Missouri’s higher education system is governed by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE), established by constitutional amendment in 1972 and statute in 1974. The nine-member board includes one representative from each congressional district plus one member at large, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate for six-year terms. No more than five members may be from the same political party. The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD) serves more than 360,000 students through 13 public four-year colleges and universities, 19 public two-year colleges, one public two-year technical college, 25 independent colleges and universities, and 152 proprietary schools. The department was created in 2019 through a strategic merger of higher education and workforce development functions under Governor Mike Parson’s administration.
