University of Missouri-St. Louis

I visited this campus in Fall of 2025 to assist my daughter with moving in and settling on dorm. She had chosen UMSL as her place to shine and prepare for the next phase of life. This selection was made from a pool of over 20 universities all covering varying degrees of scholarships. UMSL checked all our boxes and was not the least expensive, however our daughter's and our peace of mind was not to be compromised. Communication with her Recruiter/Advisor, Matheus was seamless leading up to and after making the choice. Matheus even visited our island as part of his recruitment strategy and it was in one of those sessions my daughter's was enagegd. Discussions with other members of staff were warm and cordial leading up to and after arriving at UMSL.Dan in the Financial Services Office at the MSC with whom I spoke several times provided valuable information. Dr. Stallings who is my daughter's Academic Advisor was lovely in person as she was on the phone and Dr. Jordan who attended to us in her absence on 1 occasion when we got to UMSL for Orientation week designated herself as my daughter's on campus Mom😊 Dr. Jessica was full of energy and vibrant and met the students where they were. On to campus...it's clean with lots of green spaces which I absolutely love. Tgere a couple geese and squirrels too! At the time we got there, construction was ongoing however you literally can see and feel the capital expenditure and reinvestment in the university. There were charging and sanitization stations throughout the MSC where all Orientation activities were based. The campus is huge and has 2 train stations (North and South campus) and a police post on site. The Nosh has a couple options for dining and seating appears adequate as it can get busy. The dorms are consistent with normal dorm size and are equipped with bed, study table, closet, dresser, microwave and fridge plus retractable blinds. You do not share dorm room (which was HIGH on our list of requirements) but bathroom is shared among 4 suite mates who are responsible for cleaning. Freshmen must reside on Oak Hall if living on campus and it is has a kitchen, wash room, pool area, game room, garbage disposal etc. Can you tell yet? We loved our selection and generally have been satisfied with our daughter's settling so far. She has confirmed that she too loves her university and campus. Very satisfied Mommy...go Tritons!!🧡💛 If you're ever scouting for universities in the US, check UMSL out, they're highly recommended! P.S. It's rated in the top 5 for safest campus in the US and commute was fairly easy via metro or UBER when I visited over the 12 days. We also had no incidents of theft, violence or crime and the people are warm and friendly....pretty laid back.

My child transferred from SIUE to UMSL this semester; tuition/fees is 42% higher; "automatic scholarships" are much more restrictive—can only be used for tuition not other university expenses and definitely not refunded; Financial Aid awarded a scholarship then revoked it & charged us a late fee & interest because they mistakenly awarded aid. They don’t care about the students financial wellbeing…consistently encouraging him to get a loan he doesn’t need. Overall, this was the worse decision he could have made.

UMSL doesn't like unconventional students. If you are taking classes at two schools at once, (which working adults often have to), UMSL refuses to sign a consortium agreement. They give the excuse that if they offer the class, you should take it with them. In my case that would mean delaying my graduation an extra year! Now let's discuss financial aid. Now for a state school UMSL is a little higher than some of the surrounding states, but they'll give you a merit scholarship if you have a high GPA (which I did). Your financial aid page in myview will show that you are awarded the scholarship before classes begin. Then 7-14 days later, the financial aid office will tell you that they are revoking it, because you are a part time student (even if a consortium agreement would prove otherwise; see what they do? 🙂 ). But wait! It's only 10 days into the semester so you'll have to pay for half of your classes, it's their drop policy. So they hook you with the promise of scholarship for being a top student, and then they pull the rug out once it's too late to avoid paying for classes. Very classy. So they don't offer classes when you need them, get uncooperative when you do what's best for your education, and if you are a working adult taking a healthy course load and still maintaining a 3.8 GPA, they will not give you a scholarship for this excellence. Do yourself a favor and walk around the campus. Ask yourself, is this school thriving or dying? UMSL knows the answer. They've tried nothing to solve it, and they're all out of ideas.

Attending University Of Missouri St. Louis is financial money pit designed to drain your wallet and to fill your life with student loans that you can never pay off. When I attended they refused to honor half of my 64 credited courses that I passed at another credited university in the area. For the degree that I was completing I was required to participate in an internship program on campus despite the degree being offered one hundred percent online. Missouri Has outdated educational requirements requiring certain " core" classes to graduate. UMSL would not accept one of those core classes due to a low but passing grade. Financial aid and student support services Is a joke. You don't get financial aid assistance unless you are a full time student and what money you do get is based off of income. In today's society with the high rising cost of living it simply isn't worth attending collage and even if you do it doesn't guarantee you a Job.

I have attended this university for over a year, and unfortunately my experience has been extremely stressful and disappointing as a nontraditional student. With a lack of support and being forced to question my future there, I always wondered why the campus seemed so empty. Now, I think I know why... Advising has been a major issue. I have met with multiple advisors, and in several instances, I felt dismissed or not taken seriously when asking clear questions about my degree plan and whether I was on track to graduate. In one meeting, I experienced unprofessional behavior that made me uncomfortable enough to seek a different advisor. One advisor giggled madly at me and rolled her eyes at me to be specific. I eventually filed a report with the ombudsman but has been two weeks which I still have not heard back. Subsequent advising meetings did not improve the situation. I was encouraged to take courses without clear explanations of how they would apply to my degree or how they would support internship readiness in my field (Cybersecurity). I later learned that several of these courses would not count toward my degree requirements in future semesters starting in Fall 2026, which could have resulted in significant lost time and money had I followed that advice. I eventually explored changing my major to Education due to my professional background as a substitute teacher and the opportunity for district-supported teacher certification. During that advising appointment, I felt my concerns were dismissed, and the discussion shifted away from my questions toward generalized assumptions that did not apply to my situation. I was suggested to go do a general studies degree which felt very insulting to me and because I originally went to college with a plan to get a career and felt like I was not being heard nor seen. Plus, the advisor accused me of being a Pell runner despite the fact that I do not receive any Pell Grants. At that moment, I decided not to continue with UMSL mainly due to being disrespected and seen as just a number. With maintaining a high GPA, I was offered no meaningful guidance on funding options beyond student loans. Support services were also lacking. As a first-generation, low-income student, I qualify for TRIO services, yet repeated attempts to get help with housing and scholarships resulted in promises of follow-up that never occurred. Financial Aid initially provided grants, but later offered only loans, and I was advised to pursue private loans without a clear discussion of long-term impact. I had a 3.9 GPA, yet there did not seem to be any scholarships available which was pretty questionable. I also was heavily involved outside of the university which should have added to my ability to get additional aid. Career Services was similarly unhelpful. I received minimal feedback on my resume beyond generic comments, and career fairs I attended were dominated by organizations unrelated to my field, (Some were MLMs such as Primerica, and Northwestern Mutual which should speak for itself) offering little value for students seeking relevant internships or employment. I had been left to struggle on my own to find opportunities which thankfully I was able to secure internships and employment (Not related to my major unfortunately) successfully. Overall, I felt that I had to navigate nearly every aspect of my academic and career planning on my own. While this review reflects only my experience, it was significant enough that I would strongly encourage prospective students—especially nontraditional or first-generation students—to ask detailed questions about advising, degree planning, and support services before enrolling. I also strongly recommend treating the meetings like an interview. Note how they act towards you including nonverbal cues, the tone of their voices and how they demonstrate interest. I wish that I would have known and regret coming there. I will be looking at going somewhere else where I am treated with respect and where the school actually sets me up to succeed....

I applied to UMSL and, over several weeks, repeatedly tried to confirm my admissions status via phone and email. Despite numerous attempts I received no substantive response. When I escalated the situation, an admissions office employee called me but did not take responsibility — telling me ‘she’s human’ to excuse multiple missed communications. That line minimized the pattern of silence and made me feel like my application and records were seen as unimportant or worthless. I then sent a follow-up email to higher-ups (vice chancellor level) asking for clarification about her response and never received an answer. The whole experience was painful and unprofessional — I expected clear communication and accountability from an admissions office. If timely, respectful communication matters to you, I would caution you to consider this experience before applying.

The youngest of four Universities in UM System (Mizzou 1839, Rolls 1870, Kansas City 1933 and UMSL 1963) but with the advantage of locating in great St.Louis!