Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri · Public · 73.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 35/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), a regional public in Cape Girardeau, scores 35 (Below Benchmark tier). The cost setup is favorable: in-state tuition of $9,903 with average net price of $15,882 (room/board drives the gap from tuition to net price for residential students), and four-year cost of $63,528. Notably, SEMO charges in-state and out-of-state students the same $9,903 tuition - a regional public pricing strategy aimed at attracting Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, and Arkansas students. Average earnings six years out are $31,800, climbing to a median $44,030 by year ten - modest but workable. Median federal debt of $21,500 produces a 0.68 debt-to-earnings ratio (sub-score 34). Completion rate of 57.9% (sub-score 57) is the strongest component. Three-year repayment rate of 74.4% (sub-score 53) is mediocre. The honest read: SEMO produces a respectable lineup of professional programs - nursing, computer science, accounting, and health sciences all earn B grades - but the broader portfolio of education, criminal justice, psychology, and arts programs graduates students into modest-wage rural Missouri labor markets. Students who finish in STEM or health programs see workable returns; the overall picture is constrained by program mix.
How Southeast Missouri State 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 Score35/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period22.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Southeast Missouri State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,903/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $9,903/yr |
| Average net price | $15,882/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $63,528 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,030 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $228 |
| Estimated payback period | 22.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 57.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 6,373 |
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: $9,903/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 $15,882/year, or roughly $63,528 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 $12,704/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $21,267/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,500, which works out to about $228 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,800) and comes to 0.68, 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 | $12,704 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,342 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,338 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $17,395 |
| $110,001+ | $21,267 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,704 net annually, totaling about $50,816 over four years. Pell aid plus Missouri state grants cover most tuition, with room/board driving the residual cost. For low-income Missouri students choosing professional majors, the math works decisively.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $15,338 per year, about $61,352 over four years. The aid grading is reasonable through the middle brackets. Combined with workable post-graduation earnings for finishers in professional majors, this is solid value for Missouri working middle-class families.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
High-income families ($110,001+) pay $21,267 per year, totaling $85,068 across four years. Aid grading at the top is steeper, with high-income families paying nearly $9,000 more annually than the lowest bracket.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Southeast Missouri State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $45,383 | D |
| Teacher Education | $37,245 | C |
| Psychology | $44,580 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $59,834 | C |
| Biology | $45,207 | C |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $37,112 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $85,155 | B |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $47,934 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $47,813 | C |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $63,078 | B+ |
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 produces 70 graduates per year with $68,302 starting earnings, $85,155 at 4 years, $26,000 in median debt, and a 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio for a B grade. Missouri and broader Midwest BSN demand provides reliable placement. Strong outcome at SEMO's affordable in-state pricing makes this a clear value path.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences produces 41 graduates with $58,964 starting, $93,795 at 4 years, $22,948 in median debt, and a 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio for a B grade. The 4-year earnings figure approaching six figures shows graduates capitalizing on regional and remote tech opportunities. One of SEMO's clearest ROI wins.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education produces 113 graduates - a large cohort - with $33,760 starting, $37,245 at 4 years, $22,995 in median debt, and a 0.68 debt-to-earnings ratio for a C grade. Missouri teacher salaries are constrained, and the flat 4-year earnings curve reflects that. Mission-aligned and financially defensible at SEMO's low debt level.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration produces 109 graduates with $41,604 starting, $59,834 at 4 years, $22,988 in median debt, and a 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio for a C grade. Graduates relocating to St. Louis or Kansas City metros see meaningful wage lift.
Psychology
Psychology produces 112 graduates - one of the largest cohorts - with $30,477 starting, $44,580 at 4 years, $23,188 in median debt, and a 0.76 debt-to-earnings ratio for a D grade. As with most undergraduate psychology, this credential serves better as a graduate-school pipeline than a direct-to-workforce path. Students should plan continued education.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 69.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 74.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 63.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Southeast Missouri State 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 | 73.5% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 15-20 |
| Enrollment | 6,373 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 30.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,551 |
SEMO admits 73.5% of applicants. SAT data is not reported (most Missouri applicants take ACT). The 57.9% completion rate aligns with the open-access admissions profile - students arrive with mixed academic preparation and persistence challenges follow.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
SEMO's strong nursing and CS programs prop up institutional aggregates.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Missouri State University (this school) | 35 | $15,882 | $44,030 |
| University of Central Missouri | 48 | $14,462 | $49,560 |
| Valdosta State University | 42 | $10,945 | $49,361 |
| Idaho State University | 38 | $12,193 | $45,608 |
| Jacksonville State University | 32 | $14,279 | $45,235 |
| Harris-Stowe State University | 5 | $9,922 | $31,088 |
Who Thrives Here
SEMO fits the southeastern Missouri or border-state student looking for an affordable bachelor's degree with no out-of-state premium. Pell rate of 30.4% indicates a working-class but not heavily disadvantaged student body. Enrollment of 6,373 puts it in the mid-size regional range. The fit case is strongest for nursing, computer science, accounting, agricultural business, or engineering technology students targeting Missouri, Illinois, or Tennessee labor markets. Students choosing the school's broad liberal arts tracks face tighter math and should be deliberate about graduate study or career planning.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Southeast Missouri State University scores 35/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,882 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,030 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 22.5 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. 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.
Southeast Missouri State University: Common Questions
Is Southeast Missouri State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Southeast Missouri State University scores 35/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,882 a year after aid against $44,030 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 22.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Southeast Missouri State 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 $15,882 a year, or roughly $63,528 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 Southeast Missouri State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,030 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,230 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 Southeast Missouri State 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 22.5 years for Southeast Missouri State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Southeast Missouri State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,500, against average earnings of $31,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. 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 Southeast Missouri State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 57.9%. 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.