Missouri Baptist University
Saint Louis, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 68.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 25/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Missouri Baptist University in Saint Louis carries an overall ROI score of 25 (inside our Below Benchmark tier). The 47.6% completion rate is roughly market for a small private with this admit profile, and the 67.1% three-year repayment rate signals that most borrowers are at least servicing principal. Average earnings six years after entry are $31,500, climbing to a median $46,660 at the ten-year mark. The 21.3-year payback period reflects the gap between a $34,612 sticker tuition (net price $27,006, four-year out-of-pocket roughly $108,024) and modest mid-career earnings - the school costs more than its earnings premium can comfortably amortize. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.714 against $22,500 median federal debt is the more livable figure here, since debt loads are kept under control even if earnings are not exceptional. Pell rate is 11.1%, indicating a more middle-income student body. The portfolio includes one genuine bright spot (Nursing) and a long tail of teacher-prep and humanities programs that deliver D-grade ROI under current debt loads.
How Missouri Baptist 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 Score25/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period21.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Missouri Baptist University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $34,612/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $34,612/yr |
| Average net price | $27,006/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $108,024 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $46,660 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $239 |
| Estimated payback period | 21.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 47.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,488 |
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: $34,612/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $27,006/year, or roughly $108,024 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 $21,808/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $29,420/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,500, which works out to about $239 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,500) and comes to 0.71, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than 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 | $21,808 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $24,022 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $25,332 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $29,678 |
| $110,001+ | $29,420 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $21,808 net - the lowest of the brackets, suggesting institutional aid does flex meaningfully for Pell-eligible students. At this income level, however, that net price still represents a significant share of household income, and the four-year burden compounds quickly. Pair the 47.6% completion rate against the cost: low-income students should treat this as a real risk-adjusted decision.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-48,000 band pays $24,022 and the $48,001-75,000 band pays $25,332. The $75,001-110,000 band jumps to $29,678 - the steepest step in the curve. Middle-income families pay close to sticker net price here. The math works only if the student lands in a high-grade major (Nursing, Accounting, Business).
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $29,420. The four-year cost approaches $118,000 for this segment. ROI math here is challenging unless the student is in a high-earning pipeline.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Missouri Baptist University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $57,029 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $69,968 | B |
| Teacher Education | $36,820 | D |
| Psychology | $39,251 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $52,689 | C+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $54,904 | D |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $64,348 | C |
| Accounting | $60,232 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $47,210 | D |
| Behavioral Sciences | $44,069 | D |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is MBU's standout program: $69,968 median earnings one year out, $31,000 in median debt, a 0.443 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B grade. With 44 graduates, the program is a meaningful pipeline. The St. Louis healthcare market (BJC, Mercy, SSM) absorbs new RNs at strong wages, and clinical placements here translate directly to job offers. This is the program that justifies the MBU sticker for the right student.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is the largest program by graduate count (70). First-year earnings of $42,461 climb to $57,029 by year four; debt sits at $25,000 for a 0.589 ratio and a C grade. The trajectory is solid and the debt load is restrained, making Business a reasonable choice for students who want general management exposure rather than a specialized pipeline. Not a star, but defensible.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education is also large (44 graduates). $33,531 first-year earnings rise only to $36,820 by year four - the flat curve reflects Missouri public-school salary schedules. Median debt of $27,000 produces a 0.805 ratio (D grade). The math is structural: teaching pays modestly, and any private-college sticker compresses ROI. PSLF eligibility softens this somewhat; students should plan for it explicitly.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 33 students at $31,368 first-year and $39,251 by year four. Debt of $26,530 drives a 0.846 ratio (D grade). Like teaching, psychology at the BA level pays modestly without graduate school. Students should treat this as a pre-professional credential and budget for an MA or MSW that will actually drive earnings.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice posts $42,555 first-year earnings and $52,689 by year four against $23,187 in debt - a 0.545 ratio and a C+ grade. The St. Louis metro has a deep public-safety job market, which helps.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 59.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 62.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Missouri Baptist 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
| Acceptance rate | 68.6% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 12-18 |
| Enrollment | 1,488 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 11.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,803 |
MBU admits 68.6% of applicants. SAT scores are not reported in current Scorecard data, but the ACT mid-range of 12-18 is unusually low and suggests the school accepts students with weak standardized-test prep - this is the academic profile that correlates with the 47.6% completion rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Baptist University (this school) | 25 | $27,006 | $46,660 |
| Lee University | 27 | $18,878 | $43,222 |
| Campbellsville University | 25 | $19,341 | $41,583 |
| North Greenville University | 25 | $21,063 | $43,035 |
| Charleston Southern University | 24 | $21,666 | $45,898 |
| Truett McConnell University | 23 | $22,227 | $46,700 |
Who Thrives Here
With 1,488 students and an 11.1% Pell rate, MBU is a small, predominantly middle-income, faith-affiliated environment in metro St. Louis. Students drawn to teaching and the broader humanities will find passable but unspectacular ROI - the data says the major matters here more than the brand.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Missouri Baptist University scores 25/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $27,006 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $46,660 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 21.3 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 47.6% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Missouri Baptist University: Common Questions
Is Missouri Baptist University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Missouri Baptist University scores 25/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $27,006 a year after aid against $46,660 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 21.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Missouri Baptist 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 $27,006 a year, or roughly $108,024 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 Missouri Baptist University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $46,660 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,860 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Missouri Baptist 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 about 21.3 years for Missouri Baptist University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Missouri Baptist University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,500, against average earnings of $31,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Missouri Baptist University?
The six-year graduation rate is 47.6%. 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.
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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.