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University of Missouri-Columbia
Most applicants get into University of Missouri-Columbia — 78.5% were admitted — so the real questions are cost, fit and outcomes, covered below.
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University of Missouri-Columbia sits in Columbia proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It carries a land-grant charter — the 1862 mandate that ties it to agricultural and practical education. The university runs its own medical system, which colors both its budget and its biggest programs.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Engineering, where graduates median $112,696 four years out. Faculty pay averages $138,756 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 23,929 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 92.7% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1150 and 1330 — above the MO middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on University of Missouri-Columbia's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
You can apply to University of Missouri-Columbia without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 1150 and 1330; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 580 | 620 | 670 |
| SAT Math | 570 | 610 | 660 |
| ACT Composite | 23 | 26 | 29 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, University of Missouri-Columbia received 21,669 applications and admitted 16,690 (77%), with 5,139 enrolling.
How University of Missouri-Columbia compares
| University of Missouri-Columbia | Missouri median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 78.5% | 72.6% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $14,837 | $20,293 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $63,403 | $47,885 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median University of Missouri-Columbia student earns $63,403 — 32% above the Missouri median of $47,885 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
As a public university, University of Missouri-Columbia prices by residency: $14,837 in-state versus $36,056 out-of-state — a $21,219 gap that makes state lines part of the decision.
23,929 undergraduates make University of Missouri-Columbia a large campus: broad course catalogs and big intro lectures come as a package.
74.9% of University of Missouri-Columbia students finish a bachelor's within six years — 20.1 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $14,837 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at University of Missouri-Columbia
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $112,696 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $105,034 |
| Industrial Engineering | $101,380 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $100,234 |
| Chemical Engineering | $95,989 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $95,415 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $94,629 |
| Engineering, General | $92,426 |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | $86,844 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $84,534 |
| Civil Engineering | $83,684 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $83,231 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $82,831 |
| Mathematics | $81,518 |
| Statistics | $76,037 |
| Agricultural Mechanization | $75,958 |
| Area Studies | $75,230 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $75,060 |
| Economics | $74,661 |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | $74,381 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $73,861 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $69,333 |
| Journalism | $69,016 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $65,029 |
| Political Science and Government | $64,747 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $63,723 |
| Plant Sciences | $62,957 |
| Chemistry | $61,884 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $61,713 |
| Housing and Human Environments | $61,683 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $61,441 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $61,080 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $61,007 |
| Biology, General | $60,424 |
| History | $56,632 |
| Geography and Cartography | $56,191 |
| Social Work | $56,157 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $56,003 |
| Psychology, General | $55,839 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | $55,790 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $55,747 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $55,280 |
| Sociology | $55,098 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $54,133 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $51,901 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $51,254 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $50,205 |
| Agriculture, General | $49,480 |
| Anthropology | $49,351 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $49,192 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $49,013 |
| Animal Sciences | $47,983 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $47,487 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $46,920 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $46,853 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $45,263 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $44,681 |
| Music | $39,241 |
Median earnings for these 58 University of Missouri-Columbia programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $63,403 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 29 additional University of Missouri-Columbia programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for University of Missouri-Columbia?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1150–1330 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 78.5% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is University of Missouri-Columbia's acceptance rate?
77% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 16,690 admitted from 21,669 applicants.
How much does University of Missouri-Columbia cost?
In-state tuition is $14,837; out-of-state students pay $36,056. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do University of Missouri-Columbia graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $63,403 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Missouri
- University of Missouri-Kansas City — 72.2% admitted
- Missouri University of Science and Technology — 72.5% admitted
- University of Missouri-St Louis — 62.7% admitted
- Missouri Valley College — 69.2% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.