More selective than 68% of Missouri colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $39,269. College Scorecard.
Higher than 60% of Missouri colleges we cover and 55% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 6% of Missouri colleges we cover and 5% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Cottey College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 567 applicants, Cottey College admitted 376 and 66 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Cottey College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Cottey College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Cottey College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Missouri. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $14,093 | $58,909 | no earnings gain |
| $30–48k | $10,634 | $44,450 | no earnings gain |
| $48–75k | $12,063 | $50,423 | no earnings gain |
| $75–110k | $15,732 | $65,760 | no earnings gain |
| $110k+ | $18,130 | $75,783 | no earnings gain |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (38% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($35,422) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MO (Census ACS 2020-2024). Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Cottey College majors, earnings & careers
Cottey College offers 15 bachelor's majors across 6 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Science & Math · 3
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Business & Finance · 2
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at Cottey College
Not enough graduates in any one major to report earnings.
Quick list of all 15 majors
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology—
- Business Administration—
- Community / Environmental / Socially-Engaged Art—
- Criminology—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- History—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Psychology (Research)—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Nevada
2 bedrooms $994.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 46 inches of rain a year, 6 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Vernon County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Vernon County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Cottey College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Missouri by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottey College | 69% | $13,805 | 56% | $35,422 | This school |
| Calvary University | 72% | $16,334 | 52% | $45,421 | |
| Hannibal-LaGrange University | 73% | $22,814 | 50% | $42,643 | |
| Southwest Baptist University | 68% | $21,677 | 55% | $43,112 | |
| Westminster College | 79% | $24,314 | 55% | $52,199 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Cottey College would cost you $2,529 less per year than Calvary University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Cottey College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$13,468).
- Cottey College gives aided families $17,860 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Missouri resident | Cottey College | Calvary University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $27,562 | $14,094 | +$13,468 |
| Books & supplies | $1,188 | $794 | +$394 |
| Housing & meals | $9,450 | $6,304 | +$3,146 |
| Personal & travel | $2,808 | $1,680 | +$1,128 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,739 | +$1,066 | −$2,805 |
| Sticker price | $39,269 | $23,938 | +$15,331 |
| Average grants | −$25,464 | −$7,604 | −$17,860 |
| You pay | $13,805 | $16,334 | −$2,529 |
“+” means Cottey College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Cottey College
What is the Cottey College acceptance rate?
Cottey College accepts 69% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 376 of 567 applicants were admitted.
How much does Cottey College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $39,269 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,805 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,093 and families earning $110k+ pay $18,130.
How much do Cottey College graduates earn?
Former Cottey College students earn a median $35,422 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Cottey College graduation rate?
56% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 67% return for their second year.
Is Cottey College the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Cottey College with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Cottey College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cottey-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).