Missouri State University
Missouri State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Missouri State University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Online MBAs Missouri
- #3 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Cybersecurity
- #4 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Missouri
- #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Missouri 2026
- #6 Best Research Universities in Missouri
- #6 Best Public Colleges in Missouri
- #7 Online Bachelor's in Religious Studies
- #7 Missouri's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #7 Missouri's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #8 Online Bachelor's in Economics
- #8 Most Affordable Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Degree Programs
- #10 Online Master's in Economics
- #10 Best Colleges in Missouri 2026
- #12 Online Bachelor’s in Finance
- #14 Economics Colleges and Universities
- #14 Online Bachelor's in Hospitality
- #16 Online Bachelor’s in Marketing/Advertising
- #17 Online Master’s in Project Management
- #18 Online Master’s in Information Technology
- #19 Online Bachelor’s in Sociology
- #19 Online Bachelor’s in Information Technology
- #25 Online Bachelor’s in Communications
- #42 Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- #45 Best Online Colleges
About Missouri State University
According to Wikipedia, Missouri State University , formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enrollment, with an enrollment of 23,307 at its main campus in the fall semester of 2022. The school also operates a campus in West Plains, Missouri offering associate degrees, which had an enrollment of 1,744 in the fall semester of 2022. A bachelor's degree in business is offered at Liaoning Normal University in China. The university also operates a fruit research station in Mountain Grove, Missouri and a Department of Defense and Strategic Studies program in Fairfax, Virginia.
Missouri State University's Online Degrees
MS in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Educational Technology
- Elementary Education
- Education Literacy
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
BS in Health Services
Degree Concentrations
- Health Services
- Clinical services
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BAS/BS in Hospitality Leadership
Degree Concentrations
- Club management
- Food and beverage
- General operations
- Lodging
- Senior living management
- Tourism
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS/BA in Communication Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in History
Degree Concentrations
- American Studies
- Global Area Studies
- U.S. and World
- Format: Fully online
MPA in Public Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Local government management
- Public policy
- Public safety
- Economic development
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nurse Anesthesia Practice
- Required Credits: 26
- Completion Time: 1-3 years
- Format: Fully online
BS/BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 30-36
- Completion Time: 1.5- 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Nurse Educator
- Population Health Leadership
- Required Credits: 43
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Information Technology
Degree Concentrations
- Application Development
- IT Infrastructure or Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing Practice
Degree Concentrations
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Completion Time: 4 years
BS in Finance
Degree Concentrations
- Corporate and Investments
- Financial Planning
- Required Credits: 120-121
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Special Education
Degree Concentrations
- Blindness and Low Vision
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in General Business
Degree Concentrations
- Business Relationships
- Financial and Quantitative Analysis
- International Business Environment
- Markets and Economies
- Project and Technology Management
- Risk Management and Compliance
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Marketing
Degree Concentrations
- Marketing Management
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Writing
Degree Concentrations
- Technical and Professional Writing
- Format: Fully online
Missouri State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,901 | 91% | 77% | 59% | 1145 | 22 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Missouri State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $10,128 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $13,696 |
| 30K - 48K | $12,555 |
| 48K - 75K | $13,449 |
| 75K - 110K | $17,578 |
| 110K+ | $21,357 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Missouri State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Missouri State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $52,782 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Missouri State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 27,054 | 21,763 | 5,291 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Missouri State University?
Missouri State University is located at 901 S National Avenue, Springfield, MO 65897.
How Safe is Missouri State University?
Missouri State University reported 1.3 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most large partly residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Missouri State University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.10%. Springfield has a violent crime rate of 1.19% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 4.23%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Missouri State University Known For?
Missouri State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Religious Studies
- Business
- Education
- Political Science
- Earth Sciences
- Psychology
- History
- Communications
- Economics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Physics
- Nursing
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Law
- Engineering
- Philosophy
Missouri State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Missouri State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Missouri State University ranks #306 in the U.S. and #952 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesMissouri State University ranks #336 in the U.S. and #1470 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesMissouri State University ranks #351 in the U.S. and #1226 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesMissouri State University ranks #384 in the U.S. and #1623 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesMissouri State University ranks #391 in the U.S. and #1581 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesMissouri State University ranks #426 in the U.S. and #1776 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesMissouri State University ranks #453 in the U.S. and #1162 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesMissouri State University ranks #494 in the U.S. and #1414 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesMissouri State University ranks #512 in the U.S. and #1855 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesMissouri State University ranks #534 in the U.S. and #3206 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesMissouri State University ranks #538 in the U.S. and #2325 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesMissouri State University ranks #538 in the U.S. and #2617 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesMissouri State University ranks #542 in the U.S. and #1870 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesMissouri State University ranks #550 in the U.S. and #2422 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesMissouri State University ranks #572 in the U.S. and #1499 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesMissouri State University ranks #628 in the U.S. and #2821 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesMissouri State University ranks #676 in the U.S. and #1626 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesMissouri State University ranks #711 in the U.S. and #2136 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesMissouri State University ranks #721 in the U.S. and #2931 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesMissouri State University ranks #727 in the U.S. and #1364 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesMissouri State University ranks #739 in the U.S. and #2633 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesMissouri State University ranks #765 in the U.S. and #2676 worldwide for influence in Law.
Missouri State University ranks #876 in the U.S. and #4792 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesMissouri State University ranks #1267 in the U.S. and #4181 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWho Are Missouri State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Missouri State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, Psychology, and Business. Here are some of Missouri State University's most famous alumni:
- Lester R. Ford
- An American mathematician.
- Jim Bohannon
- A Talk radio host.
- Kathleen Turner
- An American actress.
- Ryan Howard
- An American baseball player.
- Roy Blunt
- An American politician .
- John Goodman
- An American actor, voice artist and comedian .
- Bill Hardgrave
- An American academic.
- Pauline Gracia Beery Mack
- An American chemist.
- Tess Harper
- An American actress.
- Jerry L. Atwood
- An American chemist .
- Shaun Marcum
- An American baseball player.
- Bob Holden
- An American politician.
Who Are Missouri State University's Most Influential Faculty?
Missouri State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Anthropology, Psychology, and Business. Here are some of Missouri State University's most famous faculty:
