Harris-Stowe State University is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Saint Louis, Missouri. It enrolls 960 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes44
Value48
Affordability78
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Harris-Stowe State University does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $9,922 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$7,008
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,640
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,728
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,370
Books & Supplies
$800
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$8,308
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$8,308
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,493
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,827
$30,001 – $48,000
$10,963
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,814
$75,001 – $110,000
$8,563
Over $110,000
$6,238
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,32025%percentile
$25,930Medianpercentile
$25,32575%percentile
$38,37090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $14,000
↓ $11,930
No Pell $9,496
↓ $16,434
Dependent students $12,100
↓ $13,830
Independent students $16,200
↓ $9,730
Female students $13,900
↓ $12,030
Male students $12,000
↓ $13,930
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,159, less than completers ($25,930), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
20% of students who start here finish within six years, and 68% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
20%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
68%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $31,088 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$31,088
Earning > $25K
52%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$28,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$36,600
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,600, about 23% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
13.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 53% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 960 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 47% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
960
Part-Time
13%
First-Generation
47%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 81.6%783
International 6.4%61
Other 3.8%36
White 3.0%29
Hispanic 2.5%24
Asian 0.2%2
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Harris-Stowe State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Harris-Stowe State University offers
a varied set of programs:
16 distinct programs across
11 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$13,776
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$3.3M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$47,979
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
43 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
3
7%
$61,664
Associate Professors
13
30%
$54,440
Assistant Professors
18
42%
$44,759
Instructors
9
21%
$40,525
Pros & Cons of Harris-Stowe State University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Harris-Stowe State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Below-average post-graduation earnings
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Harris-Stowe State University is a fit for
families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Harris-Stowe State University
The questions families ask most about Harris-Stowe State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
How much does Harris-Stowe State University cost?
Budget around $9,922 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Harris-Stowe State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $31,088 a year against a net price of $9,922, about 3.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Harris-Stowe State University known for?
Mostly Biology, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Harris-Stowe State University graduates earn?
About $31,088 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Harris-Stowe State University accredited?
Yes. Harris-Stowe State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Harris-Stowe State University?
960 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Harris-Stowe State University?
20% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Harris-Stowe State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Harris-Stowe State University located?
Harris-Stowe State University is located in Saint Louis, Missouri.
What programs does Harris-Stowe State University offer?
16 different programs, most commonly Biology, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Harris-Stowe State University?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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