University of Missouri-St Louis

Gaining admission to the University of Missouri--St. Louis is moderately competitive compared to its institutional peers, though the university struggles to convert offers into enrollments. In the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings, the school placed at 276, continuing a downward trajectory from its peak of 212 in 2023. For the 2025 entering class, the university admitted 62.7% of applicants, which was lower than all peer schools in its comparison group of 30 similar public universities, where the median acceptance rate was 89.5%. However, admitted students rarely choose to matriculate. The school registered a yield rate of just 12.6% in 2025, higher than only 7% of peer institutions. This combination of a selective acceptance rate relative to peers alongside an exceptionally low yield indicates that while applicant screening remains in place, many admitted candidates opt for alternative programs. Prospective applicants should approach the school as an accessible public option where admission is attainable, though its declining standing requires careful consideration.

Standardized test scores are optional at the University of Missouri--St. Louis, though they are considered if submitted. For the 2025 entering class, the middle 50% of admitted students earned ACT composite scores between 19 and 27, demonstrating a solid baseline of general academic preparation. Standardized test reporting has become relatively uncommon on campus, with 26% of incoming undergraduates submitting ACT results in 2025. Even with limited test reporting, the students who provide scores reflect strong placement among peer institutions: the school's median SAT score of 1240 was higher than 90% of peer schools in its comparison group of 30 similarly ranked public universities. Prospective applicants evaluating their admissions profile can use these 2025 figures to understand how their testing background compares to enrolled peers across comparable public research campuses.

Degree awards at the University of Missouri--St. Louis show noticeable concentration in pre-professional fields, while several specific academic disciplines earn high national standing. Among bachelor's degree recipients in 2025, the top three majors accounted for 32.7% of all graduating students, demonstrating moderate concentration. The largest single undergraduate discipline was Business/Commerce, General, which produced 261 graduates that year. Notably, the institution's prominent academic rankings align with its core professional offerings: in U.S. News rankings, undergraduate international business reached rank 18 in 2027, while graduate criminology achieved rank 11 in 2021. From an earnings perspective, technical programs lead the way. Based on 2023 earnings data, bachelor's degree recipients in Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering reported median earnings of $86,064 one year after graduation. For applicants, these patterns indicate that enrolling in established business, criminology, and engineering programs connects directly to the campus's most recognized departments and strongest early career returns.

The student body at the University of Missouri--St. Louis features a diverse undergraduate and graduate population composed of entering freshmen, transfer students, continuing scholars, and a large contingent of non-degree or dual-enrollment enrollees. Within the entering first-year undergraduate class in 2025, international students numbered 48, representing 9.8% of the cohort. Asian students in the same freshman cohort totaled 20, accounting for 4.1% of first-time degree seekers. Beyond new freshmen, the campus maintains large cohorts of continuing undergraduates, transfer students, and graduate scholars across varied demographic backgrounds, with White and Black students comprising the largest overall racial groups. For prospective applicants, these figures illustrate an environment where new degree-seeking freshmen represent a focused component of the university community, while international and Asian students form distinct and visible segments within the incoming class.

The enrollment age profile at the University of Missouri--St. Louis reveals a student environment split between dual-credit coursework and mature degree seekers. Among undergraduate students in 2025, those under age 18 represented 52.9% of total enrollment, reflecting widespread participation in high school concurrent programs. Traditional college-age learners aged 18 to 24 make up the primary on-campus undergraduate cohort. At the graduate level, academic life centers heavily around working professionals. The largest graduate bracket consisted of students aged 25 to 29, accounting for 26.0% of all graduate enrollment. This distribution means undergraduate campus activity is shaped by a mixture of secondary dual-enrollees and traditional-age students, while graduate classrooms bring together individuals who are already several years into their post-baccalaureate careers.

International enrollment at the University of Missouri--St. Louis remains modest overall, with distinct patterns across undergraduate and graduate levels. At the undergraduate level, foreign representation has contracted over the past decade, reaching 1.4% of all undergraduates in 2025. This proportion was higher than 13% of peer schools in its comparison group of public comprehensive universities with similar rankings. In contrast, the graduate international share has remained steady, standing at 6.7% in 2025. Among graduating degree recipients, international representation is concentrated primarily in advanced technical fields rather than broad undergraduate disciplines. For example, international students accounted for 75.7% of master's degree recipients in Information Technology in 2025, while remaining in the single digits across bachelor's degree programs such as business and nursing. For prospective international students, these figures indicate that the institution functions primarily as a destination for specialized graduate computing and technology study rather than a heavily populated international undergraduate campus.

Applicants exploring higher education in the region have several notable alternative institutions situated close to the campus. Located just 4.3 kilometers away, Washington University in St Louis is an elite private research institution holding the 16th rank nationally in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Also nearby in the urban core is Saint Louis University, a private national university positioned 6.5 kilometers away and ranked 100th. Across the state line in Illinois, Principia College provides a smaller liberal arts setting 16.6 kilometers from campus, ranked 74th among National Liberal Arts Colleges. Further south, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale sits 90.9 kilometers away as a large public option ranked 288th. These nearby colleges offer students distinct educational formats, spanning prominent private research centers, small liberal arts colleges, and regional public universities.

Campus safety records at the University of Missouri--St. Louis indicate an overall low frequency of reported disciplinary and criminal offenses. The university reported a crime rate per 1,000 students of 0.8 in 2025, maintaining a downward trajectory from earlier years. Looking at cumulative records from 2023 to 2025, property-related offenses formed the leading categories of campus security reports. Specifically, the campus recorded 11 incidents of motor vehicle theft and 9 incidents of burglary across those three years. Interpersonal safety incidents occurred in smaller volumes over the same timeframe, including reports of stalking, dating violence, and rape, alongside residence hall fires. For incoming students and their families, these records point to a campus environment where overall reported crime is relatively low on a per-student basis, with vehicular security and general property management representing the main security concerns to observe.