Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri may be a good fit for a bright kid who needs a financial safety and is attracted to a Midwestern rural location. Described as a ”public LAC”, it originally caught my eye because, as explained in the chart to the right, it offers automatic merit aid.
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Fast facts, with more information here:
- Automatic scholarships based on GPA and ACT score combination, with one specifically for out-of-state students
- Many other competitive scholarships, including several NMF awards up to full tuition
- 74% admit rate with relatively high student test scores that are in the range of other more selective schools - The 2009 freshman class had an ACT midrange of 25 to 30 and SAT CR of 570 – 710. Compare this to the same statistics for two other well-regarded schools: Boston Univ. (58% admitted) ACT 26 – 30, CR 580 – 670 CR; SUNY Binghamton (40% admitted) ACT 26 – 30, CR 580 – 670.
- Ranked 31st by Kiplinger’s and first by Consumers Digest on their “best value” colleges lists.
- Ranked #8 on USNWR Midwestern Regional Universities
- Rolling admission with decisions by October 1 or earlier
- 99% of first-year students live in college housing; 49% of all undergraduates live in college housing
- NCAA Division II sports
- 81% In-state students; 19% Out-of-state students
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Some possible downsides
- Rural - Located in the rural town of Kirksville, Mo., Truman State University is about a three hour drive southeast of Des Moines and four hours northwest of St. Louis. 85 miles from Columbia,195 miles from St. Louis. In addition to a possible downside of Truman’s distance from airports, Kirksville has been described as “very lackluster”.
- Unusual service requirement of 60 hours per semester for scholarship recipients receiving more than $1250 per semester – may include work as a research assistant.
Here are Net Price Calculations for a hypothetical student who qualifies for automatic scholarships with top grades and test scores. The three different levels of earned income scenarios are $50,000 (low), $80,000 (medium), and $150,000 (high). These net prices would be even lower if this student were to be awarded one of the many competitive merit scholarships offered by Truman State.
