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Columbia, MO · Public · 23,929 undergraduates · urban

University of Missouri-Columbia

Less selective

Missouri combines flagship breadth with a journalism school built around producing real reporting rather than treating journalism solely as classroom study.

Wikimedia Commons contributor / CC BY-SA 2.0

Institutional profile

Well established Solid in affordability, and solid in mobility.
Academic Solid Affordability Solid Career Solid Mobility Solid Experience Steady
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Solid
Student experience Steady
Admission
77% admitted

21,669 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
73%

$63,403 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets University of Missouri-Columbia apart

Academic design

Journalism students use the Missouri Method, learning through working newsrooms, publications, broadcast and strategic-communication operations.

Campus pattern

Mizzou anchors Columbia, a central Missouri college town shared with major healthcare and government-related activity.

Career & value signal

Journalism, agriculture, insurance, healthcare and state-government connections support several distinctive career routes.

Can I get in?

77% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

21,669

About 77 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 77%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1150–1330
10401440
ACT middle 50%23–29
1933

Of admitted students, 10% submitted an SAT, and 66% submitted an ACT. The SAT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.

Academic benchmarkLess selective

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for University of Missouri-Columbia, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What University of Missouri-Columbia weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Journalism students use the Missouri Method, learning through working newsrooms, publications, broadcast and strategic-communication operations.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Missouri combines flagship breadth with a journalism school built around producing real reporting rather than treating journalism solely as classroom study.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Regular Decisionrolling
Fee and waiver$55 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$36,326
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$20,000
Affordability profileSolid

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at University of Missouri-Columbia

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years73%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one92%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$63,403

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General

Recent graduates528
Median earnings$69,333

Admits separately

Journalism

Recent graduates461
Median earnings$69,016

Admits separately

Psychology, General

Recent graduates358
Median earnings$55,839

Biology, General

Recent graduates281
Median earnings$60,424

What is campus life like?

University of Missouri-Columbia beyond the classroom

Mizzou anchors Columbia, a central Missouri college town shared with major healthcare and government-related activity.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Journalism students use the Missouri Method, learning through working newsrooms, publications, broadcast and strategic-communication operations.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Mizzou anchors Columbia, a central Missouri college town shared with major healthcare and government-related activity.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Journalism, agriculture, insurance, healthcare and state-government connections support several distinctive career routes.

23,929 undergraduatesMidwesturban setting94% of first-year students live on campus