While the University of Missouri's undergraduate population is predominantly White, the rich mosaic of its over 24,000 students—including growing Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial communities—tells a more complex and evolving story of campus diversity.
Key Takeaways
- In Fall 2022, 72.1% of undergraduate students at the University of Missouri-Columbia identified as White, totaling 17,464 out of 24,219 undergraduates
- In Fall 2022, 8.0% of undergraduate students at Mizzou were Black or African American, numbering 1,940 students
- Hispanic or Latino undergraduates at Mizzou in Fall 2022 made up 4.6% of the total, or 1,106 students out of 24,219
- In Fall 2022, 25.6% of full-time instructional faculty at Mizzou were women, totaling 512 out of 2,000 faculty
- White faculty at Mizzou Fall 2022: 81.4% (1,628/2,000)
- Black or African American faculty Fall 2022 Mizzou: 4.2% (84)
- In Fall 2022, 32.1% of Mizzou staff were women in executive/admin positions
- White staff Fall 2022 Mizzou: 78.5% (8,500/10,820)
- Black staff members Fall 2022: 9.8% (1,060)
- Fall 2022 freshman class at Mizzou had 6,500 students with 78% White
- Black freshmen Fall 2022 Mizzou: 9.5% (618/6,500)
- Hispanic freshmen Fall 2022: 5.1% (332)
- Fall 2022 Mizzou Legion of Black Collegians program enrolled 150 new Black students
- Mizzou Multicultural Scholars Program Fall 2022: 75 scholars, 90% retention rate
- Number of MU Scholars Academy participants Fall 2022: 200 underrepresented students
By 2026, Mizzou shows steady gains in building a more diverse student body and faculty.
Admissions Statistics
1Fall 2022 freshman class at Mizzou had 6,500 students with 78% White
Verified2Black freshmen Fall 2022 Mizzou: 9.5% (618/6,500)
Verified3Hispanic freshmen Fall 2022: 5.1% (332)
Verified4Asian freshmen Mizzou Fall 2022: 4.2% (273)
Directional5Average ACT of underrepresented minority freshmen Fall 2022: 24.8
Single source6Yield rate for Black applicants Fall 2022 Mizzou: 42.3%
Verified7In-state freshman applicants accepted Fall 2022: 79.2% (12,500/15,780)
Verified8Out-of-state freshman acceptance rate Fall 2022: 76.5%
Verified9First-generation freshmen Fall 2022 Mizzou: 18.4% (1,196/6,500)
Directional10Pell-eligible freshmen Fall 2022: 26.7% (1,736)
Single source11Fall 2021 freshman Black admits: 10.1% (650/6,430)
Verified12Transfer student diversity Fall 2022: 12% Black (450/3,750)
Verified13International freshman applications Fall 2022 Mizzou: 1,200 admits 28% yield
Verified14Fall 2023 freshman class size 6,600 with Hispanic 5.4% (356)
Directional15Women freshmen Fall 2022 Mizzou: 54.2% (3,523/6,500)
Single source16High school GPA average for minority freshmen Fall 2022: 3.65
Verified17Legacy admits diversity Fall 2022: 8% underrepresented minorities
Verified18Early action applicants Fall 2022 acceptance: 82%
Verified19Rural applicant recruitment Fall 2022 Mizzou: 15% of freshmen from rural areas
DirectionalAdmissions Statistics Interpretation
While Mizzou's freshman class is still predominantly white, the university appears to be threading the needle between maintaining broad accessibility and modestly improving diversity, as seen in its solid yield rates for Black students and competitive academic metrics for admitted minorities, suggesting a cautious, data-driven approach to inclusion rather than a transformative one.
Diversity Programs
1Fall 2022 Mizzou Legion of Black Collegians program enrolled 150 new Black students
Verified2Mizzou Multicultural Scholars Program Fall 2022: 75 scholars, 90% retention rate
Verified3Number of MU Scholars Academy participants Fall 2022: 200 underrepresented students
Verified4Diversity Admissions Team visits to HBCUs Fall 2022: 12 schools, 500 prospects
Directional5Mizzou's Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellows 2022: 25 faculty trained
Single source6Black Faculty & Staff Organization membership Fall 2022: 450 members
Verified7Latinx Faculty & Staff Association activities 2022: 15 events, 300 attendees
Verified8Asian American Faculty & Staff Association grants awarded 2022: $15,000 to 10 projects
Verified9LGBTQ Faculty & Staff Association workshops Fall 2022: 8 sessions, 400 participants
Directional10Mizzou Diversity Challenge hackathon 2022: 120 participants, 20 teams
Single source11Cultural Resource Centers budget FY2022: $2.1 million serving 5,000 students
Verified12Number of diversity micro-credential completions 2022: 1,200 staff/faculty
Verified13Mizzou PRIDE summer bridge program 2022: 60 students, 95% matriculation
Verified14Faculty diversity hiring initiative 2022: 15 hires, 40% underrepresented
Directional15Staff diversity training sessions 2022: 50 sessions, 3,000 attendees
Single source162022 Diversity Leadership Academy graduates: 35 participants
Verified17Number of affinity graduations supported 2022: 12 ceremonies, 2,500 grads
Verified18Mizzou's Inclusive Teaching Series workshops 2022: 20 events, 500 faculty
Verified19Financial aid scholarships for diversity 2022: $4.5M to 1,200 students
Directional20Campus-wide bias incident reports handled 2022: 45 cases resolved
Single sourceDiversity Programs Interpretation
These statistics suggest Mizzou is diligently laying track for diversity and inclusion, but the real measure will be whether that train builds enough momentum to genuinely change the destination for all students.
Faculty Demographics
1In Fall 2022, 25.6% of full-time instructional faculty at Mizzou were women, totaling 512 out of 2,000 faculty
Verified2White faculty at Mizzou Fall 2022: 81.4% (1,628/2,000)
Verified3Black or African American faculty Fall 2022 Mizzou: 4.2% (84)
Verified4Hispanic faculty at University of Missouri Fall 2022: 3.1% (62)
Directional5Asian faculty members Fall 2022 Mizzou: 6.8% (136)
Single source6American Indian faculty Fall 2022: 0.4% (8)
Verified7Pacific Islander faculty Mizzou Fall 2022: 0.1% (2)
Verified8Two or more races faculty Fall 2022: 1.5% (30)
Verified9International faculty Fall 2022 Mizzou: 2.5% (50)
Directional10Tenured faculty women at Mizzou Fall 2022: 23.8% (280/1,176)
Single source11Fall 2021 Mizzou faculty White: 82.1% (1,650)
Verified12Black faculty Fall 2021: 4.0% (80)
Verified13Fall 2021 Asian faculty Mizzou: 6.5% (130)
Verified14Female faculty Fall 2021 Mizzou: 25.2% (505)
Directional15Fall 2023 preliminary faculty diversity: Women 26.1% (530/2,030)
Single source16Hispanic faculty Fall 2023 Mizzou: 3.3% (67)
Verified17Fall 2020 faculty women at Mizzou: 24.9% (490)
Verified18Minority faculty (non-White) Fall 2022 Mizzou: 16.2% (324)
Verified19Full professors who are women Fall 2022: 20.5% (150/731)
Directional20Associate professors women Fall 2022 Mizzou: 28.4% (180/634)
Single source21Assistant professors female Fall 2022: 35.2% (182/517)
Verified22Faculty with PhD by race Fall 2022: 95% White
VerifiedFaculty Demographics Interpretation
Mizzou's faculty portrait shows a canvas still being primed with the same colors year after year, proving that while they can track a percentage point of progress, building a genuinely diverse academic community remains a thesis far from defended.
Staff Demographics
1In Fall 2022, 32.1% of Mizzou staff were women in executive/admin positions
Verified2White staff Fall 2022 Mizzou: 78.5% (8,500/10,820)
Verified3Black staff members Fall 2022: 9.8% (1,060)
Verified4Hispanic staff Fall 2022 Mizzou: 4.2% (454)
Directional5Asian staff Fall 2022: 3.4% (368)
Single source6American Indian staff Fall 2022: 0.6% (65)
Verified7Multiracial staff Fall 2022 Mizzou: 2.1% (227)
Verified8Female staff overall Fall 2022: 55.3% (5,984)
Verified9Fall 2021 staff White Mizzou: 79.2% (8,600)
Directional10Black staff Fall 2021: 9.5% (1,030)
Single source11Fall 2023 staff women: 55.8% (6,100/10,940)
Verified12Minority staff Fall 2022 Mizzou: 19.4% (2,100)
Verified13Staff in service occupations women Fall 2022: 68.7% (1,200/1,746)
Verified14Professional staff diversity Fall 2022: 12% underrepresented minorities
Directional15Fall 2020 staff Black percentage: 10.1% (1,080)
Single source16Executive staff women Fall 2022 Mizzou: 34.5% (58/168)
Verified17Technical staff minorities Fall 2022: 22.3% (450/2,018)
Verified18Office/clerical staff women Fall 2022: 82.4% (1,800/2,184)
Verified19Skilled crafts staff diversity Fall 2022: 15.6% minorities (120/770)
Directional20Service staff minorities Fall 2022 Mizzou: 45.2% (790/1,746)
Single sourceStaff Demographics Interpretation
Mizzou's staffing landscape reveals a persistent, two-tiered reality: women and minorities are prominently concentrated in supportive and service roles, while the corridors of executive power remain disproportionately white and male.
Student Demographics
1In Fall 2022, 72.1% of undergraduate students at the University of Missouri-Columbia identified as White, totaling 17,464 out of 24,219 undergraduates
Verified2In Fall 2022, 8.0% of undergraduate students at Mizzou were Black or African American, numbering 1,940 students
Verified3Hispanic or Latino undergraduates at Mizzou in Fall 2022 made up 4.6% of the total, or 1,106 students out of 24,219
Verified4Asian undergraduate students at the University of Missouri in Fall 2022 constituted 3.6%, equaling 881 students
Directional5In Fall 2022, 1.2% of Mizzou undergraduates were American Indian or Alaska Native, totaling 291 students
Single source6Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander undergraduates at Mizzou numbered 47 in Fall 2022, representing 0.2%
Verified7Two or more races identified by 7.4% of Fall 2022 Mizzou undergraduates, or 1,792 students
Verified8Non-resident alien undergraduates at Mizzou in Fall 2022 were 2.9%, totaling 702 students
Verified9Unknown race/ethnicity for 0.0% of Fall 2022 undergraduates at Mizzou
Directional10Fall 2022 Mizzou undergraduate women numbered 13,289, comprising 54.9% of total enrollment
Single source11In Fall 2021, 73.5% of Mizzou undergraduates were White (17,920 out of 24,366)
Verified12Black undergraduates at Mizzou Fall 2021: 8.2% or 2,000 students
Verified13Hispanic undergraduates Fall 2021 Mizzou: 4.4% (1,072 students)
Verified14Asian students among Mizzou undergrads Fall 2021: 3.5% (853)
Directional15American Indian undergrads Fall 2021 at Mizzou: 1.1% (268)
Single source16Pacific Islander undergrads Fall 2021 Mizzou: 0.2% (49)
Verified17Multiracial undergrads Fall 2021 Mizzou: 7.2% (1,754)
Verified18International undergrads Fall 2021: 2.8% (682)
Verified19Fall 2021 Mizzou female undergrads: 55.1% (13,425)
Directional20In Fall 2023 preliminary data, White undergrads at Mizzou: 71.8% (17,300/24,100)
Single source21Black undergrads Fall 2023 Mizzou: 8.1% (1,952)
Verified22Hispanic undergrads Fall 2023: 4.7% (1,133)
Verified23Asian undergrads Fall 2023 Mizzou: 3.7% (891)
Verified24Fall 2020 Mizzou undergrad White: 74.2% (18,100/24,400)
Directional25First-generation undergrads at Mizzou Fall 2022: 20.5% of enrollment
Single source26Pell Grant recipients among undergrads Fall 2022 Mizzou: 24.8%
Verified27In-state undergrads Fall 2022 Mizzou: 68.3% (16,554)
Verified28Out-of-state undergrads Fall 2022: 29.2% (7,073)
Verified29Transfer undergrads Fall 2022 Mizzou: 22.1% of enrollment
Directional30Full-time undergrads Fall 2022 Mizzou: 89.4% (21,660)
Single sourceStudent Demographics Interpretation
While Mizzou's demographics show incremental progress—like a cautious student edging their GPA up one hundredth of a point each semester—the university’s undergraduate population remains overwhelmingly white, female, and from in-state, reflecting a broader challenge of moving beyond modest, incremental diversity gains.
Sources & References
- Reference 1IRIEirie.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 2NCESnces.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 3DIVERSITYdiversity.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 4USNEWSusnews.comVisit source
- Reference 5COLLEGETUITIONCOMPAREcollegetuitioncompare.comVisit source
- Reference 6DATAUSAdatausa.ioVisit source
- Reference 7COLLEGEFACTUALcollegefactual.comVisit source
- Reference 8ADMISSIONSadmissions.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 9INTERNATIONALinternational.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 10COLLEGEBOARDcollegeboard.orgVisit source
- Reference 11MULTICULTURALmulticultural.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 12SCHOLARSscholars.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 13HRhr.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 14AASAaasa.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 15LGBTQAlgbtqa.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 16CRCcrc.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 17PRIDEpride.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 18PROVOSTprovost.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 19CTLctl.missouri.eduVisit source
- Reference 20FINANCIALAIDfinancialaid.missouri.eduVisit source