Which Missouri colleges have grads who earn the best starting salary?
FILE  In this June 15, 2018 file photo, twenty dollar bills are counted in North Andover, Mass. Amid the pandemic-fueled recession, your job description and responsibilities may have changed. Whether youve taken on more tasks after employees were laid off or your household income has taken a hit, there are plenty of reasons to negotiate your salary even in tough times. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)  ST. LOUIS Thousands of students are preparing to head away for college in the fall and the cost of attending a four-year school is growing. That has many students and potential students wondering which colleges will provide them with the best starting salary. Financial technology company SmartAsset ranked the schools where students earned the best average starting salaries post graduation. In Missouri, the Missouri University of Science and Technology topped the list with an average starting salary of $69,200. The rankings are part of SmartAssets overarching study on colleges that provide students the best overall value. The study considers starting salary, scholarships, tuition, living costs, and retention rate. Rank School City Avg. Scholarships and Grants Avg. Starting Salary College Tuition* Student Living Costs Student Retention Rate 1 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO $8,686 $69,200 $9,440 $13,000 82% 2 Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO $42,706 $66,100 $53,399 $20,962 97% 3 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO $26,386 $55,000 $43,884 $17,134 91% 4 Rockhurst University Kansas City, MO $27,808 $54,800 $37,590 $15,441 83% 5 University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO $10,421 $53,300 $9,972 $16,794 88% 6 University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO $7,560 $52,300 $8,178 $15,938 76% 7 William Jewell College Liberty, MO $25,097 $51,500 $34,400 $14,598 78% 8 University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO $7,528 $50,700 $9,792 $15,102 77% 9 Park University Parkville, MO $5,951 $49,400 $11,572 $12,927 66% 10 Truman State University Kirksville, MO $8,286 $48,600 $7,749 $13,580 84% *Where applicable, used in-state tuition (residents of the same state as a college, qualify for lower in-state tuition)  Data courtesy SmartAsset  SmartAsset says when it comes to methodology, salary, tuition, and living costs received 25% weight, scholarships and retention rate were given 12.5%. The schools were then ranked in accordance by their score with the number one school receiving a score of 100 and each additional schools index value representing how closely they compare. You can see the entire report on SmartAssets website here.