International Student Welcome Guide

Welcome to Mizzou! This guide provides information for new international students about life at the University of Missouri and in Columbia.

About International Student and Scholar Services

International Student and Scholar Services is located in the International Center, N52 Memorial Union. If you have questions about your immigration status, you should speak with your international student adviser.  Advising is available through in-person walk-ins or online appointments.

Useful links

About Missouri

The state of Missouri is located in a region of the United States known as the Midwest. The Gateway Arch, located in St. Louis on the state’s eastern border, is often referred to as the “Gateway to the West.” Eight states border Missouri, making it the second-most neighborly state in the U.S. behind Tennessee.

Missouri is home to two professional baseball teams and a professional football team, as well as the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, the largest in the country.

Missouri quick facts

  • Nickname: The Show-Me State
  • Capital: Jefferson City
  • Population: 6.14 million
  • Size: 69,700 square miles (180,500 square kilometers)
  • Largest cities: Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbia
  • Climate: Continental climate with four distinct seasons

About Columbia

Columbia is located about halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City (about 125 miles from each). For more information about Columbia, visit the City of Columbia and Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau websites.

Updated 24-MAR-2022