Southeast Missouri State University

Founded: 1873   Total Students: 10,089+

Int. Students: 1,153+

Overview

Southeast Missouri State University is a comprehensive university, recognized for excellence in education, research, engagement, and creativity.

At Southeast Missouri State, we take pride in our will to do: the commitment and heart to find success, no matter what it takes. We give every student personal support that instills a strong sense of confidence and helps them exceed their potential. We offer groundbreaking academics that are comprehensive and dynamic. And because we anticipate the needs of the marketplace, we ensure that our students are ready to launch extraordinary careers.

History

Southeast Missouri State University was founded in 1873 as a normal school. Normal schools served as training grounds for elementary and high school teachers and were eventually referred to as “teachers’ colleges.” Missouri already had two normal schools in other parts of the state, and so when a group of local businessmen and politicians founded our school in 1873, it was called the Third District Normal School. The school began with five faculty members and only 57 students! Since this brand-new Normal School lacked physical buildings, teachers conducted classes at the nearby Lorimier School as work started on the “Old Normal Building.” Workers completed construction of this building in 1875, and “Old Normal” was a hauntingly beautiful building. But it was not to last, burning to the ground in 1902. Soon, Academic Hall, the University’s landmark copper-domed building, was built in its place.

Programs Offered in Southeast Missouri State University

  • 4-Year Bachelor's Degree
  • Master's Degree

    • Highlights

    • Undergraduate enrollment is 8,099 and graduate enrollment is 1,587.
    • Enrollment included 403 undergraduate transfer students.
    • The student population is 59.1% female and 40.9% male.
    • The undergraduate student population includes 7.2% Black/African American, 3.1% Hispanic, and 4.5% students from other minority ethnic groups.
    • The five-year average bachelor degree seeking first time freshmen class size is 1,388 students.
    • The average ACT score is 21 and the average cumulative GPA is 3.55 for full-time freshmen.
    • The freshman-to-sophomore retention rate is 73.5%.
    • The average age of undergraduate students is 22.
    • The four-year graduation rate is 40.6% and six-year 56.5%.
    • Southeast offers more than 200 areas of study.
    • Over 1,580 courses are offered each semester.
    • More than 380 courses are offered online.
    • Southeast offers a wide variety of study-abroad options in more than 30 countries.
    • The student-to-faculty ratio is 20:1.

    Campus Detail

    Main Campus Address

    1 University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, United States

    Outreach, A Student Referral Program by Canam

    ©Copyrights 2025-2026. All Rights Reserved.