Missouri State University-Springfield

Public · Moderately Selective · MO

Photo: Benpiano800 (CC BY 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationMO · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads13,313

Student:faculty21:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate41.1%

6-yr grad rate57.9%

Drop-out rate22.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$10k

Out-of-state tuition$19k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity22%

Gender diversity61.4%

International3.1%

Identity—

Overview

Missouri State sits in Springfield, Missouri's third-largest city, at the edge of the Ozark Plateau, and carries a formal public-affairs mission built around three themes — ethical leadership, cultural competence, and community engagement — woven into general-education requirements across every major. It functions as the state's second-largest university by enrollment, with a broad, practical academic catalog spanning business, health, and the arts, on a traditional, tree-lined residential campus a short walk from Springfield's downtown core.

Academics

Business, education, and health professions anchor the catalog, and the entrepreneurship program has drawn national recognition for its practical, venture-focused coursework. The Darr College of Agriculture gives Missouri State an unusual land-grant-adjacent footprint for a school that isn't the state's official land-grant institution, including hands-on facilities and, through a satellite campus in Mountain Grove, one of the few university-affiliated viticulture and enology programs in the Midwest. Public-affairs coursework is genuinely cross-cutting rather than confined to a single department — most majors build in a capstone tied to ethics or civic engagement.

Campus & student life

The Springfield campus blends a traditional quad-and-dorms feel with real-city amenities — downtown restaurants, internships, and part-time jobs are a short walk or bus ride away rather than requiring a car. Bears athletics, especially basketball at JQH Arena, draw a loud following in the Missouri Valley Conference, and Greek life and a wide range of student organizations give the campus a spirited, collegiate feel despite being a broadly access-oriented public university.

Getting in

Admission is largely credentials-based — a straightforward review of coursework and test scores — rather than built around an elaborate essay-and-interview process, consistent with the university's role as a broadly accessible public institution for Missouri and the surrounding Ozarks region. Merit scholarships tied to GPA and test scores are a meaningful part of the financial picture for strong applicants.

After graduation

Graduates in business, health professions, and education find strong regional placement across southwest Missouri and the broader Ozarks, aided by the university's size and name recognition throughout the state. The entrepreneurship program in particular has a track record of graduates launching their own ventures rather than moving straight into conventional corporate roles.

Worth knowing

The public-affairs mission is a real academic thread, not just branding — most majors require coursework or a capstone tied to ethical leadership and community problem-solving, which is unusual among regional public universities. Its Mountain Grove-based viticulture and enology program is a genuine niche few students expect from a Missouri public university.

missouristate.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate90.5%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1020–1270 · ACT 19–26

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying