Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, MO · Public · Small city · SMSU
Public institution in Cape Girardeau, MO · 6,588 undergraduates · 79% acceptance rate · $44,030 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 11%Out-of-state tuition & fees
- Top 18%Undergraduates
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $14,532641st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,496536th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $9,496231st cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $23,337573rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,500813th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $44,0301,416th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $38,1501,348th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 55.7%936th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 75.8%922nd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 78.5%863rd most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1018914th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 6,588395th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 20.0:11,878th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 29.4%1,246th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 178 mi (BNA)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 58 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementComputer Science | bachelors | $60,161 | — |
| Engineering Technology, GeneralEngineering Technology | bachelors | $57,318 | $53,775 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $54,192 | $53,358 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $52,107 | $53,358 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $44,542 | $49,527 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $42,682 | $42,682 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationCommunications | bachelors | $41,565 | $36,848 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementAgriculture | bachelors | $41,295 | $38,829 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $40,368 | $38,289 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $39,489 | $41,441 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $37,208 | $38,289 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementBusiness | bachelors | $33,993 | $33,993 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1873source
- Athletic nickname: "Redhawks"source
- Houck Field seats about 11,015source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Red and Blacksource
- Mascot: Rowdy the Redhawksource
- Campus size: about 328 acressource
- Formerly known as "Southeast Missouri State Normal School" (1873–1881)source
- Formerly known as "Missouri State Normal School—Third District" (1881–1919)source
- Formerly known as "Southeast Missouri State Teachers College" (1919–1946)source
- Formerly known as "Southeast Missouri State College" (1946–1973)source
- Athletic conference: FCSsource
- Fight song: ""SEMO Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: Rush Limbaughsource
- Notable alum: Cedric the Entertainersource
- Notable alum: Linda M. Godwinsource
- Notable alum: Roy Thomassource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $4,292,938 (M $2,457,873 · W $1,835,065)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitesemo.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 179557)
- Compare colleges in MORe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in MissouriEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Southeast Missouri State University vs University of Missouri-Kansas CityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.