


Missouri State University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Institutional accreditation applies to the university as a whole and is an important consideration for federal financial aid eligibility and for other institutions evaluating its coursework.
Some professional programs also have specialized accreditation or approval relevant to their fields. That is a separate question from university-wide accreditation: students considering a licensed profession should check the exact program, campus or delivery format, and applicable state licensing rules. Accreditation does not guarantee that another college will accept every transfer course or that completion of a degree alone will satisfy every licensure requirement.
First-year applicants to Missouri State generally apply with a high school record showing graduation or an accepted equivalent. The university is not an open-admission institution; academic preparation matters even though its recent first-year admission rate was relatively high.
Admissions records identify the secondary-school transcript and GPA as required parts of review. Class rank may be considered but is not required, and SAT or ACT scores are considered rather than universally required. In the reported entering class, 68% submitted ACT scores and 4% submitted SAT scores; those figures describe enrolled students, not a testing requirement. The university's general admissions information should be read alongside any current test-optional rules affecting scholarships or particular programs.
Neither recommendations nor a separate demonstration of competencies is listed as a general first-year requirement. International applicants may need to document English proficiency, and admission to a selective major can involve additional standards after admission to the university. Applicants should use the requirements for their own category - first-year, transfer, international, graduate, or returning student - and confirm the applicable term deadline before submitting materials.
A reported undergraduate application fee for Missouri State is $40. Applicants should check the amount shown in the current application before paying, because fees and waiver procedures can differ by applicant type or change between admission cycles.
An application fee is distinct from tuition, housing charges, and any later enrollment-related payment. Students for whom the fee is a barrier should ask undergraduate admissions about current fee-waiver eligibility and the steps for requesting a waiver before submitting a paid application. Graduate and international applicants should follow the fee instructions for their own application rather than assuming the undergraduate amount applies.
Missouri State has an Army ROTC unit on the Springfield campus. Army ROTC combines college coursework with military leadership training and offers a route toward commissioning for students who meet its requirements.
Joining an ROTC class, receiving an ROTC scholarship, and accepting a commission are different steps with different eligibility rules and potential service commitments. Interested students should discuss those distinctions with the Army ROTC program before making a financial or military commitment. Applicants seeking Air Force or Navy ROTC should confirm whether an approved participation arrangement is available to Missouri State students rather than assuming those branches operate on campus.
Missouri State admits transfer applicants for fall, spring, and summer entry. Transfer students must document their prior college work, and admission to the university should not be confused with a guarantee that every completed course will meet a particular degree requirement.
Applicants should arrange official transcripts from each institution attended and review the university's current transfer-admission rules for any GPA or credit-hour threshold that applies to their situation. High school records may also matter for applicants with limited college coursework. After admission, a formal credit evaluation determines how accepted courses apply; a course that transfers as elective credit may still leave a major requirement unfinished.
The university recognizes some forms of examination or recommended credit, including AP, CLEP, DSST, and ACE-recommended learning, subject to its applicable policies. Missouri transfer pathways and course-equivalency information can help with advance planning, but students pursuing a tightly sequenced major should obtain a degree-specific evaluation and ask about any minimum Missouri State coursework required to graduate.
Missouri State offers education-abroad options that can include short-term faculty-led travel and longer study through approved international programs or partners. The right option depends on a student's major, available courses, destination, schedule, and budget.
Before committing to a program, students should confirm how its courses will satisfy degree requirements, whether academic approval is needed, and how tuition, program charges, travel, and housing will be billed. Financial aid does not necessarily cover every expense or apply identically to every program. Education-abroad advising and a student's academic advisor can help resolve credit questions before departure - particularly important for students in majors with strict course sequences.
26% of admitted students enrolled (2,689 of 10,487)
Application fee
$40Early Decision
NoEarly Action
NoMedian composite SAT score
1105Median composite ACT score
23Percent of students submitting ACT scores
68%Percent of students submitting SAT scores
4%High school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredSecondary school GPA
RequiredSecondary school rank
Considered but not requiredSecondary school record
RequiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Neither required nor recommendedRecommendations
Neither required nor recommendedFormal demonstration of competencies
Neither required nor recommendedAdmission test scores
Considered but not requiredTOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
RequiredOther Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)
Neither required nor recommendedOpen admission policy
NoDual credit
NoCredit for life experiences
NoAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesROTC-Army
ROTC branch unit on campusStudy abroad
YesStudent can complete their preparation in certain areas of specialization
YesPreparation at another institution required
NoApproved by the state for initial certification or licensure of teacher
YesGenerally accepts credits
YesPossible transfer
Fall, Spring, SummerData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.