More selective than 7% 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 $19,568. College Scorecard.
Higher than 21% of Missouri colleges we cover and 27% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 25% of Missouri colleges we cover and 19% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Missouri Southern State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,302 applicants, Missouri Southern State University admitted 2,243 and 579 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1150–1420 on the SAT or 17–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Missouri Southern State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Missouri residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Missouri Southern State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Missouri Southern State University took 4.4 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 | $9,759 | $43,135 | 6.0 years |
| $30–48k | $10,132 | $44,783 | 6.2 years |
| $48–75k | $11,233 | $49,650 | 6.9 years |
| $75–110k | $14,578 | $64,435 | 9.0 years |
| $110k+ | $15,083 | $66,667 | 9.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (23% 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 ($42,620) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $7,182 a year. 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.
Missouri Southern State University majors, earnings & careers
Missouri Southern State University offers 37 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Science & Math · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Missouri Southern State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $75,985 | $25,774 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $75,295 | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $64,765 | $21,463 |
| Public Health | $63,965 | — |
| Political Science | $62,576 | — |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $58,701 | $24,947 |
| Business | $55,286 | $20,737 |
| Social Work | $49,855 | $25,983 |
Quick list of all 37 majors
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$40,412
- Business$55,286
- Business Administration—
- Business Economics—
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$41,771
- Computer and Information Sciences$75,295
- Criminal Justice$49,114
- Education$39,273
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$39,419
- English—
- Geography—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$64,765
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$58,701
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$46,892
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Nursing$75,985
- Physics—
- Political Science$62,576
- Psychology$41,008
- Public Health$63,965
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Social Work$49,855
- Sociology$40,957
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art$40,402
- 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 →Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Joplin
Overall prices in the Joplin, MO-KS area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,153. Housing costs 46% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 46 inches of rain a year, 8 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Jasper County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Jasper County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Missouri Southern State University with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Southern State University | 97% | $12,007 | 42% | $42,620 | This school |
| Northwest Missouri State University | 86% | $16,244 | 54% | $47,885 | |
| Truman State University | 84% | $12,780 | 69% | $56,280 | |
| Missouri Western State University | — | $13,251 | 39% | $42,647 | |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | 73% | $16,298 | 64% | $82,957 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Missouri Southern State University would cost you $4,237 less per year than Northwest Missouri State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Missouri Southern State University, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$4,616).
- Northwest Missouri State University gives aided families $1,140 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Missouri resident | Missouri Southern State University | Northwest Missouri State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,960 | $10,611 | −$1,651 |
| Books & supplies | $1,020 | $400 | +$620 |
| Housing & meals | $7,172 | $11,788 | −$4,616 |
| Personal & travel | $3,459 | $2,576 | +$883 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,043 | −$430 | −$613 |
| Sticker price | $19,568 | $24,945 | −$5,377 |
| Average grants | −$7,561 | −$8,701 | +$1,140 |
| You pay | $12,007 | $16,244 | −$4,237 |
“+” means Missouri Southern State University 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 Missouri Southern State University
What is the Missouri Southern State University acceptance rate?
Missouri Southern State University accepts 97% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,243 of 2,302 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1150–1420 on the SAT or 17–24 on the ACT.
How much does Missouri Southern State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $19,568 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,007 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,759 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,083.
How much do Missouri Southern State University graduates earn?
Former Missouri Southern State University students earn a median $42,620 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Missouri Southern State University graduation rate?
42% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 63% return for their second year.
How long does a Missouri Southern State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Missouri Southern State University costs about $49,650 after grants ($11,233 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $42,620 ten years after starting, $7,182 more than high school graduates in Missouri ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 6.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “Missouri Southern State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/missouri-southern-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).