Public · Maryville, Missouri

Northwest Missouri State University

Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution in Maryville, Missouri. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$16,244
Avg net price / yr
$47,885
10-yr median earnings
55.8%
150%-time completion
86.1%
Acceptance rate

The verdict

Northwest Missouri State University pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 33%
former-student earnings, US
86.1%
acceptance rate
55.8%
150%-time completion
+15%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Remote Carnegie: Master's (L)
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Northwest Missouri State University profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

C-
College Value Score
53/100
Northwest Missouri State University

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings B-
$47,885
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C-
$16,244
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
55.8%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$21,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A-
76.5%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention D
73.9%
First-year students returning for year two
Northwest Missouri State University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$47,885

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$16,244

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

55.8%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 55.8%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Northwest Missouri State University vs peers

Northwest Missouri State University positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Northwest Missouri State University position… Carnegie Classification: Master's (L) Master's (… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $32K $87K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $5K $26K Avg Net Price ($) Northwest Missouri State University (you are here): $48K earn · $16K net · 56% grad You are here - Northwest Missouri… St Charles Community College: $42K earn · $6K net · 24% grad St Charles Communi… University of Missouri-St Louis: $53K earn · $15K net · 57% grad University of Miss… Missouri University of Science and Technology: $83K earn · $16K net · 64% grad Missouri Universit… University of Central Missouri: $50K earn · $14K net · 52% grad University of Cent… Moberly Area Community College: $38K earn · $7K net · 43% grad Moberly Area Commu… Missouri Southern State University: $43K earn · $12K net · 40% grad Conception Seminary College: $50K earn · $25K net · 40% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Northwest Missouri State University ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Northwest Missouri State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$47,885 Top 33% higher than 67% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric Northwest Missouri State University National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $47,885 #1665 of 5103 67th
Average net price $16,244 #2332 of 5020 54th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 55.8% #2539 of 4858 48th
Undergraduate enrollment 4,378 #834 of 5462 85th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

4,378
Undergraduate enrollment
86.1%
Acceptance rate
1,119
SAT average
55.8%
150%-time completion
$47,885
10-yr median earnings
73.9%
First-year retention

How Northwest Missouri State University ranks in Missouri

State rank among 120 reporting Missouri colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Northwest Missouri State University State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $47,885 #36 of 120 70th
Average net price $16,244 #51 of 119 57th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 55.8% #64 of 107 40th
Undergraduate enrollment 4,378 #18 of 125 86th

Highest former-student earnings in Missouri

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis$137,047$31,817
2Chamberlain University-Missouri$92,405$30,716
3Washington University in St Louis$86,182$21,786
4Research College of Nursing$85,910-
5Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing$84,393-
6Missouri University of Science and Technology$82,957$16,298
7Saint Louis University$70,783$24,398
8Rockhurst University$67,102$25,884
9University of Missouri-Columbia$63,403$20,268
10Maryville University of Saint Louis$62,105$22,066
11Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences$60,918$19,390
12University of Missouri-Kansas City$59,637$13,310
36Northwest Missouri State UniversityThis school$47,885$16,244

Admissions

Admission Rate 86.1%
SAT Average 1,119
SAT Math (25th-75th) 498 – 600
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 478 – 593
ACT Average 22
ACT (25th-75th) 19 – 24
0%100%86.1%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Northwest Missouri State University

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Northwest Missouri State University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $10,611
Out-of-State Tuition $17,324
Average Net Price $16,244
27.3%
Pell Grant Rate
41.5%
Federal Loan Rate
$21,500
Median Debt
$228/mo
Monthly Payment

What students pay at Northwest Missouri State University rose +39.7% since 2013

Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $10,612 in 2013 to $14,824 in 2023, a rise of $4,212 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $10,6122014: $10,5702015: $10,1542016: $10,9862017: $11,5022018: $12,2072019: $12,3542020: $12,9252021: $13,3982022: $13,7322023: $14,824
2013 · $10,6122023 · $14,824

Over the same years, enrollment went -13.7% (5,274 → 4,550 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

61.2%
Female
30.8%
First Generation

Outcomes

73.9%
Retention Rate
$41,695
Median Earnings (6yr)
64.4%
Earning Over $25K
76.5%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 55.8%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 73.9%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $41,695
Median earnings 10 years after entry $47,885
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 64.4%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 76.5%
Median federal student debt At completion $21,500
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $228/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 33 1,021 $54,197 $80,690 $21,988
Master's 7 695 $54,570 $77,811 $17,054

Top programs at Northwest Missouri State University by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 22 $80,690 $21,975
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 150 $77,811 $20,499
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 27 $72,893 $23,250
Finance and Financial Management Services Bachelor's 28 $65,692 -
Educational Administration and Supervision Master's 235 $63,051 $15,924
Agricultural Business and Management Bachelor's 61 $58,035 $17,250
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 95 $57,907 $17,844
Marketing Bachelor's 48 $57,705 $20,288
Biology, General Bachelor's 32 $57,564 $26,000
Geography and Cartography Bachelor's 6 $55,656 -
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Master's 9 $53,444 $17,000
Animal Sciences Bachelor's 16 $53,418 $18,089
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General Bachelor's 43 $52,179 $20,500
Special Education and Teaching Master's 65 $50,060 $16,333
Communication and Media Studies Bachelor's 77 $50,012 $25,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Northwest Missouri State University?
Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution in Maryville, Missouri. The acceptance rate is 86.1%. The average SAT score is 1,119. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,378 students.
How much do Northwest Missouri State University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Northwest Missouri State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $47,885 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $41,695.
How much does Northwest Missouri State University cost?
The average net price at Northwest Missouri State University is $16,244. In-state tuition is $10,611 and out-of-state tuition is $17,324. Median student debt at graduation is $21,500.
What is the graduation rate at Northwest Missouri State University?
Northwest Missouri State University has a 55.8% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 73.9%.
Is Northwest Missouri State University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Northwest Missouri State University is $21,500, while former students earn a median of $47,885 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 45% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 76.5% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $228.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from Northwest Missouri State University

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.