By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western State University has been ranked the top regional public university in Missouri for social mobility.
The US News and World Report 2026 Best College rankings places Missouri Western 80th for social mobility among regional universities in the Midwest, 16th among public universities in the 12-state region.
Missouri Western President, Elizabeth Kennedy, says the ranking reflects the success of the university’s students, most of whom come from the four-county region around St. Joseph.
“Educating this population is making an investment in the future of northwest Missouri,” Kennedy tells KFEQmmunity.
More than three-quarters of the students attending Missouri Western come from the 10-county region surrounding St. Joseph; a majority of those from Buchanan and the other three adjacent counties. Missouri Western has approximately 3,700 students.
As for social mobility, Kennedy says that simply means students who graduate from Missouri Western have a great opportunity for success.
“When you talk about this ranking and they talk about social mobility, it doesn’t mean we’re transporting people out of town,” Kennedy jokes, “what it means is we are transforming lives.”
In short, to Kennedy, social mobility means those who come to Missouri Western, work hard, and graduate can succeed in life.
“Think of social mobility as the American Dream,” Kennedy says. “You can start from any place that you want in this country and if you have an education, you can achieve your dreams. And that’s what we mean about social mobility.”
A recent Georgetown study estimates that those who graduate with four-year degrees, on average, earn $850,000 more over the course of their careers that those with only a high school degree.
It’s not just about money, though, according to Kennedy who says college can help young students become successful adults.
“Going to college teaches you about how to you deal with other people; how do you handle conflict, how do you get along, how do you work together, how do you think critically, how do you deal with kind of a microcosm of life and an opportunity where you can learn and grow?”
Social mobility also suggests students successfully chasing their dreams.
“You have a dream,” Kennedy says. “You’re here. You’re coming through the doors to achieve something and how do we support you to make sure that you can do that?”
Kennedy says the recognition only motivates the university to focus on student success even more.
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