University of Missouri-Kansas City: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Joplin, Missouri · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public university in Joplin, Missouri that admits about 97% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $11,653 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business/Commerce, General, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 0.7 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public institution located in Joplin, Missouri. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Missouri-Kansas City admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 97%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1090 and an ACT composite around 21. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $11,653 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Missouri-Kansas City is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for University of Missouri-Kansas City?
University of Missouri-Kansas City has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores University of Missouri-Kansas City typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 500–570, with an EBRW midpoint near 515. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 18–24. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | — |
| 50th percentile | 1090 |
| 75th percentile | — |
| 25th percentile | 18 |
| 50th percentile | 21 |
| 75th percentile | 24 |
How much does University of Missouri-Kansas City actually cost?
Published tuition is $8,400 for in-state students and $16,800 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $7,172 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $11,653 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 35% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| Average net price (after aid) | $11,653 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Missouri-Kansas City
Most popular majors at University of Missouri-Kansas City
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Missouri-Kansas City, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business/Commerce, General, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. Across all programs, University of Missouri-Kansas City confers roughly 585 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business/Commerce, General program report a median income of about $57,377 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | 146 | $57,377 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 90 | $39,648 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 89 | $40,509 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | 63 | $56,099 |
| Biology, General | 61 | $55,730 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 61 | $43,976 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 41 | $66,025 |
| Psychology, General | 34 | $42,457 |
Is University of Missouri-Kansas City safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Missouri-Kansas City disclosed 2 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 0.7 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 1 violent offenses and 0 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Missouri parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Missouri-Kansas City
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Missouri-Kansas City recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Missouri-Kansas City
What GPA do I need for University of Missouri-Kansas City?
University of Missouri-Kansas City has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Missouri-Kansas City typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 500–570, with an EBRW midpoint near 515. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 18–24.
How much does University of Missouri-Kansas City actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Missouri-Kansas City after grants and scholarships is $11,653 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Missouri-Kansas City realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Missouri-Kansas City is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Missouri-Kansas City?
University of Missouri-Kansas City accepts about 97% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is University of Missouri-Kansas City a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public institution located in Joplin, Missouri.
What are the most popular majors at University of Missouri-Kansas City?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Missouri-Kansas City by annual graduates are Business/Commerce, General, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. The school awards about 585 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Missouri-Kansas City safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Missouri-Kansas City reported 2 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 0.7 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Missouri-Kansas City, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.