From award winning public school districts to world class universities, mid-Missouri is overflowing with outstanding educational opportunities for students of all ages.

Often called "Collegtown U.S.A.," Columbia is home to three of Missouri's top educational institutions-The University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia College and Stephens College.

Founded in 1839 as the first land-grant university west of the Mississippi, The University of Missouri-Columbia is the flagship of the state's university system and the driving force behind much of Columbia's economy. With approximately 16,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students, MU offers 226 degree programs through its 18 colleges and schools. The 1,340 acre campus is one of only five in the country offering Law, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine degrees. MU attracts more Curators Scholars, valedictorians and more than twice as many Missouri Bright Flight Scholars than any other college or university in the state. MU ranks among the top 20 public universities in the number of National Merit Scholars.

Columbia College is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees to approximately 8,000 students through its traditional campus and at 22 extended studies sites across the country. Founded in 1851 as Christian Female College, it was the first women's institution of higher education chartered by a state west of the Mississippi River. Columbia College assumed its current name and became coeducational in 1970.

Stephens College is the second-oldest women's college in the nation and the only four-year women's college in the state. Established in 1833, the private college was recently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top-tier colleges in the Midwest. Stephens enrolls approximately 800 students and offers 23 majors and 20 minors. The college offers undergraduate education for women and continuing education and graduate programs for men and women.

In Jefferson City, Lincoln University offers a number of outstanding degree programs. Founded in 1866 as a school for African-Americans, the college now serves the needs of an ethnically diverse student population and has a 30% African-American enrollment. Other colleges and universities serving mid-Missouri students include William Woods College, Westminster College, Linn State Technical College, State Fair Community College and the University of Missouri-Rolla.

As home to Mid-Missouri's largest public school systems, Columbia and Jefferson City have a strong tradition of excellence in education.

With an enrollment of more than 16,000, the Columbia Public School District is the seventh largest in the state and one of the fastest growing districts in the entire midwest. The district routinely earns the highest possible rating in Missouri and regularly receives national honors. An average of 75 to 80 percent of each year's graduating class is college bound. The district routinely graduates one of the highest percentages of National Merit Scholars in the nation. In addition to public schools, Columbia is home to several prominent parochial and private schools.

Jefferson City has an award-winning public and parochial school system that's received Blue Ribbon recognition from Expansion Management magazine. Enrollment in Jefferson City Public Schools recently topped 8,600 students with another 2,500 attending private schools. Sixty-eight percent of all Jefferson City high school graduates advance to a four-year university.