Missouri Southern State University College Portrait

More Information

Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended

50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.

Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)

Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $14,454.00

Out-of-State & Other Costs

More Information

The cost to attend Missouri Southern State University varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.

How much would I pay?

Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?

Scholarships & Grants

• 31% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $4,158.00. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.

Annual Need-Based Loans

• 2% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $54.00. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.

Percent of 2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid

NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.

More Information

36% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
26% of all undergraduates live on campus

More Information

Performing directed and random patrols on campus In an attempt to reduce fear/apprehension of crime on campus, DPS Officers will provide a visible presence to help promote an atmosphere of safety for students, faculty/staff and all visitors. Answering calls for service DPS Officers will respond to calls for service on campus, i.e., disturbance, trespassing, property destruction, theft, accident, etc. They will intervene in disturbances and investigate reported crime on campus. They will contact emergency services when needed and (since becoming a campus police department in March of 2008) commissioned officers will investigate all criminal activity, including submitting cases to the Jasper County Prosecutor’s office for the filing of charges. In addition to police functions, the officers are trained as first responders to deal with injuries and/or serious illness on campus through training in basic first aid, CPR and the use of the Automatic External Defibrillator. Compiling reports for incidents and accidents DPS Officers will compile reports documenting crimes, significant occurrences, accidents, etc. that occur on campus. Copies of those reports are available at the DPS Office at no charge. Enforcing all traffic and parking regulations on campus In order to assure that handicapped persons have adequate parking, that emergency personnel have access and to facilitate safety and order on campus, DPS Officers will enforce all traffic and parking regulations on campus. Campus police officers may also enforce all Missouri State Statutes on campus. Providing security for sports events, concerts etc., on campus DPS Officers provide security services at events on campus to insure that participants can enjoy the events with little concern for disruptions. Checking buildings to insure that they are secure In addition to the various other duties, DPS Officers check to insure that buildings are properly locked in the evening hours. They also unlock doors to allow access for authorized persons entering buildings in the early morning hours and on weekends. Monitoring activities in the Residence Halls To insure the safety of all students and Student Advisors in the Residence Halls, DPS Officers are on duty during the midnight hours to watch for unauthorized persons and to enforce the rules of the Residence Halls. DPS Officers are committed to making sure the campus remains free from drugs/alcohol and violence. Providing courtesy services for students DPS Officers provide many courtesy services for students and faculty/staff, i.e., unlocking cars, jump starts, escorts, etc. Any student or faculty/staff member are encouraged to contact a DPS Officer with any problem and they will directly assist or direct the person to the agency/service who can provide the assistance. Fire Safety and Hazardous Materials A fire Safety / Haz Mat officer is responsible for gathering and disposing of all biological and chemical hazardous materials on campus. He is also responsible for the inspection and maintenance of fire suppression items on campus. Providing Timely Warnings The Clery Act requires a timely warning to be given to the campus community in certain instances. In accordance with the act, the MSSU DPS will issue a crime alert in a timely manner for on-going threats to safety and to aid in the prevention of similar crimes. Specifically, these crimes will include situations that are reported to the DPS and that are considered serious or continuing threats to the campus population. Warnings will be communicated via text messages (Rave system), e-mails, posted notices, and/or media sources at the discretion of the Director of the Department of Public Safety. Providing safety information to students DPS Officers provide literature regarding ways to be safe on and off campus, as well as how to keep property from being stolen. Those types of materials can be picked up at the DPS Office at the West end of the campus. DPS Officers are also available to address classrooms or groups about a number of topics including: Avoiding date rape/date rape drugs, target hardening for property, personal safety, dangers of drugs and alcohol, etc. To schedule a presentation, or to ask question about the Department of Public Safety, please contact the DPS Director (Campus Police Chief) at 417.625.9741.

Campus Crime Statistics

The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/

Basic Type

Baccalaureate Colleges--Diverse Fields

Size and Setting

Medium four-year, primarily nonresidential

Enrollment Profile

Very high undergraduate

Undergraduate Profile

Medium full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in

Undergraduate Instructional Program

Balanced arts & sciences/professions, some graduate coexistence

Graduate Instructional Program

Postbaccalaureate with arts & sciences (education dominant)

NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.

More Information

Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.

Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.

Group Learning Experiences

• 88% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
• 52% of seniors tutored or taught other students
• 12% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports

Active Learning Experiences

• 88% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
• 4% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
• 50% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
• 63% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
• 9% of seniors participated in study abroad
• 93% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year

Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success

• 95% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
• 83% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
• 60% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
• 92% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations

Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff

• 59% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
• 80% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
• 97% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
• 75% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class

Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas

• 60% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
• 67% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
• 33% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity

Student Satisfaction

• 75% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
• 85% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
• 81% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive

Evaluation of Experiences

Survey Administration Process

Survey Information

More Information

Survey Administration Process

More Information

A 61% four-year success and progress rate means that 61% of students starting in Fall 2005 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.

More Information

Counts for the Fall 2005 entering class shown in the graph above.

• 839 First-Time, Full-Time Students
• 380 Full-Time Transfer Students

Success & Progress Rate Table

First-time students in Fall 2010 that returned for their second year: 60%

All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.

Missouri Southern has been involved with  assessment since 1987. Students are tested and surveyed as entering freshmen and as graduating seniors. Discipline level assessment is carried out by department personnel.  The Proficiency Profile (General Education Test) from ETS is used along with several surveys including NSSE, College Outcomes Survey(COS) from ACT and others.  A faculty committee serves as an advisory group to the assessment program.

Learning Assessment Examples

Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.

2010 - 11 Results from the ETS Proficiency Profile (formerly MAPP)

The ETS Proficiency Profile (formerly MAPP) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, and written communication and reports separate scores on critical thinking and written communication.

Test Administration Process

Test Information

Critical Thinking Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the performance task is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 110
Senior Score: 113
ETS score range: 100 to 130

Written Communication Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the performance task is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 113
Senior Score: 116
ETS score range: 100 to 130

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 21
Senior Score: 0