Missouri Western State University
Saint Joseph, Missouri · Also known as Western|MWSU|MWSC|Missouri Western State College · Website
$42,647
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$42,647
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Missouri Western State University is a public 4-year college in Saint Joseph, Missouri with 2,219 undergraduates and 225 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $13,251 a year (tuition and fees $10,306 in-state, $20,866 out-of-state). 39% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $42,647 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $19,968 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$13,251
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$10,306
Out-of-state $20,866
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
39%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$19,968
About $212 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$42,647
Rank 2,280 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
- $13,251
- Tuition in-state
- $10,306
- Tuition out-of-state
- $20,866
- Cost of attendance
- $21,595
- Students with a need-based grant
- 28%
- Students with federal loans
- 28%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,243
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,674
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $13,965
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,119
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,764
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 $7,090 in 2015-16 to $10,306 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
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 2,219
- Graduate students
- 225
- Part-time students
- 11%
- Women
- 59%
- Students per teacher
- 15
- Completion rate
- 39%
- Retention rate
- 54%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 76
- Endowment
- $40.4M
- Other
- Open admission
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 2,280 of 5,094 US colleges and 54 of 120 in Missouri (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MO median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $13,251 | $17,598 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $10,306 | $14,822 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 39% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 54% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $19,968 | $16,750 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $37,499 | $37,504 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $42,647 | $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. 47% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 66% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
76 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 91 | $22,500 | $70,938 | $74,875 | $88,910 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 54 | $22,810 | $41,902 | $62,581 | $68,257 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $21,102 | $34,729 | $51,174 | $55,693 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $19,493 | $33,695 | $39,163 | $47,382 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $19,947 | $39,808 | $52,709 | $55,378 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | $18,143 | $43,070 | $57,015 | $69,303 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $17,875 | $36,557 | $45,251 | $54,562 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $24,935 | $40,936 | $53,505 | $57,214 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 28 | $21,606 | $57,213 | Withheld | $103,485 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $25,753 | $30,079 | $46,402 | $50,706 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $27,000 | $33,532 | $46,187 | $51,790 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | Withheld | $32,199 | $46,342 | $45,338 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessMaster's | Master's | 18 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | $47,177 | $50,468 |
| Graphic CommunicationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $43,283 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | $36,350 | $48,876 | $42,269 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's | Master's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $120,193 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $20,500 | $47,202 | $60,025 | $76,194 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/TechnicianBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | $47,141 | $65,896 | $93,843 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | $19,381 | $47,265 | $67,011 | $83,343 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | $20,371 | $33,183 | Withheld | $51,389 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | $37,200 | $41,728 | $51,490 |
| Legal Support ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,747 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | $40,716 | $50,680 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Saint Joseph and Missouri on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Missouri
- Homes: Homes for sale in Missouri
Questions and answers
How much does Missouri Western State University cost?
$13,251 a year is the average net price at Missouri Western State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $10,306 for in-state students and $20,866 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $21,595. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,243 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Missouri Western State University?
Missouri Western State University has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Missouri Western State University graduates earn?
$42,647 a year is the median pay of former Missouri Western State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($37,499 after 6 years). That ranks 2,280 of 5,094 US colleges and 54 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 $70,938.
How much student debt do Missouri Western State University graduates have?
$19,968 is the median federal student loan debt of Missouri Western State University graduates, about $212 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 28% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Missouri Western State University?
39% of first-time, full-time students at Missouri Western State University finish within 6 years. 54% 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 Western State University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (91 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (54 bachelor's graduates), Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (44 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 76 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.