Three Missouri universities rank among the top 100 public colleges in America, more than any of the Show-Me state’s Midwestern neighbors, according to a new ranking released by The Business Journals. Truman State University in Kirksville is ranked at No. 40; University of Missouri-Columbia is ranked at No. 45; and Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla is ranked at No. 99.
The Business Journals analyzed 484 four-year public colleges, using the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. College rankings recently issued by four national publications—Forbes, Kiplinger’s, U.S. News & World Report and Washington Monthly—were also a part of the calculation.
“Our 19-part formula has pinpointed the public universities and colleges that offer the best educational experiences to their students,” the report stated. “It gives the highest marks to schools with highly selective admissions processes, strong retention and graduation rates, prestigious reputations, affordable tuition and housing costs, diverse faculties and student bodies, and economically robust communities.”
Truman State University, which had an overall rating of 68.199, received five stars (out of five) for selectivity, advancement and cost. The University of Missouri-Columbia, which had an overall rating of 66.554, received five stars for community and four stars for selectivity, advancement, prestige and diversity. The Missouri University of Science and Technology, which received an overall rating of 49.900, received five stars for selectivity and four stars for prestige and cost.