Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) vs Truman State University

Missouri Southern State University and Truman 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 students. Truman State, situated in Kirksville, is known for its rigorous academic programs, reflected in its lower acceptance rate. While Missouri Southern excels in fields like business and nursing, Truman State shines in liberal arts and sciences. Both universities foster diverse student bodies, with Truman State having a slightly larger undergraduate population. When it comes to graduation rates, Truman State holds a slight edge over Missouri Southern. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting these key differences and more. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Missouri Southern State University	Truman State University
Overview
Location	Joplin, Missouri	Kirksville, 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%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.9%	61.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $35	$40
SAT range	950 - 1170	1093 - 1290
ACT range	18 - 24	24 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%	7.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	86.0%
Total number of applicants	1,695	4,068
Total number of admissions given out	1,642	2,481
Admitted students who chose to enroll	578	665
Yield rate	35.2%	26.8%
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: $22,802 Out of state: $30,523
Average net price	$9,703	$11,470
Tuition	In state: $7,244 Out of state: $14,836	In state: $8,365 Out of state: $16,086
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,400 Meal plan: $5,652	Room/dormitory: $6,053 Meal plan: $3,710
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $6,885	100.0% Average amount $11,120
Students receiving federal student loan	46.0% Average amount $4,602	39.0% Average amount $4,863
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,077	5.0% Average amount $8,003

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,245 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	3,890 Men 40.4% Women 59.6%
Graduate students	107 Men 32.7% Women 67.3%	335 Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	22.1%	16.3%
International students	2.5%	6.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	735	2,025
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 Illinois Iowa Kansas Nebraska

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education Liberal Arts	Education Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Business Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	37.0%	72.0%
Dropout rate	32.2%	27.6%
Transferred out	27.4%	N/A
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: $66,462 Year 2: $73,530 Year 3: $80,683 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,131 Year 2: $56,505 Year 3: $70,204 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,016 Year 2: $56,028 Year 3: $59,590 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,860 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,135 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,260 Year 2: $42,235 Year 3: $51,462 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,597 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $44,676 Agriculture, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,027 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $43,373 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,555 Year 2: $27,947 Year 3: $40,443 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $35,264 Year 2: $36,560 Year 3: $39,017 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,336 Year 2: $33,535 Year 3: $38,530

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