This Missouri City Has The Best and Worst College In The State

The best college in Missouri and the worst college in Missouri are both located in the same city. This is according to a survey from the website Investing1st.

Both the best and worst college in Missouri is located in St. Louis, and although they're in the same city, they couldn't be more different.

The best according to Investing1st is Washington University. According to their website, Washington University was founded in 1853 and they "Are among the world’s leaders in teaching, research, patient care, and service to society. We are committed to learning and exploration, to discovery and impact. Together, we explore our intellectual passions and challenge the unknown."

Investing1st says Washington University is the best because it has an 87 percent graduation rate, it has three schools that serve undergraduates, and several highly regarded graduate schools. They say while Washington University is selective about who they accept, they're less selective than some other similar colleges.

Before you get too excited about going to school there, tuition and fees make the best college in Missouri out of reach for many people. In-state tuition and fees cost $ 60,591 at the private University, making tuition at Mizzou seem like a bargain.

The worst university in Missouri according to Investing1st is Harris-Stowe State University, which is also in St. Louis. The University is no stranger to being listed as the worst. Last June, I wrote an article about them being named the worst university in Missouri according to the Earn, Spend, Live website.

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Investing 1st says Harris-Stowe State University is the worst in the state because of a poor ranking in U.S. News and World Report's best regional colleges list for the Midwest. The University's lousy 2 percent graduation rate, and the fact that the website feels $6,000 in tuition is too much to pay for the education.

That said, the mission of Harris-Stowe couldn't be more different than Washington University, or frankly, a lot of other universities in Missouri. In exploring their poor ranking last June I wrote this about why the University may have a low graduation rate. "First, it's geared toward underrepresented and under-resourced students. These students may have other challenges in their life beyond education that can make graduating on time or at all a challenge."

Earn Spend Live also dinged the University on the earning power of students who do graduate from their programs. I pointed out, "Its degree programs in education, arts and sciences, and businesses, may place people in careers -- where six years down the road graduates aren't making bank in their careers." I go more in-depth on this in the article "Is This Poorly Ranked Missouri University Really The Worst?"

As I said, the best and worst colleges in Missouri might be both in St. Louis, but they couldn't be more different.