Missouri Valley College
Marshall, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 69.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 16/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Missouri Valley College earns a 16 ROI score, deep in Below Benchmark tier. The financial picture is rough: tuition is $23,700 with a net price of $18,086, putting four-year total at $72,344. Ten-year median earnings of $43,221 produce just an 11.4 percent earnings premium over a high-school grad. Median federal debt of $25,950 against this earnings level yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.874 and a payback period of 25.8 years. The biggest drag is completion - just 22.4 percent of entering students earn a degree. Repayment is also weak at 61.5 percent three years out and drifting down to 52.5 percent at seven years, meaning the trajectory worsens for borrowers over time. Pell rate is 32 percent and enrollment is 1,443. Missouri Valley draws heavily from athletes (more than 30 varsity sports for an enrollment under 1,500), and the financial structure suggests many of those students leave before graduating. For students who do finish, the small business program produces decent earnings around $55K, but the 78 percent attrition rate is the dominant story.
How Missouri Valley College 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 Score16/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate22.4% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period25.8 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Missouri Valley College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $23,700/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $23,700/yr |
| Average net price | $18,086/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $72,344 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,221 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $29,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,950 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $275 |
| Estimated payback period | 25.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 22.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,443 |
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: $23,700/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $18,086/year, or roughly $72,344 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 $16,132/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,669/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,950, which works out to about $275 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($29,700) and comes to 0.87, 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 | $16,132 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,854 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,039 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,499 |
| $110,001+ | $22,669 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $16,132 per year net, about $64,500 over four. Pell plus Missouri Access Grants close some of the gap; the rest requires Direct loans. Note the inverted bracket: $30,001-$48,000 households pay LESS ($15,854) than under-$30K, and $48,001-$75,000 pays similar ($16,039). This flat middle pattern is common at tuition-discount-heavy small privates.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Households at $48,001 to $75,000 pay $16,039 per year, about $64,200 over four. Essentially flat with low-income pricing. Federal Direct loans plus modest family contribution cover this for most middle-income families. The earnings outcome ($43K) makes the math tight regardless of bracket.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $22,669 per year, about $90,700 over four. Close to sticker.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Missouri Valley College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $55,699 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $49,877 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $61,525 | C+ |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest program with 42 graduates. One-year earnings of $37,536 climb to $55,699 by year four, against $28,000 median debt - a 0.746 ratio and D grade. Marshall and central Missouri small-business economy hires from this pipeline at modest pay.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology produces 33 graduates with one-year earnings of $33,892 and four-year of $49,877, against $28,708 debt - 0.847 ratio and D grade. Many enrolled students are MoVal athletes pursuing a kinesiology track as part of their athletic identity. The pathway to professional pay requires graduate work in PT, OT, or PA; without that, graduates land in fitness management or coaching roles at modest pay.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing produces 11 graduates with one-year earnings of $61,525 - the strongest entry-level on campus. Median debt of $31,000 yields a 0.504 ratio and C+ grade. The Missouri rural healthcare network hires these BSN graduates reliably. Among the cleanest financial pathways at MoVal, though the small cohort suggests it's not the program most enrolled students complete.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 58.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 61.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 49.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 52.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Missouri Valley College’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 | 69.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 490-575 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 405-540 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 16-20 |
| Enrollment | 1,443 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 32.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,466 |
Missouri Valley admits 69.2 percent of applicants. SAT mid-range is roughly 895 to 1115 and ACT 16 to 20. The school's athletic recruiting drives much of the application volume, and many admitted students arrive with limited academic preparation. The 22.4 percent completion rate reflects this preparation gap and the financial precarity of many enrolled students, especially after athletic-aid awards diminish in subsequent years.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Valley College (this school) | 16 | $18,086 | $43,221 |
| Avila University | 51 | $16,053 | $52,773 |
| Lindsey Wilson College | 23 | $15,070 | $41,129 |
| Faulkner University | 19 | $22,085 | $43,457 |
| Mission University | 15 | $21,383 | $38,641 |
| Claflin University | 15 | $17,800 | $40,304 |
Who Thrives Here
Missouri Valley fits Missouri-area students drawn to a small-college athletic experience with NAIA-level competition - rugby, wrestling, football, and many minor sports. Enrollment of 1,443 supports cohort identity around athletic teams. The 32 percent Pell rate signals significant low-income enrollment. Students who use athletics as a vehicle for completing a four-year degree and target the small nursing or business pipelines see reasonable outcomes; those who lose athletic eligibility or scholarships frequently leave. Anyone choosing Missouri Valley primarily for academic ROI is choosing wrong - the value proposition is mission-and-sport, not earnings.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Missouri Valley College scores 16/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $18,086 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,221 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 25.8 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 22.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 61.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,950 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $29,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87. 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 Valley College: Common Questions
Is Missouri Valley College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Missouri Valley College scores 16/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $18,086 a year after aid against $43,221 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 25.8 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Missouri Valley College 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 $18,086 a year, or roughly $72,344 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 Valley College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,221 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,421 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 Valley College?
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 25.8 years for Missouri Valley College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Missouri Valley College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,950, against average earnings of $29,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.87. 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 Valley College?
The six-year graduation rate is 22.4%. 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.