Graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,213, placing Northwest Missouri State University in the 12.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,801 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 45.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northwest Missouri State University #1048 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 131 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $42,508. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 95 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $57,907. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas reports 86 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,501. Communication and Media Studies reports 77 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,012.
Graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,213, placing Northwest Missouri State University in the 12.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,801 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 45.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northwest Missouri State University #1048 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 131 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $42,508. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 95 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $57,907. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas reports 86 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,501. Communication and Media Studies reports 77 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,012.
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.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $21,500 in debt with typical earnings.
Graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,213, placing Northwest Missouri State University in the 12.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,801 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 45.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northwest Missouri State University #1048 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 131 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $42,508. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 95 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $57,907. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas reports 86 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,501. Communication and Media Studies reports 77 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,012.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Northwest Missouri State University's program mix is anchored in education, business, and applied professional fields—a portfolio shaped by the institution's regional public-university identity and workforce-development mission. Teacher Education is the largest program with 131 graduates annually, followed by Business Administration, Subject-Specific Teacher Education, Communication and Media Studies, and Agricultural Business and Management. Across 43 total programs, 0 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, with several delivering solid four-year earnings outcomes aligned with regional labor-market demand. The earnings pattern reflects the institution's strength in applied fields and education pathways. Agricultural Business and Management leads with median four-year earnings of $58,035 from 61 graduates, followed by Business Administration at $57,907 and Digital Marketing at $57,705. Biology, General and Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General round out the highest-earning cohorts, with graduates earning $57,564 and $52,179 respectively. These outcomes cluster in business, health, and technical fields where employers in Missouri and neighboring states recruit actively. Several of these programs represent grad-school-dependent pathways—particularly in Education, where four-year earnings undercount the trajectory of graduates who continue to advanced certification or graduate study. Business and health-related programs, by contrast, are direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates enter regional labor markets immediately and earnings reflect employment outcomes. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how Northwest Missouri State University's dominant program families align with regional and national workforce demand.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Northwest Missouri State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,213, placing Northwest Missouri State University in the 12.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,801 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 45.8 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northwest Missouri State University #1048 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 131 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $42,508. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 95 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $57,907. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas reports 86 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,501. Communication and Media Studies reports 77 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,012.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
