As the overall student population at MU increases, so does the number out-of-state students.
“We have admitted more than 15,000 students to date, and we anticipate that more than 6,000 will enroll,” Director of Admissions Barbara Rupp said.
Rupp said out-of-state applications are on the rise and have been increasing steadily during the past six years.
“We have a growing national reputation for some very strong programs,” Rupp said. “Students are coming to Mizzou for journalism, but also for business, engineering, biology, chemistry, our many programs in CAFNR and many more. Additionally, our non-resident tuition still remains very competitive in some states, especially Illinois.”
MU’s out-of-state population has a growing presence from the Midwest.
“Our numbers of out-of-state applicants have been increasing steadily over the last six years,” Rupp said. “Much of this is due to our strong presence in Illinois and also in parts of Texas. We’ve had admissions representatives in both of those states for more than six years.”
For the states that don’t have an admissions representative, MU’s influence was felt in different ways.
“I initially heard about Mizzou through their run in the NCAA basketball tournament in 2009,” sophomore Malcom Hayden, from Detriot, said.
Hayden said he went to MU for new experiences.
“I didn’t stay in state because I had been in Michigan my whole life,” Hayden.
Other students noticed their peers leaving the state for school as well.
“At least half of my graduating class went to (an) out-of-state school or at least moved out of state to pursue other careers,” said Brittany King, a freshman from Fishers, Ind.
King said a lot of her classmates, if they went to school out of state, ended up on the East Coast or in the South.
On the other end of the spectrum, the in-state students have their own reasons for staying.
“I wanted to stay close to my family,” freshman Shari Smith said. “A lot of kids from my high school (Webster Groves High School) do attend Mizzou currently and a lot of people are planning to come here.”
With the large numbers of students from different states, countries, cultures and backgrounds, Rupp said MU tries to ensure that everyone feels at home.
“Enrollment Management continues to have a strong working relationship with folks in Student Affairs, Residential Life, Academic Advising and all other aspects of the campus community who are affected by larger enrollments,” Rupp said. “We work together as a university to try to accommodate growth in a way that works best for the students and maintains a quality education and environment.”