🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $16,298/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1150–1378 · ACT 25–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$14,984 — major value play)
  • Students focused on Engineering (the school's signature program)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1150, or ACT below 25, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity
Total enrollment
5,521
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$14,984
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$33,248
+$18,264 vs in-state
Admit rate
73.1%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
1150–1378
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
25–31
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$82,957
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$69,295
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$82,957
4-year completion
64%
Median debt (completers)
$23,250
Cost of attendance
$29,231
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
23%

💰 True ROI

12.7× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$65,192
$16,298/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$51,732
vs sticker $116,924
10-yr earnings total
$829,570
$82,957/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
0.8 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Missouri University of Science and Technology, the average net price is $16,298/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$10,912/yr
Family income $30-48k
$12,027/yr
Family income $48-75k
$13,330/yr
Family income $75-110k
$18,241/yr
Family income $110k+
$20,088/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Missouri University of Science and Technology's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Missouri University of Science and Technology →

Opens on Missouri University of Science and Technology's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Missouri University of Science and Technology

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Missouri University of Science and Technology actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Engineering
794 degrees · 72.9%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
2. Computer & Information Sciences
149 degrees · 13.7%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
3. Engineering Technologies
60 degrees · 5.5%
Typical career outcomes
Electrical Engineering Tech $72k Industrial Engineering Tech $64k Mechanical Engineering Tech $64k
Technician-track engineering roles. Strong wages, faster ramp than full engineer path.
4. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
53 degrees · 4.9%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
5. Physical Sciences
33 degrees · 3.0%
Typical career outcomes
Chemist $85k Physicist $147k Geoscientist $93k Materials Scientist $100k
Chemistry, physics, geology — strong wages especially in industry roles.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Missouri University of Science and Technology

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 120 $76,869 $107,195
Petroleum Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 19 $69,670 $102,405
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 71 $78,964 $99,620
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 95 $81,204 $98,264
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 76 $76,183 $96,090
Mining and Mineral Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 17 $95,707
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 86 $78,369 $94,686
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 240 $75,855 $91,742
Engineering-Related Fields. Bachelor's Degree 77 $72,708 $91,035
Nuclear Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 19 $77,947 $89,929

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Missouri University of Science and Technology

CS degrees (annual)
160
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Missouri University of Science and Technology vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Missouri University of Science and Technology

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Missouri University of Science and Technology doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($14,245 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($10,920 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($9,662 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($9,495 less)
Cedar Crest College
PA · Private nonprofit
$11,008/yr for $110k+ families ($9,080 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Missouri Southern State University
MO · Public
97% admit rate (vs 73% here)
Missouri State University-Springfield
MO · Public
91% admit rate (vs 73% here)
Northwest Missouri State University
MO · Public
86% admit rate (vs 73% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Missouri University of Science and Technology into your overall strategy:

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