University of Missouri

Quick Stats

105 Jesse Hall
Columbia, MO 65211: [map]

Phone: (573) 882-2121

2011-2012 Tuition

$8,989: in-state

$21,784: out-of-state

Students

24,901: enrolled

48%: male /

52%: female

Admissions

rolling admission

83.6%: accepted

More Information

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U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

U.S. News rank	Category Name
#90	National Universities

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Summary

University of Missouri is a public institution that was founded in 1839. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 24,901, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 1,250 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Missouri's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 90. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,989 (2011-12); out-of-state tuition and fees are $21,784 (2011-12).

Students at the University of Missouri live in a unique botanical garden, with more than 40,000 plants across campus. More than a third of high school seniors from Missouri attend Mizzou each year, and all freshmen must live on campus. As the only Division I-A sports school in the state, the Missouri Tigers teams are a big focus of campus life. The teams compete in the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference and are particularly competitive in football. The school mascot, Truman the Tiger, is named after former President Harry Truman, who was born in Missouri. Mizzou has more than 600 clubs and organizations for students. More than 20 percent of students join the school’s Greek system, which comprises 50-plus fraternities and sororities. Students also have a vast array of degree options, with more than 280 majors, nearly 50 of which can be completed online. The university’s hometown of Columbia is in central Missouri and is host to annual events like the Roots ’n Blues ’n BBQ music festival and Art in the Park, a large creative works showcase. To travel around campus and the town on the weekends, students have free access to STRIPES, a transportation service that delivers riders to their destinations from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.

The University of Missouri has highly ranked graduate programs at the College of Education and Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, as well as a School of Medicine and a Tier 1 School of Law. This public research university offers opportunities for students to team up on faculty-led projects as early as their freshman year. Among the scores of notable Mizzou alumni are actors Jon Hamm and Brad Pitt, singer Sheryl Crow, and playwright Tennessee Williams, who won the Pulitzer Prize for A Street Car Named Desire.

School mission (as provided by the school):

Founded in 1839 as the first public university west of the Mississippi River, the University of Missouri in Columbia is a member of the nation's most prestigious group of 61 U.S. public and private institutions--the Association of American Universities. Today MU is a $1.92 billion enterprise with more than 32,000 students and 252,000 alumni worldwide.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies MU among American universities that provide the most educational opportunities and the highest level of instruction. MU offers 285 degree programs through 19 colleges and schools and has the largest research operation of any public university in Missouri. In fact, the National Science Foundation has recognized Mizzou as one of the top 10 universities in the country for integrating research into undergraduate education. MU offers undergraduate research to some students as early as their freshman year.
Home to the world's first School of Journalism, Mizzou offers many strong, unique programs on its 1,250-acre campus. Some classes in the sciences are taught in collaboration with MU's medical school, and humanities classes include such areas as music composition and creative writing where students frequently win national awards.
One of only six public universities nationwide with medicine, veterinary medicine and law on one campus, MU also has great strengths in agriculture, engineering and the basic sciences. Five competitive areas are especially strong and growing at Mizzou: Food for the Future, Media of the Future, the Convergence of Human and Animal Health, Sustainable Energy, and Understanding and Managing Disruptive and Transformational Technologies.
Nearly 30 percent of MU students come from another state or another country, and a strong international community thrives in Columbia. At the same time, Mizzou has a growing Study Abroad program, with nearly 400 programs in more than 60 countries. Twenty-one percent of graduating seniors earn credit abroad.
Well-known nationally for its campus writing program and learning communities, MU offers students unmatched real-world experiences such as managing a bed and breakfast, operating a floral shop, designing a solar home, preparing income taxes for families, representing domestic violence victims in court, providing health care, working at the country's only university-owned TV network affiliate, performing at Carnegie Hall and co-writing scientific journal articles.
Another major asset is the Mizzou Botanic Garden, which covers the entire campus landscape with 42,000 plants and trees. Faculty from 10 academic programs use the garden as an outdoor laboratory.
Service learning also is important at Mizzou. The Service Learning Center integrates service to others into students' academic experiences through collaborative partnerships on campus and throughout the community.
A member of the Big 12 Conference, Mizzou features a division I-A athletic program, where student-athletes in 20 sports compete at the highest level.
National media consistently list Columbia, Missouri, among the top U.S. cities for its excellent quality of life.

General Information

School type	public, coed college
Year founded	1839
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	semester
Setting	urban
2010 Endowment	$510,554,667

Applying

When applying to University of Missouri, it's important to note the application deadline is rolling. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due May 1. The application fee at University of Missouri is $50. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 83.6 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	more selective
Fall 2010 acceptance rate	84%
Application deadline	rolling
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	May 1

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at University of Missouri is 20:1, and the school has 46.6 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Missouri include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; Engineering; Health Professions and Related Programs; and Social Sciences. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 84.8 percent.

Class sizes

Student-faculty ratio

20:1

4-year graduation rate

43% - Medium

Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services	20%
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs	14%
Engineering	7%
Health Professions and Related Programs	7%
Social Sciences	6%

More About Academic Life

Student Life

University of Missouri has a total undergraduate enrollment of 24,901, with a gender distribution of 48.0 percent male students and 52.0 percent female students. 28.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 72.0 percent of students live off campus. University of Missouri is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at University of Missouri.

Total enrollment	32,415
Student gender distribution

Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity

Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority

Collegiate athletic association	NCAA I

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Campus Info & Services

University of Missouri offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. University of Missouri also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at University of Missouri, 55 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at University of Missouri.

Students who have cars on campus	55% - Medium
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At University of Missouri, 49.1 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $7,140.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

In-state tuition and fees	$8,989 (2011-12)
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$21,784 (2011-12)
Room and board	$8,643 (2011-12) - Medium
Financial aid statistics

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Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo

SIZE Mizzou is a large institution with an undergraduate body of over 20,000 students. Many people think that they cannot overcome the level of anonymity inherent to such a large body. Surprisingly, it is not difficult to quickly feel at home at the University. Joining a FIG (Freshman Interest Group) or a Greek Chapter can provide an immediate base of friends from which you can branch out mere days after your first hour at the University. Additionally, while many introductory level classes will have over one-hundred individuals in attendance, small classes are plentiful if one simply takes the time to thoroughly browse myZou. It's all about individual initiative. I have had a personal relationship with around 3/4 of the professors I have had at Mizzou (basically, any professor I have wished to meet), and all of the professors within my particular discipline. On a similar note, I have never had trouble learning in a large class, nor obtaining outside help from the professor if I found some facet of the class to be difficult. Especially after sophomore year, larger classes become less common. I have heard that many individuals are apprehensive about attending a "big school," but I think that many of their fears are generally unfounded. REPUTATION Mizzou commands a great deal of respect throughout the state of Missouri. Outside of perhaps Washington University in St. Louis, no other institution within Missouri can compete with Mizzou in essentially any aspect (and even when you include WashU, one must consider the urban setting, relative lack of athletics, and other items unbecoming to most individual's ideal of a college experience). As previously mentioned, many individuals from the state of Missouri tend to associate the University with academic excellence and some degree of financial security (not near the level of wealth associated with private institutions, but certainly above the regional institutions). Mizzou commands a fair amount of prestige at the regional level, with a mutual level of respect maintained among the other institutions of the Big 12 (Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor) and other universities in the surrounding area (Illinois, Arkansas). Additionally, Mizzou maintains respect at the national level. Individuals from other areas of the nation are not in awe of Mizzou (it isn't Harvard or Yale), but they tend to recognize the University as a respectable institution. Outside of the Big 12, I have met individuals from across the nation, including the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, Notre Dame, and Pennsylvania State University, and all of them treated Mizzou with respect. While not generally considered a "national school," the University of Missouri is certainly one of the best institutions in the Midwest. COLUMBIA Columbia is an exemplary college town. With a population of less than 100,000, Columbia has retained much of its small town charm while meeting the needs of the college community. Columbia is home to several local restaurants of various taste and an active night life. Additionally, Columbia has consistently been rated among America's best places to live, and is roughly two hours away from St. Louis and Kansas City.

Jordan Senior

The best thing about Mizzou: the history. When you go to Mizzou, you are joining a legacy of excellence and tradition, and it's something to be proud of. No other university can rival the deep respect for tradition that we have. If I could change one thing, I would make the entire student body more engaged in what is going on. Major decisions are made without students voicing their opinion, and it's our job as students to take ownership of our college's success. The school is just right. You may have a few big classes, but most of your classes are going to be fairly small. When I tell people I go to Mizzou, they think I am a party girl and that I am a little self-righteous about going there. But Mizzou is filled with friendly and down to earth people who all love this school and what it stands for. I spend most of my time on campus walking around. It's a beautiful campus. Columbia is definately a town that has embraced the college community. It has a wide range of arts and entertainment venues, alot with a great restaurant and bar scene. It may be a change for big-town people, but most people love the community atmosphere. I think the administration, atleast when it comes to advising, is helpful but a little detached. The current administration is working to increase communication between students and the administration. The biggest controversy, besides the greek gossip blog that rehashes all of the dramatic Greek events, was the student body president election. There is always a debate about cheating and candidate quality. There is tremendous school pride. And we hate Kansas. Mizzou's campus is unique; it's beautiful and large but easy to get around. It never takes more than 10 minutes to walk anywhere on campus, which is unusual. I will always remember homecoming my senior year. Mizzou founded homecoming in 1911---it has never been done anywhere else before---and now it's a huge event that is planned year round. Most frequent student complaint: parking.

Anne Senior

Mizzou is a huge school - every freshman class since I was a freshman has been the largest freshman class ever. You absolutely have to have an outgoing personality or you will not succeed. I would wager that people who dropped out or transferred have done so because they were lost in the crowd. Whether it relates to not being able to make friends or not getting the academic support you need - it has a lot to do with being outgoing. Mizzou is also a 100% college town. Everything revolves around the University and it's sports teams. There is a huge amount of school pride, something that made me attracted to the school in the first place. Now that I've graduated and live back in the Chicago area, I greatly enjoy Alumni Association events. Even 400 miles away, Mizzou fans pack into a bar and cheer on the Tigers.

Allison Alum

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* Overview details based on 2010 data

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Summary

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