
Kirksville, MOpublictruman.edu
Admit rate has ranged 45%–80% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Truman State University stands out as Missouri's only highly selective public university, offering a rigorous liberal arts foundation with standout programs in business, education, and nursing. With an 84% acceptance rate and a tight-knit campus culture, Truman attracts academically serious students who thrive in its collaborative, student-first environment. Its CPA exam pass rates and teacher certification outcomes punch well above their weight for a regional public institution.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
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Outcomes & value
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Truman State is moderately selective, admitting 83.8% of applicants—a rate that has held steady in recent years. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 1170-1370 on the SAT, with an average high school GPA of 3.78. While not hyper-competitive, Truman attracts academically prepared students; its admitted cohort typically ranks in the top 35% nationally on standardized tests. The university enrolled 3,265 undergraduates in 2024 from a pool of 2,415 acceptances out of 2,883 applications.
Truman offers 52 majors across six divisions, with business administration (16% of graduates), nursing (14%), and psychology (9%) being the most popular. The university is particularly strong in professional programs—its master's accounting students rank in the top 5% nationally for CPA exam pass rates, while education majors boast a 100% certification rate. With a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, Truman emphasizes close mentorship; students describe the academic culture as "ally rigorous and challenging," requiring significant study hours to succeed. The curriculum maintains a strong liberal arts core even for professional-track students.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Life at Truman revolves around its residential campus in rural Kirksville, where 45% of students live in university housing. The vibe is collaborative rather than cutthroat—Reddit threads describe a community where "students enjoy learning and growing together" without cutthroat competition. Over 200 clubs and organizations fill the calendar, though Greek life and DII athletics (the Bulldogs) also draw participation. Alumni testimonials emphasize lifelong friendships forged here, with one TikTok ambassador noting it's "a great place if you want to meet people that will become friends for life."
Truman delivers strong ROI for a regional public university: 68% of students graduate in four years (top 30% nationally), with a median salary of $43,966 six years post-graduation. The average debt at graduation ($23,399) is nearly half the national average for public institutions. Beyond the stellar CPA and teacher certification rates, the university reports that 94% of graduates are employed or in grad school within six months. These outcomes reflect Truman's career-focused academic support and strong Midwestern employer network.
With an average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. of $12,798 after aid (47% of students receive assistance), Truman is a bargain for in-state students. The sticker price runs $27,110 for Missouri residents and $36,179 for out-of-state students, but the average financial aid package covers $18,223 of costs. While grant awards average $7,113—slightly below the public university norm—the overall affordability helps explain why Truman retains 79% of first-year students. The university offers a detailed net price calculator to estimate individualized aid packages.
Truman State defies expectations for a rural public university by combining the academic rigor of a liberal arts college with the affordability and career focus of a state school. Its accounting and education programs outperform those at many flagship universities, while the intimate campus fosters unusually strong peer connections. For students seeking high ROI without cutthroat competition—and who don't mind the quiet of northeast Missouri—Truman offers one of the Midwest's best value propositions in public higher ed.