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Located in northeast Missouri, Truman State University is a public university that combines the fundamentals of a liberal arts education with specialized programming and hands-on learning, offering "an amazing education at a great price." There are 52 majors available, with all students completing a core curriculum (called the Dialogues) that ensures they develop proficiencies in areas such as writing, speaking, and social perspectives. T ruman undergrads also take part in the Truman Symposium, an educational endeavor in which they participate in projects and shared experiences that benefit the students, the university, and the Kirksville community.

This is "a very academically rigorous and challenging school" with "interesting classes galore," and "if you plan to attend any form of graduate school, this school definitely prepares you."

Every student "has to actually attend classes in order to get something out of the experience," but "the workload is manageable." To keep students involved and engaged, many classes are discussion-based and include projects called Facilitations, where students lead the class in a discussion related to a specific topic. Students appreciate the just-right size of the university and say "student-professor relationships are great for mentoring purposes and for future networking opportunities." Many professors have daily office hours "and even more answer emails outside of normal hours or even give students their personal contact info"; they "truly care about individual students, but in a tough love sort of way."

Motivated students will do well here as Truman is "a collective place for ambitious individuals." The "majority of students here are focused on their academic studies" and are "driven, smart individuals who also value community." Although the school "is not racially diverse," there are "quite a few international students," as the overall population comes from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. "Many work a required campus job necessary for scholarships, along with taking heavy class loads, and being involved in multiple extracurriculars." Whether or not you're one of the "mainly liberal students" the atmosphere seems to be one where we are "all in this together."

Making your own fun is a real thing in the small town of Kirksville, but "students here know how to make the most out of it." And because "Truman offers so many clubs and activities, that between those and classes and homework, you'll probably never get truly bored." In fact, Truman has well over 230 clubs and organizations, so it makes sense that "student organizations are the main source of socialization here." The Student Activities Board also provides events and entertainment for the students, including a Mario Kart tournament, entertainers like Josh Peck, and even bringing hot air balloons on campus. The university promotes school spirit with weekly events like Purple Friday, where faculty, students, and staff are encouraged to wear school colors, and there are activities and events in the student union and on the Mall. Not all entertainment is school-related; students also note that there is a "great Greek life" for those that want to partake. When students need some downtime, there is "a state park close to Kirksville where you can go hiking and go to the lake," and "when the weather is nice it's such a mental health support being able to just sit on the Quad." There are various housing options for students, including the Living Learning Communities for students that want to share living space with others with similar academic interests. Kirksville is a college town, so every year the school has a community service day called The Big Event, and students show their appreciation of the surrounding community by performing volunteer services such as cleanup and maintenance tasks.

The school encourages high-impact learning experiences such as internships, research, and study abroad (more than 500 study abroad programs are available in over 60 countries). Numerous school-sponsored (and even paid) internships are available both on-campus and around the world, including the Truman in Washington program. This program offers “work-experience opportunities in such areas as foreign affairs/diplomacy, government affairs, [and] criminal justice,” among others. One student shares, “The Missouri Government Internship had me work full-time in Jefferson City and the Missouri Capitol; it was quite a great experience.” The Career Center has plenty of resources for those looking for these types of experiences and opportunities. The center also provides career coaching, biannual Career & Grad School Weeks (including expos), résumé critiques, and an Alumni Mock Interview Day in which students can practice with alums from across a range of industries. And since nearly 40 percent of graduating seniors enter graduate or professional school, the center keeps a robust library of guides and test prep books. According to PayScale.com, 48 percent of Truman State alums report that they derive a high level of meaning from their careers, and graduates earn a median starting salary of $57,100.