University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
13% gap between the two groups
11% gap between the two groups
1% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $13,841 |
| $30k–$48k | $13,378 |
| $48k–$75k | $13,722 |
| $75k–$110k | $19,762 |
| $110k+ | $26,304 |
How University of Missouri-Columbia compares
This college against the Missouri and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of University of Missouri-Columbia students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at University of Missouri-Columbia
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's | $120,764 | $28,485 | +1,388% | Strong return |
| Chemistry | Master's | $104,095 | — | +1,358% | Strong return |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's | $101,542 | $31,045 | +991% | Strong return |
| Computer Engineering | Associate's | $96,583 | $19,500 | +983% | Strong return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's | $96,383 | $20,600 | +970% | Strong return |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Associate's | $95,739 | $22,500 | +941% | Strong return |
| Industrial Engineering | Associate's | $96,907 | $26,512 | +934% | Strong return |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Associate's | $93,018 | $20,906 | +897% | Strong return |
| Mechanical Engineering | Associate's | $92,736 | $21,843 | +884% | Strong return |
| Chemical Engineering | Associate's | $91,298 | $25,804 | +827% | Strong return |
| Business/Commerce, General | Certificate | $123,517 | $35,202 | +736% | Strong return |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Certificate | $110,845 | — | +712% | Strong return |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Master's | $76,430 | — | +675% | Strong return |
| Business/Commerce, General | Associate's | $80,927 | $21,000 | +646% | Strong return |
| Medicine | Doctoral | $158,239 | $197,576 | +640% | Strong return |
| Civil Engineering | Associate's | $80,460 | $21,000 | +636% | Strong return |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Certificate | $112,520 | $33,421 | +624% | Strong return |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | Associate's | $77,295 | $23,000 | +560% | Strong return |
| Agricultural Mechanization | Associate's | $74,076 | $19,334 | +511% | Strong return |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's | $74,241 | $21,500 | +505% | Strong return |
| Economics | Associate's | $73,165 | $18,315 | +497% | Strong return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Certificate | $93,114 | $16,250 | +453% | Strong return |
| Apparel and Textiles | Associate's | $70,924 | $24,932 | +422% | Strong return |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Associate's | $66,147 | — | +422% | Strong return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $69,949 | $21,125 | +417% | Strong return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at University of Missouri-Columbia
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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