Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) vs Northwest State

Missouri Southern State University and Northwest Missouri State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Missouri, offer distinct educational experiences. Missouri Southern, located in Joplin, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Northwest Missouri, situated in Maryville, stands out with its higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, Missouri Southern excels in health professions and nursing, while Northwest Missouri shines in education and business. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including student body demographics, tuition fees, and campus life, to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Missouri Southern State University	Northwest Missouri State University
Overview
Location	Joplin, Missouri	Maryville, Missouri
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	59.0%	76.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.9%	85.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $35
SAT range	950 - 1170	953 - 1133
ACT range	18 - 24	19 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%	1.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	95.0%
Total number of applicants	1,695	7,039
Total number of admissions given out	1,642	6,024
Admitted students who chose to enroll	578	964
Yield rate	35.2%	16.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $19,321 Out of state: $26,913	In state: $22,523 Out of state: $28,590
Average net price	$9,703	$13,754
Tuition	In state: $7,244 Out of state: $14,836	In state: $5,461 Out of state: $11,528
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,400 Meal plan: $5,652	Room/dormitory: $5,582 Meal plan: $3,966
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $6,885	96.0% Average amount $8,153
Students receiving federal student loan	46.0% Average amount $4,602	59.0% Average amount $5,260
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,077	6.0% Average amount $9,915

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,245 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	5,306 Men 40.1% Women 59.9%
Graduate students	107 Men 32.7% Women 67.3%	2,564 Men 41.1% Women 58.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	22.1%	29.4%
International students	2.5%	8.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	735	2,414
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Missouri Kansas Arkansas Oklahoma Texas	Missouri Iowa Nebraska Kansas Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education Liberal Arts	Education Business Computer and Information Science Agriculture Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	37.0%	52.4%
Dropout rate	32.2%	17.9%
Transferred out	27.4%	28.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $64,678 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,482 Year 3: $54,298 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,753 Year 2: $54,515 Year 3: $54,231 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,466 Year 2: $47,930 Year 3: $52,943 Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,016 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $49,539 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $42,995 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,297 Year 2: $38,946 Year 3: $42,227 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,440 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $40,971 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,859 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $40,702 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,697 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $37,967	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,353 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $74,049 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,868 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $55,549 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,788 Year 2: $51,197 Year 3: $54,473 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,439 Year 3: $52,420 Computer Software and Media Applications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,075 Year 2: $45,715 Year 3: $52,373 Plant Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $49,837 Agricultural Business and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,533 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $49,285 Agriculture, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,158 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $49,112 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,370 Year 2: $43,379 Year 3: $48,369 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,668 Year 2: $41,342 Year 3: $46,406

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