University Of Missouri-Columbia

University of Missouri-Columbia's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 18% of graduates — the largest concentration by field. Engineering represents 7% of degrees and Social Sciences accounts for 6%, giving the university a business-and-health balanced portfolio typical of large public land-grant research universities.

Across 67 programs serving roughly 5,082 students annually, 52 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a broad base that reflects the institution's comprehensive scope. Business/Commerce, General is the program combining the largest cohort with strong earnings, making it a central driver of the university's overall financial outcomes.

Among the largest programs by enrollment, Business/Commerce, General program graduates 627 students with median earnings of $84,534 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #8 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General program graduates 439 students earning $69,333, while The Journalism program graduates 390 students earning $69,016.

On the earnings side, Artificial Intelligence leads with median earnings of $100,234 from a cohort of 172 graduates, and Azimuth ranks the program #68 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Accounting follows at $95,415 with 141 graduates, and Business/Commerce, General posts $84,534 from 627 graduates.

Several of University of Missouri-Columbia's high-earning programs — particularly Artificial Intelligence and Accounting — are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the national labor market directly and four-year earnings reflect workforce outcomes. Programs like Psychology, General and Nursing, with cohorts of 278 and 253 respectively, serve students in fields where some graduates continue to graduate or professional school, meaning four-year earnings may undercount lifetime trajectory.

The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with national labor-market demand, and the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains how Azimuth evaluates programs across cohort scale and earnings. ```

University of Missouri-Columbia's published cost of attendance is $31,713, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $13,841 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $13,722, and higher-income families pay approximately $26,304.

Azimuth ranks University of Missouri-Columbia #648 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Missouri's public-university structure keeps sticker costs relatively contained, and need-based aid extends that advantage further for qualifying families. The gap between published cost and net price — sometimes called the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) — is most pronounced for low-income students, who benefit from federal Pell Grants layered on top of institutional aid.

Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and the university participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,500, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $32,529; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $69,651, median federal debt of $20,500 projects to a monthly payment of about $232 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of University of Missouri-Columbia earn median earnings of $69,651 four years after enrollment, placing University of Missouri-Columbia in the 72.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $5,494 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 77.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of Missouri-Columbia #257 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern reflects a Business-anchored program mix — Business accounts for 18% of degrees, followed by Engineering at 7% and Social Sciences at 6%. Business/Commerce, General combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a central driver of the university's aggregate return.

Azimuth ranks Business/Commerce, General #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 627 graduates earning median earnings of $84,534 four years after enrollment. Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General ranks #12 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 439 graduates earning median earnings of $69,333, and Journalism ranks #5 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 390 graduates earning median earnings of $69,016.

Among the highest-earning subfields, Psychology, General graduates earn median earnings of $55,839 four years after enrollment and Nursing graduates earn median earnings of $83,231.