Best Online Colleges in Missouri

Benefits of Studying Online in Missouri

Famous for its “Show Me” state motto, Missouri is a quaint midwestern state located on the border of the Mississippi River. Home to nearly 6.2 million people, Missouri rang in as the 19th most populated state in America. It also boasts 69,689 square miles of total land area, making it the 21st largest of all states. With great cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Independence, and Columbia - the Show Me State combines its population size with abundant diverse careers, educational opportunities, and a wide array of recreational activities.

Employment Stats

In terms of employment, Missouri has been doing quite well. The state has over 2,932,500 employed workers, making it the 20th biggest employer in the country. That number accounts for 1.91% of the nation’s workforce, and has increased by 72,400 since 2021 when the state employed 2,860,100 people. This is an increase of 2.53%, which also makes Missouri the 37th fastest growing state from the standpoint of jobs added year over year. In addition, Missouri is well above the median when it comes to total number of employed people, with more than 955 thousand more than the median. That’s an advantage of about 48%, which makes Missouri one of the healthiest labor markets for job seekers.

In fact, Missouri just edged out Colorado, which reported just over 2,901 thousand employees in 2022, putting them at 21th place. That being said, they were just under 15 thousand behind Wisconsin, which topped Missouri with 2,947 thousand employed workers. The Show Me state still falls a bit short of the nation leader, but with over 83% the number of jobs, that’s to be quite expected, as it only accounts for 1.9% of the nation’s population.

Job Opportunities

Missouri is one of the most underrated states in terms of the number of job opportunities available. The state boasts an impressive 2.8% higher number of job types than the median, with 742 different occupations as of 2022. This puts Missouri in the 21st slot, just -2.8% below the national median of 722 unique job types, held by Louisiana.

In addition to an impressive job market, Missouri also has some of the most respected universities in the nation. The University of Missouri (Mizzou) is located in the state’s capital, Columbia, and has an enrollment of around 30,000 students. Washington University in St. Louis is another incredible option, with a higher ranking and smaller student population of around 15,000. Missouri is also home to a number of Fortune 500 companies, including Express Scripts, Emerson Electric and Centene Corporation.

Altogether, Missouri is an attractive location for those looking for job opportunities and educational paths. Not only does the state have a relatively robust employment market, but its size and population also provide a healthy amount of diversity in terms of job opportunities. And with a total land area of just under 70k square miles and a population of about 6.2 million, Missouri is a great place for exploring the state’s educational programs as well as its outdoor recreational activities.

*All data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023)