Mission University
Springfield, Missouri · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 15/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Mission University scores 15 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The metrics are deeply concerning: $23,900 average 6-year earnings, a 61.9-year payback period, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.095, and a 44.4% completion rate. The payback period of 61.9 years means graduates would need to work for more than six decades to recover their educational investment at current earnings levels. Median debt is $26,168 and net price of $21,383 exceeds sticker tuition of $16,950 - indicating students pay more net than sticker, a pattern suggesting minimal aid packaging or fee structures that inflate total cost. Scorecard does not report program-level data for Mission University; the programs array is empty. Admission rates and test score ranges are not reported. The institution is a small private nonprofit in Springfield, Missouri, with 381 students and a 55.9% Pell rate indicating heavy low-income enrollment. The repayment rate of 71.6% is the strongest data point in the profile, but against $23,900 average earnings and a 1.095 debt-to-earnings ratio, this reflects baseline loan management rather than financial health.
How Mission University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score15/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.09 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Mission University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,950/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,950/yr |
| Average net price | $21,383/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $85,532 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $38,641 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,168 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $277 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 44.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 381 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $16,950/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $21,383/year, or roughly $85,532 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $22,017/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,029/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,168, which works out to about $277 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($23,900) and comes to 1.09, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $22,017 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,383 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,064 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $26,307 |
| $110,001+ | $23,029 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $22,017 per year. Against $23,900 average 6-year earnings and a 61.9-year payback, this is a deeply adverse financial outcome for low-income students. A student borrowing to attend at $22,017/year is taking on debt that exceeds their expected annual earnings, with a debt-to-earnings ratio above 1.0 and a repayment horizon that extends well beyond any reasonable career horizon. The 44.4% completion rate compounds the risk: more than half of low-income enrollees will not graduate.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $18,064 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $26,307. Middle-income families at the higher bracket face a cost nearly equal to the $23,900 average earnings figure.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $23,029 per year. Full-pay families considering this institution are unlikely to be in the high-income bracket given the institution's profile. Against $23,900 average 6-year earnings, even the most favorable cost scenario produces a marginal return. The data does not support a strong financial case for Mission University at any income level.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Mission University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 381 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 55.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $4,474 |
Scorecard does not report an admission rate or test score ranges for Mission University. Without reported selectivity data, the institution appears to operate as broadly open access. Completion, not admission, is the primary barrier: 44.4% of students who enroll graduate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Mission University's ROI is 15.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission University (this school) | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
| Avila University | 51 | $16,053 | $52,773 |
| Calvary University | 30 | $16,334 | $45,421 |
| Mitchell College | 15 | $30,260 | $39,115 |
| Southwestern Christian University | 14 | $20,146 | $40,391 |
| Herzing University-Brookfield | 14 | $20,514 | $36,909 |
Who Thrives Here
Mission University does not report admissions rates or test score ranges to the Scorecard. Enrollment of 381 is very small. Pell grant rate of 55.9% indicates the majority of students are low-income or working-class. The institution serves a local Springfield, Missouri population, likely including adult learners and first-generation students. Students who enroll here should understand that the Scorecard earnings data shows average graduates earning $23,900 at six years.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Mission University scores 15/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $21,383 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $38,641 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 44.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,168 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $23,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Mission University: Common Questions
Is Mission University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Mission University scores 15/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $21,383 a year after aid against $38,641 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Mission University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $21,383 a year, or roughly $85,532 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Mission University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $38,641 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Mission University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Mission University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Mission University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,168, against average earnings of $23,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Mission University?
The six-year graduation rate is 44.4%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.