What type of school it is, in simple terms
Maryville is classified by the Carnegie system among universities that offer doctoral and professional degree programs. It is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more, and the highest degree level it reports offering is the doctorate. That does not mean your child’s specific program goes up to that level: it means the institution as a whole has that capacity. Verify the exact path for the program that interests your child.
Carnegie also describes it as primarily nonresidential. That label applies when fewer than one in four undergraduate students live in institution-provided housing, or when fewer than half attend full time — the data do not clarify which of the two conditions was met, and the label does not mean there are no residence halls. If your child plans to live at home, do yourself a favor: drive the actual route on a weekday at the time of your child’s classes. The map almost never tells the whole truth about traffic.
The school has none of three specific designations: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what organizations and cultural centers exist today, and whom can you contact who already studies there?
A large community, and a small community within it
Maryville had 9,883 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is neither a very small school nor an enormous one, but compared with similar selective private universities, it is among the largest: at most one in ten has more students. That total, however, includes graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor’s degree program, the number that matters is 6,062, not the total of 9,883.
Within that undergraduate community, Hispanic or Latino students account for 9 out of every 100 students. It is a small minority, and compared with similar selective private schools, it ranks below the comparison group’s midpoint. That does not make the school bad, just as having many Latino students would not make another school good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled today. If your child will be one of the few, the right question is not whether your child should attend, but what groups and support are available and whom your child can speak with before deciding.
Other features of this community: 37 out of every 100 students are between 25 and 64 years old — meaning a considerable share do not arrive directly from high school. There are more women than men: 69 out of every 100. And just over half of first-time students, 62 out of every 100, came from the same state of Missouri.
How the academic year works
The calendar is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks. The school reported that it accepts credit from AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience —independent study, work experience, prior licenses or certifications, among other pathways— as well as credit for military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a hard but useful truth: the school’s statement that it accepts AP credit does not mean it will award your child credit for any exam with any score. We do not know what scores are required or how many credits are awarded for the specific program that interests your child. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrollment. Do not budget for the savings until they are confirmed.
As for degrees: in the most recently reported year, Maryville awarded 964 bachelor’s degrees across 19 fields of study. The largest was health professions, with 30 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year — no other field comes close, but it does not account for everything either. Compared with similar selective private schools, Maryville ranks in the quartile awarding the most degrees annually. That breadth is a sign of varied offerings, not a guaranteed catalog: verify that your child’s exact program exists and is active today.
The ratio of students to full-time-equivalent faculty is 13 to 1. On the general scale, this is considered low, but compared with similar schools, it is above the median — both things are true at the same time. This number does not tell you the actual size of a first-year classroom; it is an institutional ratio, not a classroom headcount.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only at night or on weekends, and pathways preparing students for teacher certification.
Admissions: getting in is likely, but you have to do the work
Let’s turn to the number that most frightens or reassures families. Maryville does not have open admission — it does review certain things before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks three as required: the high school record, high school GPA, and an English-language proficiency exam when applicable to the applicant. The personal essay, letters of recommendation, record of courses taken, and a work sample are considered if submitted, although they are not required. The published application fee is $0.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask today, not in March, whether the English-language proficiency exam is required and what qualifies for an exemption. This is one of those things families discover late, complicating their schedules.
Now the figure that truly matters: in the 2023 cycle, Maryville received 3,916 first-time applications and offered admission to 3,669 applicants. That is 94 out of every 100. Compared with similar selective private schools, it ranks on the more accessible side — seven out of ten of those schools admit an equal or smaller percentage.
Maryville admitted 94 out of every 100 applicants. This is a school that does accept applicants. Even so, the application must be complete and submitted on time.
But here is the part almost no one checks: only 23 out of every 100 admitted students ultimately enrolled. The other 77 had a place here and did not take it. Do not read that as a stain — the federal record does not say why each person made that decision, and compared with similar schools, this proportion falls right in the middle of the group. What I can tell you is this: receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend, and what others decided does not predict what the school will offer you. Wait for your letter showing the net price — that is the number that determines whether the school stays on the list.
One more point of practical reassurance: Maryville reported that it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admission decision. That does not cover scholarships or placement — ask about those separately.
Regarding transfers: among the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 20 out of every 100 left for another school without completing here. Transferring is not failing, but your child should know in advance how to request the necessary records if a move becomes necessary. In the other direction, Maryville also receives quite a few students: 959 students entered in fall 2023 after previously studying at another institution.
Cost: the figure you have to face directly
At Maryville University of Saint Louis, among 80 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $21,213. Among 69 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $23,346; among 158 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $30,216. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (80 students) and the average for the highest-income band (158 students) is $9,003. Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant aid, the average was $26,733.
Even after scholarships and grants were deducted, the average net price for the lowest-income families was $21,213 in the 2022-23 academic year. If that number does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
An average does not show how different the cases within that band were; these data do not establish that some families were far below or above the published figure. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with scholarship or grant aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants.
Aid, scholarships, grants, and loans: keep the piles separate
At Maryville, 71 out of every 100 degree-seeking students receive some type of aid that does not have to be repaid — a scholarship or grant. Compared with similar schools, that proportion falls in the quartile where aid reaches fewer students. Among those who do receive it, the annual average was $12,914. And 36 out of every 100 receive a Pell Grant, the federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need.
Watch out for a common misunderstanding: the percentage of students who receive aid and the average amount received by those who obtain it are two different calculations with different denominators. They should not be multiplied by each other.
Now the loans, and here we need to speak plainly. In the 2022-23 academic year, 54 out of every 100 Maryville undergraduate students received a federal student loan — more than half. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per borrower was $6,971 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the four years of the degree program, the total would be around $27,884, not counting interest. You make that decision before the first signature, not at the end of the first semester.
Importantly, that average covers only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, bank debt, or credit-card debt. And it is not the total debt with which someone graduates — that would require adding all four years, and those data are not in this report.
The institution also offers an installment tuition payment plan, if that helps you manage your family’s cash flow.
Campus life, learning format, and support
Maryville does have its own housing, with capacity for 1,059 students on or off campus, and it does not require all first-time students to live there — but that does not rule out a requirement for a specific program. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. Request the year’s price, the deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list in writing.
Regarding ROTC: the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. The Navy and Air Force are not marked — that does not mean they are impossible options; it means you need to ask directly.
In sports, Maryville does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child wants to compete, contact the coach for that sport directly and request written confirmation of whether there is a place on the team and whether that sport awards scholarships.
One fact worth highlighting: 53 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their classes remotely. Compared with similar schools, Maryville ranks in the quartile with the highest proportion of undergraduates studying this way. That does not tell you whether those classes are live or whether students must go to campus for exams or labs — turn that assumption into a direct question before deciding.
The library has hired staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary lending. The institution also reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services, job placement for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for military families, and a services webpage for students with disabilities.
Retention and graduation: do they stay? Do they finish?
Of the cohort that entered full time in fall 2022, 83 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already graduated. Compared with similar selective private schools, Maryville ranks near the top on this indicator. (Part-time students from the same cohort had a very different result, 31 out of every 100 — these are groups with different lives, and one does not explain the other.)
For graduation, here is the central figure: of the 604 students who entered full time in 2017, 432 had a degree in hand six years later — 72 out of every 100. At the four-year mark, the figure falls to 61 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, Maryville ranks in the top quartile: three out of four schools in the group report an equal or smaller proportion.
Within that group of 604 students: 119 transferred to another institution without completing here, 5 remained enrolled without having finished, and 48 were classified as “no longer enrolled” — a category that does not explain the reason and may include people who graduated after the official deadline.
And here is the truth that no percentage should hide: a high number is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to the cohort that entered in 2017. What is within your control, and your child’s, is starting the first semester with all credits in order, knowing who the academic advisor is, and knowing when registration opens for courses in the chosen program.
One last look, at eight years: of a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016, 66 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 62 out of every 100 — six points below the group without Pell Grants. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is above the group median.
What you already know, and what is still missing
You now know one important piece of Maryville University of Saint Louis: how people are admitted, what it costs different families, how many stay, how many finish, and what support it reports having. That piece is solid — it comes directly from the reports the institution itself submits to the federal government, not from an admissions brochure.
But it is only one piece of the plan. What is missing is what your child wants to study and what your child has already built to get there. Also missing is what your family can and is willing to pay, as an exact number, not an approximation. If you live near Saint Louis, the housing question is resolved differently than if your child would have to move. If the program requires a lab or in-person practicum, the remote-learning format matters more than it may seem today. Those answers are not in any federal report: they are in your home.
Put this piece together with the other two. The plan that works for your child comes from that combination, not from a single number.
Source note: the information in this article comes from reports that Maryville University of Saint Louis submits to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily covering the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Maryville University of Saint Louis or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data.