Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Website
$44,030
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$44,030
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Southeast Missouri State University is a public 4-year college in Cape Girardeau, Missouri with 6,373 undergraduates and 1,575 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $15,882 a year (tuition and fees $9,903). It admits 74% of applicants and 58% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $44,030 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$15,882
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$9,903
US median $11,837
Admission rate
74%
US median 78%
Completion rate
58%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,500
About $228 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$44,030
Rank 2,123 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
- $15,882
- Tuition and fees
- $9,903
- Cost of attendance
- $25,177
- Students with a need-based grant
- 30%
- Students with federal loans
- 33%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $12,704
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $13,342
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $15,338
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $17,395
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $21,267
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 $6,990 in 2015-16 to $9,903 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
- 74%
- Average SAT
- 950
- Undergraduates
- 6,373
- Graduate students
- 1,575
- Part-time students
- 11%
- Women
- 59%
- Students per teacher
- 20
- Completion rate
- 58%
- Retention rate
- 76%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 105
- Endowment
- $120.4M
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 2,123 of 5,094 US colleges and 50 of 120 in Missouri (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MO median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $15,882 | $17,598 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,903 | $14,822 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 74% | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 58% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 76% | 72% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,500 | $16,750 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $38,150 | $37,504 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $44,030 | $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. 57% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 67% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
105 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 283 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 139 | $22,000 | $35,464 | $45,383 | $53,072 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 113 | $22,000 | $33,760 | $37,245 | $47,382 |
| Psychology, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 112 | $21,970 | $30,477 | $44,580 | $50,706 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 109 | $21,487 | $41,604 | $59,834 | $68,257 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 100 | $19,407 | $31,420 | $45,207 | $57,214 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 73 | $21,500 | $34,206 | $37,112 | $51,389 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 70 | $20,296 | $68,302 | $85,155 | $88,910 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 63 | $25,000 | $36,537 | $47,934 | $55,378 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 62 | Withheld | $75,162 | $102,877 | $103,485 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 60 | $17,384 | $46,212 | $54,344 | $71,685 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 57 | $24,000 | $35,282 | $47,813 | $56,359 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 49 | $13,000 | $44,418 | $63,078 | $66,647 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 47 | $24,908 | $40,127 | $58,082 | $63,560 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $22,500 | $58,964 | $93,795 | $92,374 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $20,854 | $41,437 | $62,781 | $80,526 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 38 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 37 | $23,000 | $31,250 | $41,619 | $48,460 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 37 | $23,320 | $26,668 | $33,293 | $41,688 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $24,290 | $62,891 | $106,797 | $85,063 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $17,500 | Withheld | $51,817 | $58,928 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | $24,310 | $32,224 | $43,260 | $51,790 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionOnlineGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 32 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 32 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $61,296 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 29 | $14,279 | $40,361 | $47,332 | $59,916 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Cape Girardeau and Missouri on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Missouri
- Homes: Homes for sale in Missouri
Questions and answers
How much does Southeast Missouri State University cost?
$15,882 a year is the average net price at Southeast Missouri State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,903, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $25,177. Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,704 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Southeast Missouri State University?
74% of applicants are admitted to Southeast Missouri State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 950. The median admission rate of colleges in Missouri is 76%.
How much do Southeast Missouri State University graduates earn?
$44,030 a year is the median pay of former Southeast Missouri State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($38,150 after 6 years). That ranks 2,123 of 5,094 US colleges and 50 of 120 in Missouri. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's) at $75,162.
How much student debt do Southeast Missouri State University graduates have?
$21,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Southeast Missouri State University graduates, about $228 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 Southeast Missouri State University?
58% of first-time, full-time students at Southeast Missouri State University finish within 6 years. 76% 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 Southeast Missouri State University?
Computer and Information Sciences, General (283 master's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (139 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (113 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 105 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.