More selective than 88% of Missouri colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $43,635. College Scorecard.
Higher than 42% of Missouri colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 51% of Missouri colleges we cover and 38% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,149 applicants, Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences admitted 1,010 and 237 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 960–1045 on the SAT or 17–23 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Missouri. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $20,260 | $85,295 | 6.3 years |
| $30–48k | $18,894 | $79,544 | 5.9 years |
| $48–75k | $20,680 | $87,063 | 6.4 years |
| $75–110k | $23,883 | $100,547 | 7.4 years |
| $110k+ | $27,411 | $115,400 | 8.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (44% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($48,991) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,553 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences majors, earnings & careers
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers 41 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Science & Math · 6
- Education · 5
- Business & Finance · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $85,140 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | $59,648 | $25,000 |
| Accounting | $52,836 | $25,418 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $51,637 | $27,000 |
| Business | $51,274 | $22,732 |
| Biology | $46,344 | $23,250 |
| Criminal Justice | $45,805 | $26,000 |
| Education, Other | $43,653 | — |
Quick list of all 41 majors
- Accounting$52,836
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services—
- Bible Studies—
- Biology$46,344
- Business$51,274
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science$59,648
- Criminal Justice$45,805
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$35,452
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Education, Other$43,653
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies$39,671
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$51,637
- Music—
- Nursing$85,140
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$42,219
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Public Administration—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Columbia
Overall prices in the Columbia, MO area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $990. Housing costs 31% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 10 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Howard County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Howard County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Missouri by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | 57% | $22,766 | 51% | $48,991 | This school |
| Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing | — | — | — | $84,393 | |
| Kansas City Art Institute | 55% | $27,650 | 58% | $37,032 | |
| Ranken Technical College | — | $18,795 | 53% | $55,955 | |
| Drury University | 58% | $20,831 | 62% | $40,694 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Common questions about Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
What is the Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences acceptance rate?
Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences accepts 57% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,010 of 1,149 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 960–1045 on the SAT or 17–23 on the ACT.
How much does Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $43,635 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,766 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $20,260 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,411.
How much do Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduates earn?
Former Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students earn a median $48,991 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 62% return for their second year.
How long does a Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences costs about $87,063 after grants ($20,680 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $48,991 ten years after starting, $13,553 more than high school graduates in Missouri ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 6.4 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/central-methodist-university-college-of-liberal-arts-and-sciences (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).