University of Missouri College Portrait
University of MissouriColumbia, MO 65211
573-882-7786
University of Missouri
There Is Only One Mizzou
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 $2 billion enterprise with more than 33,000 students and 262,000 alumni worldwide.
MU offers 306 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.
Home to the world’s first School of Journalism, Mizzou offers many strong, unique programs on its 1,250-acre campus and is one of only six public universities nationwide with medicine, veterinary medicine and law on one campus.
Nearly 30 percent of MU students come from another state or another country, and a strong international community thrives in Columbia, a city consistently ranked among the top U.S. cities for its excellent quality of life.
Living in the Mizzou Community
Best Education From the Heart of the Nation
MU is committed to student success. We invite you and your family to visit our campus. You will visit with our admissions staff, explore the campus during a student led tour, interact with faculty in the academic areas in which you have the most interest and visit our wonderful student focused facilities. Once admitted, students and their families return for Summer Welcome, our new student orientation program. We work with you to develop a personalized academic plan for your first semester. You may join a Freshman Interest Group (FIG), a Learning Community, or consider joining a Greek organization or more than 600 student organizations. At the start of the semester, you participate in Fall and Spring Welcome activities to get better connected with the campus and your department. We want you to have a successful start at MU. The Learning Center, Academic Advising, Academic Retention Services and other programs are available to help you develop learning strategies to enhance your success. Our freshman retention rate indicates our students are well served by these programs. We want to help you define, clarify, and achieve your academic, personal, and professional goals throughout your program of study at MU.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 32,415 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 24,901 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 12,943 | 52% |
| Men | 11,958 | 48% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 110 | <1% |
| Asian | 587 | 2% |
| African American / Black | 1,805 | 7% |
| Hispanic | 637 | 3% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 5 | <1% |
| White | 20,445 | 82% |
| Two or More Races | 219 | 1% |
| International | 523 | 2% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 570 | 2% |
| Where do MU undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 81% |
| Other US States & Territories | 17% |
| Other Countries | 2% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are MU undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 20 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 4% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 23 - 28 | |
| Math | 22 - 27 | 530 - 650 |
| English | 23 - 29 | |
| Critical Reading | 540 - 650 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 55% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 86% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 78% | |
| Average High School GPA Data Not Available | ||
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $21,874
Out-of-State & Other Costs
More Information
The cost to attend University of Missouri 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
- 39% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $7,152. 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
- 37% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,592. 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 2008-2009 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
MU Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 20 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 71% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 85% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 1,289 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 36% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 18% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 93% |
More Information
Campus-based Housing
86% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
28% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
The University of Missouri is committed to providing the members of the campus community and visitors with the safest and most secure environment possible. The entire MU Police department operates under the philosophy of Community Policing that entails a partnership between the community and our agency. The University of Missouri Police Department's mission includes ensuring a peaceful quality of life and supporting a safe learning environment.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
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
- Research Universities (very high research activity)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily residential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, more selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Balanced arts & sciences/professions, high graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Comprehensive doctoral with medical/veterinary
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
More Information
Student Activities and Involvement at MU
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. MU offers students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. MU measures 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
- 95% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 58% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 38% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 82% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 27% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 58% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 70% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 23% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 91% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 96% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 67% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 62% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 91% 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
- 54% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 77% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 95% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 69% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 64% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 85% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 52% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 84% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 87% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 86% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at University of Missouri in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 4,963 |
| Master's | 1,574 |
| Doctoral | 626 |
| Total | 7,163 |
More Information
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES | 20% |
| COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS | 14% |
| HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS | 7% |
| ENGINEERING | 7% |
| SOCIAL SCIENCES | 6% |
| Links to degree programs at University of Missouri |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of 2009-10 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 92% four-year success and progress rate means that 92% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
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Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 4,630 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 1,069 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 84%
Student Learning at University of Missouri
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.
The ultimate goal of MU's assessment efforts - at the program level and for general education - is a highly effective learner-centered institution, an organization in which students learn what they need to know and are able to be successful. As an initial step toward achieving this goal, the University established Core Learning Objectives, three categories of skills that cross all academic and co-curricular areas. MU’s key strategy for achieving its student learning goal is to help faculty and staff adapt the Core Learning Objectives to their programs as they develop program-specific learning objectives and strategies. These processes help make it clear to students (both current and future), their parents, potential employers, and legislators and government officials what we expect students to know and be able to do as a result of their experiences at Mizzou. The principal focus of our assessment efforts is on improving the effectiveness of strategies designed to bring about student learning; that is, on improving the quality of learning at MU.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
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.
Student learning outcomes are not currently available.