Study: C of O, MSU among best value colleges in Mo.

College of the Ozarks and Missouri State University are among the Top 10 colleges in the state when it comes to providing the best value, according to recent study by insurance and financial data tracker SmartAsset.

The study determined rankings based on average scholarships and grants, students’ starting salary after graduation, tuition, cost of living and retention rate. Ultimately, the schools were ranked on a 100-point affordability scale, according to a news release.

With an overall score of 60.4, Point Lookout-based C of O had the following statistics:

• Average scholarships and grants: $15,878;
• Average starting salary: $31,100;
• College tuition: $18,330;
• Cost of living, $11,377; and
• Retention rate: 86 percent.

MSU had an overall score of 55.4, factoring the following data:

• Average scholarships and grants: $5,159;
• Average starting salary: $36,400;
• College tuition: $6,792;
• Cost of living, $12,325; and
• Retention rate: 75 percent.

The No. 1 best-value college in the state is Kansas City-based Rockhurst University, which had an overall score of 79.9, according to the release.

The University of Michigan was the No. 1 college on the list nationwide.[[In-content Ad]]