More selective than 32% 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 $24,945. College Scorecard.
Higher than 52% of Missouri colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 49% of Missouri colleges we cover and 34% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Northwest Missouri State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,834 applicants, Northwest Missouri State University admitted 5,871 and 1,035 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 976–1193 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Northwest Missouri State University took 4.3 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 | $13,176 | $56,393 | 4.5 years |
| $30–48k | $13,447 | $57,553 | 4.6 years |
| $48–75k | $13,959 | $59,745 | 4.8 years |
| $75–110k | $17,423 | $74,570 | 6.0 years |
| $110k+ | $20,796 | $89,007 | 7.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (43% 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 ($47,885) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,447 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.
Northwest Missouri State University majors, earnings & careers
Northwest Missouri State University offers 62 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 13
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Business & Finance · 11
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Northwest Missouri State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $80,690 | $22,785 |
| Accounting | $72,893 | $23,250 |
| Finance | $65,692 | — |
| Agricultural Business | $58,035 | $19,250 |
| Business Administration | $57,907 | $19,000 |
| Marketing | $57,705 | $20,500 |
| Biology | $57,564 | $26,000 |
| Geography | $55,656 | — |
Quick list of all 62 majors
- Accounting$72,893
- Agricultural Business$58,035
- Agricultural Public Services—
- Agriculture$49,328
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Animal Sciences$53,418
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$57,564
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$57,907
- Business Economics—
- Business Operations Support and Assistant Services—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$50,012
- Computer and Information Sciences$80,690
- Criminology—
- Dietetics—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$42,508
- Education (Subject Teaching)$46,501
- English—
- Finance$65,692
- Geography$55,656
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Sciences$52,179
- History—
- Homeland Security—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Information Technology—
- International Business—
- Journalism—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing$57,705
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$48,600
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$42,827
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Psychology (Research)$49,872
- Public Administration—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Software and Media Applications$48,729
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$46,475
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$47,356
- Writing—
— 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 →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
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Maryville
2 bedrooms $991.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 38 inches of rain a year, 15 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Nodaway County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Nodaway County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Northwest Missouri 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Missouri State University | 86% | $16,244 | 54% | $47,885 | This school |
| Truman State University | 84% | $12,780 | 69% | $56,280 | |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology | 73% | $16,298 | 64% | $82,957 | |
| Southeast Missouri State University | 74% | $15,882 | 58% | $44,030 | |
| Missouri Southern State University | 97% | $12,007 | 42% | $42,620 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Northwest Missouri State University would cost you $3,464 more per year than Truman State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Northwest Missouri State University, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$1,604).
- Truman State University gives aided families $3,634 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Missouri resident | Northwest Missouri State University | Truman State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,611 | $9,838 | +$773 |
| Books & supplies | $400 | $1,100 | −$700 |
| Housing & meals | $11,788 | $10,701 | +$1,087 |
| Personal & travel | $2,576 | $4,180 | −$1,604 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$430 | −$704 | +$274 |
| Sticker price | $24,945 | $25,115 | −$170 |
| Average grants | −$8,701 | −$12,335 | +$3,634 |
| You pay | $16,244 | $12,780 | +$3,464 |
“+” means Northwest Missouri 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 Northwest Missouri State University
What is the Northwest Missouri State University acceptance rate?
Northwest Missouri State University accepts 86% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,871 of 6,834 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 976–1193 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
How much does Northwest Missouri State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,945 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,244 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,176 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,796.
How much do Northwest Missouri State University graduates earn?
Former Northwest Missouri State University students earn a median $47,885 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Northwest Missouri State University graduation rate?
54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
How long does a Northwest Missouri State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Northwest Missouri State University costs about $59,745 after grants ($13,959 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $47,885 ten years after starting, $12,447 more than high school graduates in Missouri ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 4.8 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: “Northwest Missouri State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northwest-missouri-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).