University Of Missouri-St Louis

University of Missouri–St. Louis's published cost of attendance is $31,199.

Need-based financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $13,031; middle-income families pay around $15,222; higher-income families pay approximately $21,608.

Azimuth ranks University of Missouri-St Louis #295 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.

The university participates in federal need-based aid programs, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, alongside institutional aid. Financial aid savings relative to the published cost of attendance average $16,128 for aid recipients.

Families apply for aid using the FAFSA, and the university works to close the gap between sticker price and what families actually pay through a combination of need-based scholarships and federal aid. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $15,027; 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 $62,350, median federal debt of $20,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $226 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–St. Louis earn median 4-year earnings of $62,350, placing the institution in the 57.5th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,036 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of Missouri–St. Louis in the 73.4th percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of Missouri–St. Louis #592 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 60.0th percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Missouri'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 University of Missouri–St. Louis's focus on Business programs, which account for 24% of graduates. Business/Commerce, General anchors the institution's economic signature, with Azimuth ranking it #17 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) and graduates earning median earnings of $65,373 four years after enrollment. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Psychology, General also deliver strong outcomes, with graduates earning $78,608 and $48,014 respectively — 0.9× and 0.9× the national benchmarks for their fields.

University of Missouri-St Louis's program mix is anchored in Business, with meaningful enrollment across health, education, and social-science fields as well — a signature consistent with an urban public university serving a regional workforce. Business accounts for 24% of graduates, followed by Social Sciences at 9% and Education at 9%, reflecting a portfolio oriented toward applied professional fields rather than a single disciplinary concentration.

The program combining the broadest graduate scale with strong earnings is Business/Commerce, General, which connects graduates directly to the St. Louis regional labor market.

Among the most-enrolled programs, Business/Commerce, General program graduates 333 students with median earnings of $65,373 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #14 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing and Psychology, General round out the high-enrollment tier, with median earnings of $78,608 and $48,014 respectively four years after enrollment, reflecting the institution's applied-professional orientation.

The highest-earning programs at University of Missouri-St Louis cluster in quantitative business and health fields. Nursing leads with median earnings of $78,608 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #224 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Accounting and Business/Commerce, General follow with median earnings of $72,635 and $65,373 respectively, both representing high-mobility direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes.