Missouri University of Science and Technology
A former school of mines in the small Ozarks city of Rolla, now a small R1 engineering university built around student design teams.
- Acceptance rate
- 79%
- First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
- Students
- 7,173
- 5,687 undergraduates
- Student–faculty
- 17:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $36,634
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1870
About Missouri S&T
Missouri University of Science and Technology was chartered in 1870 as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, the first technological school west of the Mississippi, and is part of the University of Missouri System. It enrolled 7,173 students in fall 2025, including 5,687 undergraduates, on a campus in Rolla in the Missouri Ozarks, and it recently reached R1 status in the Carnegie Classification.
S&T is organised into three colleges: the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education, and the Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development, created after Fred and June Kummer's $300 million gift in 2020, the largest ever to a Missouri university. Engineering dominates, with majors from aerospace, chemical and civil to mining, nuclear, petroleum, metallurgical, ceramic and the new semiconductor engineering. Teaching facilities include an on-campus 200 kW nuclear reactor and an experimental limestone mine used since 1921.
S&T admitted 6,550 of 8,330 first-year applicants for fall 2025 (78.6%), has no application fee and is test-optional. It suits hands-on engineers and scientists who want small classes, very strong salary outcomes and a campus where student design teams are a central part of life.
Salus populi suprema lex esto
“Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law” — university motto
Why students choose Missouri S&T
About 1,200 students build rovers, race cars, concrete canoes and robots on some 20 teams at the Kummer Student Design Center.
Engineering majors that are rare elsewhere, including mining, nuclear, petroleum, ceramic, metallurgical and semiconductor engineering.
Outcomes: College Scorecard reports median earnings of $82,957 ten years after entry for federally aided students.
No application fee, test-optional admission and an application that doubles as your application for merit scholarships.
Admissions
First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
6,550 admitted from 8,330 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
1,251 first-years enrolled in fall 2025. Missouri residents made up 2,966 applicants and 2,585 admits; 1,986 international students applied and 1,119 were admitted. Admission is rolling, and the application also serves as the application for merit scholarships.
Typical entry requirements
| US high school core (17 units) | English 4, math 4 (Algebra I and higher), science 3 (one lab), social studies 3, fine arts 1, same foreign language 2 |
|---|---|
| International secondary | Same core curriculum as domestic applicants, evaluated on GPA and class rank percentile; ACT/SAT not required but welcome |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 Full admission: TOEFL iBT 4.5 on the new scale (80 for tests before January 2026), IELTS 6.5, PTE 58, Duolingo 115, Cambridge 176, SAT ERW 500, ACT English + Reading 37, IB English HL 5 or AP English Language 3. A Pathway Program admits students with slightly lower scores (e.g. IELTS 5.5, Duolingo 105) who take one English course in their first semester. |
Deadlines
- Priority scholarship deadline Non-binding Next deadline · In 56 daysDecember 1, 2026
Apply by this date for the best consideration for merit scholarships and financial aid.
- Final scholarship deadline Non-binding In ~4 monthsFebruary 1, 2027
Admission remains rolling after this date.
- International first-year recommended deadline Non-binding In ~6 monthsApril 1, 2027
Rolling admission with no firm deadline; apply early to allow time for the I-20 and visa appointment.
S&T lists recurring fall dates without a year (December 1 priority and February 1 final scholarship deadlines; April 1 recommended international deadline); years assume the fall 2027 cycle, for which the test-optional policy is published. Admission is rolling with no Early Decision or Early Action.
How to apply
S&T online application or Common App; no application fee; high school transcripts (unofficial accepted for the decision); ACT/SAT optional; optional personal statement of up to 500 words for international applicants; test-optional applicants answer short questions about activities and contribution.
What admissions looks for
- Completion of a 17-unit college-preparatory core, with 4 years of math from Algebra I up.
- High school GPA, which S&T's CDS rates very important alongside course rigor and test scores; class rank, essays and recommendations are also considered.
- ACT or SAT scores if you choose a test-based review.
- For test-optional applicants, extracurricular activities and how you would contribute to the S&T community.
Tips for applying to Missouri S&T
- 1 Apply by December 1: S&T's admission application is also its merit scholarship application, and the priority deadline gets the most aid.
- 2 If you have solid ACT or SAT scores, submit them; S&T notes scholarships may be more limited under test-optional review.
- 3 International applicants should pick a specific major, not Undecided, because it must appear on the I-20.
- 4 Visit the Kummer Student Design Center and ask about joining a design team in your first year.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Missouri University of Science and Technology
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Applying for admission automatically puts you in the running for merit-based university scholarships, with a December 1 priority deadline. International undergraduates are eligible for institutional aid: 186 received it in 2025-26, averaging $12,175. The 2020 Kummer gift also funds scholarships and fellowships.
- $38,990
- 2026-27 cost estimate, engineering major in a residence hall, Missouri resident
- $59,134
- 2026-27 cost estimate, engineering major in a residence hall, out-of-state
- $61,900
- 2026-27 cost estimate, engineering major in a residence hall, international (incl. $2,654 health insurance)
- 186, averaging $12,175
- International undergraduates awarded institutional aid (CDS 2025-26)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Mining Engineering
Rooted in S&T's origins as a school of mines, with a 25-acre experimental limestone mine used for teaching since 1921.
Nuclear Engineering
Students train on a 200 kW on-campus research reactor, the first in Missouri to go critical (1961).
Ceramic and Metallurgical Engineering
Materials programs that trace back to the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy.
Computer Science and Computer Engineering
Taught in the College of Engineering and Computing alongside computer engineering and the new semiconductor engineering major.
Student design teams
About 20 teams, from Mars Rover and Formula SAE to Concrete Canoe, run from the Student Design and Experiential Learning Center.
Research
- R1 classification by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
- The $300 million Kummer gift (2020), the largest to any Missouri university, which created the Kummer Institute and Kummer College.
- A 200 kW research reactor, operating since 1961.
- An experimental mine and surface dolomite quarries covering 25 acres, used by mining students and the mine rescue team.
Schools & faculties
- College of Engineering and Computing
- College of Arts, Sciences, and Education
- Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development
College Scorecard: median earnings of $82,957 ten years after entry (and $69,295 six years after entry) for federally aided students.
Student life
Life at S&T centres on building things: roughly 1,200 students work on design teams with round-the-clock access to the Kummer Student Design Center. There are more than 200 student organisations, and about a quarter of undergraduates belong to a fraternity or sorority (24.9% of men and 23.6% of women in fall 2025). The biggest tradition is St. Pat's, celebrated in Rolla since 1908 with a month of events, green-painted Pine Street, a parade and a new sweatshirt design every year. The Miners compete in NCAA Division II, and a partial replica of Stonehenge, cut with the university's waterjet, sits on the edge of campus.
- St. Pat's, Rolla's month-long celebration of the patron saint of engineers, held since 1908.
- Missouri S&T Miners in NCAA Division II's Great Lakes Valley Conference, with 17 varsity sports.
- More than 200 student organisations and about 20 student design teams.
- Missouri S&T Stonehenge, a partial granite reconstruction dedicated at the 1984 summer solstice.
Housing. S&T offers residence halls and apartment-style units, mostly on the north and northwest of campus; the 2026-27 residence hall living estimate is $14,066.
Location
Rolla is a small city of about 20,000 people and the county seat of Phelps County, in the Ozark Highlands of south-central Missouri; the school was placed here because of the region's lead and zinc mining. The university shapes local life, from design-team workshops to the St. Pat's parade on Pine Street, and the Mark Twain National Forest, headquartered in Rolla, offers outdoor recreation nearby.
Nearest airport: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL); Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF)
Notable alumni
- CC Clyde CowanPhysicist, co-discoverer of the neutrino (BS 1940)
- MK Mervin KellyPhysicist who rose to president and chairman of Bell Labs
- GM George MuellerNASA associate administrator who led the Office of Manned Space Flight during Apollo
- FE Farouk El-BazSpace scientist who helped plan the Apollo Moon landings (MS geology 1961)
- SM Sandra MagnusNASA astronaut (degrees in physics and electrical engineering)
- TA Thomas AkersNASA Space Shuttle astronaut (BS and MS applied mathematics)
- AM Aruna MillerLieutenant Governor of Maryland (BS civil engineering)
- JD Jack DorseyCo-founder of Twitter and Block (attended 1995-1997 before transferring)
Frequently asked questions
What is Missouri S&T's acceptance rate?
S&T admitted 6,550 of 8,330 first-year applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of about 79%.
Is Missouri S&T test-optional?
Yes, for fall 2027 applicants. You can be reviewed with ACT/SAT scores or by a committee without scores; homeschooled and GED applicants must submit scores.
What ACT score do you need for Missouri S&T?
Enrolled fall 2025 first-years who submitted the ACT scored 25-31 (middle 50%), and SAT submitters scored 1220-1380. The average high school GPA was 3.82.
Does Missouri S&T have an application fee?
No. S&T does not charge an application fee, and the admission application also serves as your merit scholarship application.
How much does Missouri S&T cost for international students?
For 2026-27, tuition and fees for international undergraduates range from $36,634 to $41,226 depending on major, and S&T's estimate for an engineering student in a residence hall, including health insurance, is $61,900.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- Missouri S&T Admissions: First-Time Freshmen (fall 2027 test policy, requirements, deadlines)
- Missouri S&T Admissions: International First-time Freshmen
- Missouri S&T Admissions: International
- Missouri S&T Student Financial Services: Cost Estimates
- Missouri S&T Student Financial Services: Rate Summary (Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 fee schedules)
- Missouri S&T: About
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