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Missouri: school, college and career rules

Missouri requires 24 units of credit and four end-of-course tests before graduation, treats 12 months of presence plus intent as proof of domicile for in-state tuition, and funds the need-based Access Missouri grant.

Population6,270,541Rank 18 of 51 · Census, July 1, 2025
State testMAPMissouri Assessment Program (Grade-Level and End-of-Course assessme...
State grantAccess Missouri Financial Assistance ProgramMissouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Dev...
Checked22 Oct 2026Re-check by Apr 2027
Diploma requirements In-state tuition State boardsAll colleges in Missouri

Census
Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV)U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
Checked
21 Oct 2026

Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.

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Every fact below is copied from Missouri's own pages or the agency named in its source chip.

High school diploma

5 CSR 20-100.190 (State Board of Education), the state minimum since the class of 2010. Local boards must adopt graduation policies that include at least these requirements and may add more.

Mo. CSR
5 CSR 20-100.190, Graduation Requirements for Students in Public High Schools (Code of State Regulations, PDF)Missouri Secretary of State, Code of State Regulations
Checked
22 Oct 2026

Read through the Internet Archive capture of 13 Oct 2026 (sos.mo.gov blocks requests from India).

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SubjectState minimum
Communication arts4 units
Social studies3 units
Mathematics3 units
Science3 units
Fine arts1 unit
Practical arts1 unit
Physical education1 unit
Health education½ unit
Personal finance½ unit
Electives7 units

24 units of credit.

State tests for the diploma

Districts must make sure students complete the Algebra I, English II, biology and government end-of-course assessments before graduating (see State test).

Mo. CSR
5 CSR 20-100.190, Graduation Requirements for Students in Public High Schools (Code of State Regulations, PDF)Missouri Secretary of State, Code of State Regulations
Checked
22 Oct 2026

Read through the Internet Archive capture of 13 Oct 2026 (sos.mo.gov blocks requests from India).

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Also good to know

  • To earn a unit of credit, a student must meet all the course requirements and earn a passing grade.
    DESE
    Graduation Requirements: How many credits does a student need to graduate?Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
    Checked
    22 Oct 2026

    Read through the Internet Archive capture of 20 May 2026 (dese.mo.gov returns 403 to requests from India).

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State test: MAP

Missouri Assessment Program (Grade-Level and End-of-Course assessments). MAP tests measure progress toward the Missouri Learning Standards (the Show-Me Standards). Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities take MAP-A instead.

DESE
Guide To The Missouri Assessment ProgramMissouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Checked
22 Oct 2026

Read through the Internet Archive capture of 8 Sept 2026.

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TestSubjectsGrades
Grade-Level AssessmentEnglish language arts and mathematicsGrades 3–8
Grade-Level AssessmentScienceGrades 5 and 8
End-of-Course (required)Algebra I, English II, biology and governmentTaken when the course is completed, at any grade

Source:

DESE
Grade-Level (Missouri Assessment Program)Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Checked
22 Oct 2026

Read through the Internet Archive capture of 18 Sept 2026.

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What the scores are used for

  • The State Board's purposes: measuring student mastery toward postsecondary readiness and serving as the basis for state and national accountability.
    DESE
    Guide To The Missouri Assessment ProgramMissouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
    Checked
    22 Oct 2026

    Read through the Internet Archive capture of 8 Sept 2026.

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  • The four required End-of-Course tests must be completed before high school graduation; a student who took Algebra I before high school takes Algebra II as the required high school math test.
    DESE
    End-of-Course (Missouri Assessment Program)Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
    Checked
    22 Oct 2026

    Read through the Internet Archive capture of 13 Aug 2026.

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National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.

Public colleges and universities

The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.

Sources:

UM System
University of Missouri SystemThe Curators of the University of Missouri
Checked
22 Oct 2026
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MCCA
Missouri Community College AssociationMissouri Community College Association
Checked
22 Oct 2026
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Every school in Missouri, public and private, with cost and completion: 137 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 7 city pages.

In-state tuition: the residency rule

Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.

  • 6 CSR 10-3.010: either of two things is enough proof of Missouri domicile: being present in Missouri for the 12 immediately past consecutive months with proof of intent to stay indefinitely, or being in Missouri for retirement, full-time work, practice or business with that intent.
    Mo. CSR
    6 CSR 10-3.010, Determination of Student Residency (Code of State Regulations, PDF)Missouri Secretary of State, Code of State Regulations (Coordinating Board for Higher Education rule)
    Checked
    22 Oct 2026

    Read through the Internet Archive capture of 12 Aug 2026.

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  • A minor or dependent student's domicile is presumed to be that of the legal custodian. Heavily weighted signs of intent include continuous presence when not enrolled and reliance on Missouri sources of support.
    Mo. CSR
    6 CSR 10-3.010, Determination of Student Residency (Code of State Regulations, PDF)Missouri Secretary of State, Code of State Regulations (Coordinating Board for Higher Education rule)
    Checked
    22 Oct 2026

    Read through the Internet Archive capture of 12 Aug 2026.

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The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.

State financial aid

Run by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.

Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program

Need-based grant for full-time undergraduates who are Missouri residents and U.S. citizens or permanent residents at participating Missouri schools, based on the FAFSA Student Aid Index. File by February 1 for the priority deadline (guaranteed award); April 1 is the final deadline. Renewal needs a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

MDHEWD
Access Missouri Financial Assistance ProgramMissouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development
Checked
22 Oct 2026

Read through the Internet Archive capture of 16 May 2026 (dhewd.mo.gov returns 403 to requests from India); figures are for 2025-26.

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Licensing boards

Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Missouri license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.

LicenseMissouri boardExam
Lawyer
How bar admission works		Missouri Board of Law ExaminersNextGen UBE. MPRE required (passing score 80).
NCBE
Missouri: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Checked
22 Oct 2026

Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules.

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Physician
How a medical license works		Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing ArtsUSMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.)
FSMB
Contact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Checked
22 Oct 2026

Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture.

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CPA
How the CPA license works		Missouri State Board of AccountancyUniform CPA Examination
NASBA
State Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Checked
22 Oct 2026

Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026.

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Registered nurse
How the RN license works		Missouri State Board of NursingNCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018
NCSBN
Contact Missouri State Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
Checked
22 Oct 2026
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NCSBN / NLC
NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
Checked
7 Oct 2026
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Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.

State and city government jobs

Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.

MO Careers

State of Missouri

  1. Browse State of Missouri jobs by department, from agriculture and conservation to justice and education, and apply online.
  2. Positions run from entry level to experienced professionals.

Source:

MO Careers
MO Careers: Missouri Career OpportunitiesState of Missouri
Checked
22 Oct 2026
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Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.

Registered apprenticeship

Missouri has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers programs here.

Apprenticeship.gov
The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) statesU.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship
Checked
21 Oct 2026

California is listed under both OA and SAA.

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Source:

Apprenticeship.gov
State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by stateU.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship
Checked
21 Oct 2026
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Sources

Where these facts come from

Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.