2025 Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Missouri

If you pursue a associate degree in general studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #2 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 7 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Missouri ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,048 associate degrees in general studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great General Studies School for Your Associate Degree

The general studies associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality general studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to general studies students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of general studies students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized general studies related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for general studies students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank General Studies Schools

The general studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Missouri.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study General Studies in Missouri

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in general studies.

Top Missouri Schools for an Associate in General Studies

1

Columbia College
Columbia, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

307 Annual Graduates

Columbia College is a great option for individuals interested in an associate degree in general studies. Columbia College Missouri is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Columbia.More information about a associate in general studies from Columbia College

2

Ozarks Technical Community College
Springfield, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

17 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in general studies has to take a look at Ozarks Technical Community College. OTC is a fairly large public college located in the city of Springfield.More information about a associate in general studies from Ozarks Technical Community College

3

Crowder College
Neosho, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

301 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in general studies has to take a look at Crowder College. Located in the town of Neosho, Crowder College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Crowder College

4

North Central Missouri College
Trenton, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

5 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat North Central Missouri College if you want to pursue an associate degree in general studies. Located in the remote town of Trenton, NCMC is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in general studies from North Central Missouri College

5

East Central College
Union, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

285 Annual Graduates

Located in the distant town of Union, East Central College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in general studies from East Central College

6

Missouri State University - West Plains
West Plains, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

102 Annual Graduates

Missouri State West Plains is a small public university located in the town of West Plains.More information about a associate in general studies from Missouri State University - West Plains

7

Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies
Springfield, MO

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

10 Annual Graduates

Drury University - CCPS is a fairly small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Springfield.More information about a associate in general studies from Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies

Best General Studies Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best General Studies Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Minnesota	299	24
Kansas	275	296
Iowa	200	219
Nebraska	163	14
South Dakota	148	101
North Dakota	144	9

View All Rankings >

General Studies Related Rankings by Major

General Studies is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to General Studies

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts	4,896
Individualized Studies	463

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard). More about our data sources and methodologies.