“Comprehensive Missouri university educating global citizen scholars”
Missouri State University (MSU) is a public university in Springfield, Missouri, and the state's second-largest university by enrollment. Founded in 1905 and granted a unique statutory 'public affairs mission' by the Missouri legislature in 1995, MSU enrolls more than 22,000 students at its Springfield campus, including over 1,600 international students from 91 countries — one of the largest international contingents of any Missouri public institution. The university offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and 45+ graduate programs across colleges including Arts & Letters, Business, Natural & Applied Sciences, Education, Health & Human Services, Agriculture and the Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. Academically, MSU is best known for its blended emphasis on applied learning and civic engagement. Popular majors include Psychology, Marketing, Registered Nursing, Elementary Education, Criminology and Communications. The Missouri State College of Business is AACSB-accredited and routinely enrolls some of the largest business cohorts in the state, while programs in cybersecurity, accountancy, agriculture, hospitality leadership and communication sciences & disorders have earned strong national visibility. The Public Affairs mission — embedded in general education — means every student graduates having wrestled with coursework and experiences in ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement. For international students, Missouri State's scale is a major draw: the Office of International Services runs a dedicated admissions pipeline, issues I-20s, maintains SEVIS records, authorizes CPT/OPT, and operates the English Language Institute (ELI) for applicants who need pre-academic English study. International students can stack the $5,500 International Student Scholarship with a full waiver of out-of-state fees, plus a one-time $1,000 study-abroad voucher — dramatically lowering the effective cost relative to many U.S. publics. The Springfield campus sits in the Ozarks, offering a low cost of living, an active international student community, and direct highway access to Kansas City, St. Louis and the Branson lakes.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourcePriority / Scholarship Deadline
Scholarships, priority housing, preferred SOAR orientation dates
International Scholarship Deadline
For International Leadership & IB Diploma scholarships
Rolling Admission
Applications reviewed on rolling basis after priority dates
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$9,502
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$18,770
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
AACSB-accredited, with nationally respected programs in accountancy, marketing, management, cybersecurity, and a professional MBA.
Home to Nursing, Physical Therapy, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Social Work, and Public Health.
Houses Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geography/Geology, Mathematics and Physics — the primary STEM college.
The largest college by program breadth, covering English, History, Media/Strategic Communication, Political Science, Psychology and Visual & Performing Arts.
Prepares Missouri's teachers and school leaders; known for Elementary Education and Counseling programs.
4 years
NSA/CAE-aligned cybersecurity major with applied labs; draws strong employer interest from Midwest firms and federal agencies.
4 years
One of MSU's distinctive programs — internship-driven curriculum leveraging Branson and Springfield's tourism economy.
1 years
AACSB-accredited MAcc meeting the 150-hour CPA requirement; strong placement with regional and Big 4 firms.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $18,770
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
