindenwood University
Saint Charles Private not-for-profit
288$47,821
5University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City Public
266$48,603
6Missouri Southern State University
Joplin Public
144$44,262
7Maryville University of Saint Louis
Saint Louis Private not-for-profit
105Not reported
8Missouri State University - Springfield
Springfield Public
80$43,364
9North Central Missouri College
Trenton Public
78Not reported
10Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Fayette Private not-for-profit
33$39,435
Show the other 13 Missouri colleges offering Business/Commerce
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate and Extended StudiesFayettePrivate not-for-profit90
Missouri State University - West PlainsWest PlainsPublic30
Jefferson CollegeHillsboroPublic25
Saint Louis UniversitySaint LouisPrivate not-for-profit19
College of the OzarksPoint LookoutPrivate not-for-profit15
Avila UniversityKansas CityPrivate not-for-profit13
East Central CollegeUnionPublic7
Mineral Area CollegePark HillsPublic6
Bryan University (Online)SpringfieldPrivate for-profit6
Crowder CollegeNeoshoPublic5
Drury University - College of Continuing Professional StudiesSpringfieldPrivate not-for-profit2
Saint Louis Community CollegeBridgetonPublic1
Southwest Baptist UniversityBolivarPrivate not-for-profit1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.4%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~308,700
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$102,950
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringCritical ThinkingActive Learning

What General and Operations Managers earn in Missouri

Jobs in Missouri
109,020
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$102,610
median $79,300
Best-paying metro
$114,850
Kansas City, MO-KS

Related careers

General and Operations Managers
$102,610 avg · 109,020 jobs
Project Management Specialists
$99,600 avg · 21,460 jobs
Management Analysts
$103,390 avg · 10,030 jobs
Sales Managers
$133,530 avg · 7,630 jobs
Cost Estimators
$81,220 avg · 6,580 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Business/Commerce programs in Missouri.

Which Missouri colleges award the most Business/Commerce degrees?+

University of Missouri-Columbia (1,058 graduates a year), University of Missouri-St Louis (406 graduates a year) and Columbia College (345 graduates a year) award the most Business/Commerce degrees in Missouri, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 23 Missouri colleges offer Business/Commerce.

What is the best college for Business/Commerce in Missouri?+

By graduate earnings, University of Missouri-Columbia leads among bachelor's Business/Commerce programs in Missouri, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $55,999, College Scorecard. University of Missouri-St Louis and University of Missouri-Kansas City follow. By degrees awarded, University of Missouri-Columbia is the largest, with 1,058 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Business/Commerce program in Missouri has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of Missouri-Columbia tops the list at $55,999. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do General and Operations Managers earn in Missouri?+

The average annual wage for General and Operations Managers in Missouri is $102,610 (median $79,300), across about 109,020 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Business/Commerce program?+

The Business/Commerce program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of business management, marketing, and related services. This program is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, monitoring, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for General and Operations Managers?+

The national job outlook is about +4.4% growth with around 308,700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card