University of Missouri, Columbia Admission
University of Missouri, Columbia Undergraduate Program
University of Missouri, Columbia Application

The Facts

University of Missouri (or ‘Mizzou’ for short) is a large state school located in the town of Columbia, Missouri.  It is home to over 19,000 undergraduate students and approximately 6,360 graduate students.  The university is comprised of a whopping fourteen smaller undergraduate colleges including schools of agriculture, food and natural resources, business, education, engineering, human and environmental sciences, health professions, natural resources, nursing, social work, music, accountancy, undergraduate teacher development center, journalism and the fine arts.  Some of the most popular majors are journalism (Mizzou has one of the best programs in the country), biological sciences, business administration, psychology, and political science.

Admission to Mizzou is not extraordinarily competitive, although the students who apply tend to be quite academically and culturally accomplished.  Last year, just over 10,500 students applied for admission, and approximately 9,327 were accepted; of those, about 4,669 matriculated.  The admitted students had an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 23 to 28, and over 58% of them were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class.

The school is quite large, and like in any other large state schools, introductory classes tend to be massive and held in huge lecture halls with hundreds of students.  Students often gripe that the T.A.’s are power-hungry and quite unfair, and they wish they could be taught by more tenured professors.  However, the more advanced level classes are usually held in small seminar groups and are taught by Mizzou’s world-class faculty, many of whom are top researchers and minds in their respective fields.  Every professor is different, but most students will agree that their teachers make themselves quite available during their long office hours, and will gladly help a student requesting assistance.

The Social Scene

Although the town of Columbia is small, students love the atmosphere.  The town offers students many options, including some great coffeehouses, performing arts venues, movie theaters, shops, bars, and clubs.  The residents of the town are also quite friendly toward college students, and tend to embrace their status as a college town.  Most of the shops and restaurants are quite inexpensive, and cater to the students’ tight budgets.

There is a large Greek scene at Mizzou, and many students belong to fraternities and sororities; however, they are not an overwhelming presence on campus. They do throw rowdy parties on the weekends, but students are just as happy to go hang out at local bars and clubs, or just hang out in small groups in various dorm rooms.

The dating scene is reportedly quite vibrant; expect lots of Southern gentlemen who will actually open doors and pull out chairs for ladies!

What's Good

“The school has great research opportunities, and makes sure their students get opportunities to network with potential employers.”

“The school is great at fostering a real sense of independence.  You are in charge of your own success.”

“The party scene here is terrific; it's happening, but not to the point of being overwhelming and obnoxious.”

What's Bad

“The school is just way too big; you really feel like a statistic when you are here.”

“The school is far too reliant on its past; they keep bringing up the fact that Brad Pitt went here.  It’s annoying.”

“The T.A.’s have no clue what they’re talking about.  They also tend to grade unfairly.”

Read one student's personal account of what it was like to attend the University of Missouri - Columbia.

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