Graduates of Missouri Southern State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,419, placing the institution in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Missouri Southern State University sits in the 81.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Missouri Southern State University #870 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 41.2 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These figures represent lifetime returns relative to MO's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,959 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects Missouri Southern State University's concentration in Business and applied professional fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 146 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $55,286, at 0.8x the national benchmark for the field. The Teacher Education program graduates 90 students earning $39,419, and the The General Studies program graduates 89 students earning $46,892. Together, these programs anchor the institution's economic profile and align with regional labor-market demand in the Joplin area and across Missouri.
Graduates of Missouri Southern State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,419, placing the institution in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Missouri Southern State University sits in the 81.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Missouri Southern State University #870 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 41.2 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These figures represent lifetime returns relative to MO's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,959 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects Missouri Southern State University's concentration in Business and applied professional fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 146 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $55,286, at 0.8x the national benchmark for the field. The Teacher Education program graduates 90 students earning $39,419, and the The General Studies program graduates 89 students earning $46,892. Together, these programs anchor the institution's economic profile and align with regional labor-market demand in the Joplin area and across Missouri.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Missouri Southern State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,419, placing the institution in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Missouri Southern State University sits in the 81.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Missouri Southern State University #870 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 41.2 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These figures represent lifetime returns relative to MO's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,959 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects Missouri Southern State University's concentration in Business and applied professional fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 146 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $55,286, at 0.8x the national benchmark for the field. The Teacher Education program graduates 90 students earning $39,419, and the The General Studies program graduates 89 students earning $46,892. Together, these programs anchor the institution's economic profile and align with regional labor-market demand in the Joplin area and across Missouri.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Missouri Southern State University's program mix is anchored in Business, reflecting the institution's regional positioning as a comprehensive public university serving the Joplin area. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 146 graduates annually, followed by Teacher Education, General Studies, Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other, and Biology, General. Across 24 total programs, 0 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, serving roughly 789 students annually. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in applied professional fields. Nursing leads with median earnings of $75,985 four years after enrollment across 41 graduates, followed by Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other with $64,765 and 21 graduates. Kinesiology delivers $58,701 for 21 graduates, while Business/Commerce, General and Social Work round out the higher-earning cohort. The institution's program-mix distribution reflects emphasis on Business at 19%, Education at 11%, and Arts at 4%, positioning graduates for direct entry into regional labor markets. Most of Missouri Southern State University's dominant programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect immediate labor-market outcomes. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how the institution's program portfolio aligns with regional and national employment trends in business, education, and applied professional fields.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Missouri Southern State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,419, placing the institution in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Missouri Southern State University sits in the 81.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Missouri Southern State University #870 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 41.2 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These figures represent lifetime returns relative to MO's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,959 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential). The earnings pattern reflects Missouri Southern State University's concentration in Business and applied professional fields. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 146 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $55,286, at 0.8x the national benchmark for the field. The Teacher Education program graduates 90 students earning $39,419, and the The General Studies program graduates 89 students earning $46,892. Together, these programs anchor the institution's economic profile and align with regional labor-market demand in the Joplin area and across Missouri.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
