List of University of Central Missouri people

• Rex Barnett (born 1938) – politician, and former officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
• Skip Carnine – Arkansas state representative from Rogers; retired educator
• Wallace H. Graham – Physician to the President 1945–1953; Major General
• James Kirkpatrick – served as Missouri Secretary of State for 20 years; namesake of UCM library
• Phill Kline – former Kansas Attorney General; currently a law professor at Liberty University
• Randy Pike – member of the Missouri House of Representatives
• Darrell Pollock – former member of the Missouri House of Representatives

• Dale Carnegie – author of How to Win Friends and Influence People
• James B. Potter, Jr. – Los Angeles City Council member, 1963–71
• David Cook – 2008 American Idol winner
• Grant Curtis – executive producer of Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3
• Thomas Hollyman - photojournalist
• David Holsinger – wind ensemble composer
• Allan Kayser – actor, played Bubba Higgins on Mama's Family
• Erich "Mancow" Muller – host of Mancow's Morning Madhouse, a Chicago-based radio show syndicated across the U.S.
• Brian Thomas Smith – actor, played on The Big Bang Theory
• Tolga Çevik - actor, in Turkey who has a theatre show aired on tv.

• Robert P. Foster – President of Northwest Missouri State University from 1964 to 1977
• Christopher Bell (1974–2009) – scholar, author, President of the Society for Disability Studies
• J. Lawrence Walkup (1914-2002) - President of Northern Arizona University

• Thomas Kunz - researcher notable for insights into bat ecology
• Gregg Miller – Inventor of Neuticles and author. 2005 recipient of LG Nobel Peace Prize for Medicine
• Richard Schelp – mathematician; frequent research collaborator with Paul Erdős
• David Steward – CEO of World Wide Technology, Inc., the world's largest African American-owned company
• Curtis Cooper – mathematician; known for discovering largest known prime number

• Dalton Moberly - Former Central Missouri Track and Field standout, NCAA DII Elite 89 winner, 7 time Noonball Association MVP

Ron Tabb - 1983 Boston Marathon....2:09:31 2nd. 5th fastest marathon in U.S. history

• Mark Curp – former world and American record holder in the half-marathon
• Todd Devoe – wide receiver in the NFL, and in the Arena Football League
• Roderick Green – defensive end and linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
• Maury John – basketball coach at Drake University 1958–1971, and Iowa State University 1971–1974
• Vern Kennedy – former pitcher of the Chicago White Sox, best known for throwing the first no-hitter in Comiskey Park
• Toby Korrodi – quarterback; signed by the Arizona Cardinals in 2007; cut in training camp
• Chuck Palumbo – professional wrestler
• Butch "Hacksaw" Reed – professional wrestler
• Jerry Reuss – former pitcher, best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Delanie Walker – tight end for the Tennessee Titans
• Colston Weatherington – former NFL and AFL player
• Jeff Wright – former nose tackle for the Buffalo Bills
• Anna Glennon - World Champion Jet Ski racer.
• Jim Chaney - offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers.
• Katie Sowers - offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers, first openly gay coach in NFL history, first female coach to coach in a Super Bowl

• Russ Ball – NFL executive
• Jim Crane – owner of Houston Astros baseball team

• Jeffrey Lundgren – self-proclaimed prophet; former leader of a cult group; convicted murderer
• Carrie Nation – leader of the temperance movement