Missouri State University-Springfield is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Springfield, Missouri. It enrolls 13,313 students (a large 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 Selective), 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
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes54
Value55
Affordability43
Selectivity30
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Missouri State University-Springfield admits 90.5% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
90.5%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1020 – 1270
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
19 – 26
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Missouri State University-Springfield is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
3.1 pts
since 2019
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 $17,613 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. 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)
$9,502
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$18,770
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,006
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,272
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,924
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,740
Total Cost of Attendance
$25,048
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
$13,718
$30,001 – $48,000
$13,529
$48,001 – $75,000
$14,905
$75,001 – $110,000
$18,770
Over $110,000
$20,576
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.
$3,25010%percentile
$5,62525%percentile
$21,992Medianpercentile
$26,00075%percentile
$33,62590%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 $17,750
↓ $4,242
No Pell $15,000
↓ $6,992
Dependent students $16,000
↓ $5,992
Independent students $16,662
↓ $5,330
Female students $16,750
↓ $5,242
Male students $15,250
↓ $6,742
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,931, less than completers ($21,992), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
52% of students who start here finish within six years, and 78% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
52%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
78%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $49,827 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$49,827
Earning > $25K
80%
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
$39,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$50,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$39,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$44,000
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$48,000
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,700, 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 ↑
13.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 85% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 13,313 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 32% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
13,313
Part-Time
14%
First-Generation
32%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 78.0%10,379
Hispanic 5.7%762
Other 4.8%644
Black 3.8%507
International 3.1%417
Asian 2.0%260
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Missouri State University-Springfield. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Missouri State University-Springfield offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
165 distinct programs across
26 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 21 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
21:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,673
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$79,414
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
697 instructional faculty across 5 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
204
29%
$96,262
Associate Professors
198
28%
$81,886
Assistant Professors
162
23%
$77,467
Instructors
123
18%
$51,436
No Rank
10
1%
$62,447
Pros & Cons of Missouri State University-Springfield
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Missouri State University-Springfield is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Missouri State University-Springfield is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Missouri State University-Springfield
The questions families ask most about Missouri State University-Springfield, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Missouri State University-Springfield hard to get into?
Not especially. Missouri State University-Springfield admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 90.5%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Missouri State University-Springfield?
90.5% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Missouri State University-Springfield?
Aim for 1270 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1020 and 1270 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Missouri State University-Springfield?
Aim for 26 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 19 and 26 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Missouri State University-Springfield cost?
Budget around $17,613 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 Missouri State University-Springfield worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $49,827 a year against a net price of $17,613, about 2.8 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 Missouri State University-Springfield known for?
Mostly Teacher Education (K-12), Psychology, Business Administration. 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 Missouri State University-Springfield graduates earn?
About $49,827 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 Missouri State University-Springfield accredited?
Yes. Missouri State University-Springfield is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Missouri State University-Springfield?
13,313 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Missouri State University-Springfield?
52% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Missouri State University-Springfield a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Missouri State University-Springfield located?
Missouri State University-Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri.
What programs does Missouri State University-Springfield offer?
165 different programs, most commonly Teacher Education (K-12), Psychology, Business Administration. 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 Missouri State University-Springfield?
21 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Missouri
Other colleges in Missouri share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Business Administration
Teacher Education (K-12)
Nursing
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