Missouri Southern State University
Joplin, Missouri · Also known as Missouri Southern · Website
$42,620
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$42,620
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Missouri Southern State University is a public 4-year college in Joplin, Missouri with 3,019 undergraduates and 266 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $12,007 a year (tuition and fees $8,960 in-state, $17,080 out-of-state). It admits 97% of applicants and 42% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $42,620 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $19,174 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$12,007
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$8,960
Out-of-state $17,080
Admission rate
97%
US median 78%
Completion rate
42%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$19,174
About $203 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$42,620
Rank 2,287 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $12,007
- Tuition in-state
- $8,960
- Tuition out-of-state
- $17,080
- Cost of attendance
- $19,568
- Students with a need-based grant
- 34%
- Students with federal loans
- 33%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $9,759
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $10,132
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $11,233
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $14,578
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $15,083
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $5,523 in 2015-16 to $8,960 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 97%
- Average SAT
- 1,065
- SAT reading, middle
- 515
- SAT math, middle
- 545
- ACT, middle
- 21
- Undergraduates
- 3,019
- Graduate students
- 266
- Part-time students
- 18%
- Women
- 60%
- Students per teacher
- 15
- Completion rate
- 42%
- Retention rate
- 63%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 92
- Endowment
- $53.9M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,287 of 5,094 US colleges and 56 of 120 in Missouri (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MO median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $12,007 | $17,598 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $8,960 | $14,822 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 97% | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 42% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 63% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $19,174 | $16,750 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $37,866 | $37,504 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $42,620 | $41,138 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 49% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 66% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
92 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 189 | $18,116 | $44,262 | $55,286 | $68,407 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 88 | $19,504 | $36,345 | $39,419 | $47,382 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 80 | $21,604 | $36,783 | $46,892 | $53,072 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 71 | $17,860 | $34,058 | $42,086 | $57,702 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 60 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,584 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 52 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 46 | $15,426 | $31,149 | $40,412 | $57,214 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | $21,616 | $33,167 | $49,114 | $55,378 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $20,249 | $34,647 | $41,008 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 30 | $19,990 | $31,103 | $46,582 | $46,706 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyCertificate | Certificate | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | $22,143 | $59,420 | $67,589 | $61,982 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $23,250 | $34,465 | $58,701 | $54,562 |
| Computer ProgrammingAssociate's | Associate's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | $79,023 | $58,070 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | $75,295 | $92,374 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | $13,375 | $53,927 | $56,097 | $65,389 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $103,485 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | $63,965 | $58,808 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | $21,234 | $27,936 | $49,855 | $51,790 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | $29,309 | $40,402 | $41,367 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | $22,750 | $62,273 | $75,985 | $88,910 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign LanguageCertificate | Certificate | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $43,689 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,590 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Joplin and Missouri on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Missouri
- Homes: Homes for sale in Missouri
Questions and answers
How much does Missouri Southern State University cost?
$12,007 a year is the average net price at Missouri Southern State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $8,960 for in-state students and $17,080 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $19,568. Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,759 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Missouri Southern State University?
97% of applicants are admitted to Missouri Southern State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,065 and the middle ACT score is 21. The median admission rate of colleges in Missouri is 76%.
How much do Missouri Southern State University graduates earn?
$42,620 a year is the median pay of former Missouri Southern State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($37,866 after 6 years). That ranks 2,287 of 5,094 US colleges and 56 of 120 in Missouri. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $62,273.
How much student debt do Missouri Southern State University graduates have?
$19,174 is the median federal student loan debt of Missouri Southern State University graduates, about $203 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 33% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Missouri Southern State University?
42% of first-time, full-time students at Missouri Southern State University finish within 6 years. 63% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Missouri Southern State University?
Business/Commerce, General (189 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (88 bachelor's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (80 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 92 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.