University of Missouri-Columbia

The University of Missouri-Columbia, founded in 1839 as the first public university west of the Mississippi River, carries a legacy as Missouri's flagship campus and a land-grant institution emphasizing agriculture, engineering, and public service. You'll find students who thrive in a big-school environment—outgoing types who enjoy spirited football games, Greek life, and hands-on learning—amid a sprawling 1,262-acre campus dotted with red-brick buildings and those iconic white Columns. Columbia shapes the experience as a lively college town of about 125,000 people, roughly equidistant from Kansas City and St. Louis, where you can grab barbecue or coffee without big-city hassles, though the Midwest weather brings humid summers and snowy winters.