UMKC: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

UMKC is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, UMKC admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 72%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1465 and an ACT composite around 26. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,310 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.

What GPA does my child need for UMKC?

55% of enrolled students at UMKC had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.47, according to its 2024-2025 Common Data Set.

What does UMKC weight in admissions?

UMKC reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). What the weights mean

SAT and ACT scores UMKC typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 650–790, with an EBRW midpoint near 657. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 20–28. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

How much does UMKC actually cost?

Published tuition is $12,587 for in-state students and $30,227 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $15,452 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $13,310 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 26% of students receive Pell Grants.

Application deadlines and early decision data for UMKC

Will my child graduate from UMKC?

These predict outcomes at UMKC better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates

Most popular majors at UMKC

The most popular undergraduate programs at UMKC, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business/Commerce, General, Biology, General and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. Across all programs, UMKC confers roughly 960 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business/Commerce, General program report a median income of about $60,369 five years after entering college. What these figures mean

Is UMKC safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), UMKC disclosed 54 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 7.9 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 8 violent offenses and 3 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts

What is campus life like at UMKC?

About 7% of undergraduates at UMKC live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 5% of men join a fraternity and 6% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Other colleges in Missouri parents ask about

• Truman State University
  84% acceptance
• Drury University
  58% acceptance
• University of Missouri-Columbia
  78% acceptance
• Saint Louis University
  75% acceptance
• Washington University in St Louis
  12% acceptance
• Missouri University of Science and Technology
  73% acceptance

Colleges that admit at a similar rate

• University of Rhode Island
  72% acceptance · Rhode Island
• University of Puget Sound
  72% acceptance · Washington

Common questions parents ask about UMKC