Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Public · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $15,882What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 74%
- Graduation rate
- 57%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 6,373
- In-state tuition
- $9,903Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $9,903
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $44,030Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$15,8822/5
Better than 39% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).
Completion
57%4/5
Better than 63% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).
Earnings
$44,0301/5
Better than 13% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).
Debt at graduation
$21,5002/5
Better than 40% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$25,177
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$15,882
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 57% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 76% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $21,500 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $44,030 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $68,302 | 70 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | $62,891 | 35 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $58,964 | 41 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $56,951 | 29 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $53,737 | 28 |
| Plant Sciences | $48,546 | 16 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $46,736 | 25 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $44,418 | 49 |
| Marketing | $42,482 | 26 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $41,604 | 109 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | $41,437 | 38 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $40,127 | 47 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $38,382 | 28 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $37,450 | 20 |
| Social Sciences, General | $37,193 | 14 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $36,537 | 63 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $35,464 | 139 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $35,282 | 57 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $34,638 | 25 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $34,395 | 5 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $34,206 | 73 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $33,760 | 113 |
| Social Work | $32,224 | 33 |
| Biology, General | $31,420 | 100 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | $31,250 | 37 |
| Psychology, General | $30,477 | 112 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $28,421 | 21 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | $26,668 | 37 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $25,984 | 24 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Not reported | 35 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Not reported | 32 |
| Political Science and Government | Not reported | 17 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | Not reported | 13 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 12 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 11 |
| Music | Not reported | 9 |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | Not reported | 9 |
| International Business | Not reported | 7 |
| History | Not reported | 7 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Not reported | 7 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Not reported | 7 |
| Economics | Not reported | 6 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Not reported | 6 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Engineering Physics | Not reported | 4 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Not reported | 4 |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | Not reported | 4 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | Not reported | 4 |
| Systems Engineering | Not reported | 3 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Not reported | 3 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | 3 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Not reported | 2 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Not reported | 2 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | 2 |
| Physics | Not reported | 2 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Not reported | 1 |
| Homeland Security | Not reported | 1 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 1 |
| Apparel and Textiles | Not reported | Not reported |
| Animal Sciences | Not reported | Not reported |
All 60 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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