Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPublic

Missouri Southern State University

Joplin, Missouri·Public, 4-year or above·Plains·mssu.edu
6-yr Graduation
42%
-1.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
4,147
peer median 3,712
Avg net price
$11,653
-$4.8k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
3,194
3,194 candidates competed
Admitted
3,099
97.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
634
20.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
42%-1.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
25%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
40%
Full-time retention
63%

Pell equity

6.0pp gap
Pell recipients
33%
Non-Pell
39%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 107 Title IV programs, 21 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 86 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
107
Passing
21
19.6% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

107programs
  • Passing21 · 19.6%
  • No Data86 · 80.4%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
6
Safe
15
No data
86

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

21
Education General
Bachelor Degree · Education
+19.0%
$39,273 vs $32,989
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+19.5%
$39,419 vs $32,989
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+22.5%
$40,412 vs $32,989
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+22.5%
$40,402 vs $32,989
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+24.2%
$40,957 vs $32,989
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+24.3%
$41,008 vs $32,989
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+26.6%
$41,771 vs $32,989
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Associate Degree · Security And Protective Services
+41.2%
$46,582 vs $32,989

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

15
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Associate Degree · Security And Protective Services
54%
$25,031 debt · $46,582 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
52%
$21,375 debt · $40,957 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
48%
$22,698 debt · $46,892 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
48%
$23,636 debt · $49,114 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
47%
$19,250 debt · $41,008 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
46%
$18,093 debt · $39,419 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
42%
$23,500 debt · $56,097 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
41%
$17,000 debt · $41,771 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1949Next review Aug 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 18

  1. Aug 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
  2. May 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  3. Aug 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
  4. Nov 2023Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
  5. Sep 2022Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$9,021
$30–48k$10,467
$48–75k$12,646
$75–110k$15,035
$110k+$15,196

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$11,653
-$4,841vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $16,494
Federal loans
34.5%
In-state tuition
$8,400
Out-of-state
$16,800

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 1,630 students received $8.7M in Pell grants, alongside $8.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,630
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$8.7M
$8,686,097 total
Direct Loans
$8.9M
2,070 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
20
2k
21
2k
22
2k
23
2k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.6M
991 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$3.9M
948 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$1.1M
94 loan awards
Parent PLUS$352K
35 loan awards
Grad PLUS$8K
2 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 1,478 borrowers who entered repayment, 29 (1.9%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.9%
-0.4pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,478
Defaulted
29
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
11.4%
2017
11.1%
2018
7.6%
2019
1.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Missouri Southern State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs112
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

743 total completions
01Business
18224.5%
02Health Professions
12516.8%
03Education
11014.8%
04Security/Protective
9212.4%
05Liberal Arts
8511.4%
06Biological Sciences
405.4%
07Computer Sciences
385.1%
08Psychology
243.2%
09Public Admin
243.2%
10Parks/Recreation
233.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
4,147
12-mo unduplicated
4,967
Undergraduate
4,757
Graduate
210

Gender split

Men
39%1,931
Women
61%3,036

Race / ethnicity composition

White
69.3%
Hispanic
9.3%
Black
6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
4.5%
Non-resident
3.3%
Asian
2.8%
Unknown
2.3%
Two or more
1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.6%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
380
226 M · 154 W
Women athletes
40.5%
Athletic aid
$2.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$8.9M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.6M
$1.0M
Recruiting expense
$90K
$33K
Head-coach salaries
$73K
$49K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 8

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
94 M · 101 W
$1.1M
Football
112 M ·
$2.0M
Baseball
42 M ·
$588K
Basketball
16 M · 13 W
$1.2M
Soccer
· 28 W
$356K
Golf
13 M · 13 W
$514K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.72
3 offenses · 4,144 students

3-year trend

1.392 yrs ago0.461 yr ago0.72Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
12
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
11
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
2
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

3total
  • On campus3

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
2
Dating violence
0
Stalking
2 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs09
Liquor019

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
15.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
144

Missouri Southern State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Missouri Southern State selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectMissouri Southern State University
42%4,147$11,653Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Missouri Western State University
39%3,716$12,638Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Bemidji State University
46%56.0%4,072$17,050Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Black Hills State University
43%96.3%3,346$17,001Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Northern State University
55%93.0%3,708$17,094Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Eastern Oregon University
43%98.3%2,894$15,987Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Peer group median43%94.7%3,712$16,494

Frequently asked questions about Missouri Southern State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Missouri Southern State.

What is the graduation rate at Missouri Southern State University?

Missouri Southern State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 42% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Missouri Southern State University?

Missouri Southern State University reports a total enrollment of 4,147 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Missouri Southern State University?

The average net price at Missouri Southern State University is $11,653 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Missouri Southern State University?

Missouri Southern State University's yield rate is 20.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Missouri Southern State University located?

Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri 64801-1595.

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