Why This Matters

  • 17 COLLEGES IN MISSISSIPPI

    According to College Navigator, Mississippi has eight public universities, eight private non-profit schools, and one private for-profit university.

  • $8,870 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    Students who reside in the state of Mississippi paid an average of $8,870 per year during the 2021-22 school year.

  • $14,800 FINANCIAL AID PER U.S. STUDENT

    Students who attended college for an undergraduate education for the 2020-21 school year received an average of $14,800 in financial aid for full-time coursework.

Our Research

This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar schools in Mississippi. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.

The colleges on our list are accredited by either the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) or Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). These reputable organizations examine the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of education programs in the United States.

We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for on-campus students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

The Top 50 Colleges in Mississippi

Best Colleges In Mississippi
01
Intelligent Pick
University of Mississippi
01
Best for Cybersecurity
Mississippi State University
01
Best Liberal Arts Institution
Millsaps College
01
Most Affordable
Blue Mountain Christian University
01
Best for Public Service
Mississippi University for Women
01
Best Christian Institution
Mississippi College
01
Best for Nursing
William Carey University
01
Best Dance Program
Belhaven University
01
Best for Aviation
Delta State University
01
Best for Veterans
Alcorn State University
01
Best HBCU
Jackson State University
01

Tougaloo College
01

University of Southern Mississippi
01

Southeastern Baptist College

 

What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Mississippi

As a prospective college student, you can expand your career opportunities by exploring the top industries in Mississippi. For Mississippi, the fastest growing industries as of October 2021 were transportation and warehousing; leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation, and utilities; professional and business services; and financial activities.

When looking at potential careers and degree programs, it’s important to consider the fastest growing occupations in Mississippi for workers with a bachelor’s degree. These include microbiologists, petroleum engineers, clergy, operations research analysts, and fundraisers.

It’s also important to look at the largest employers in Mississippi. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is the largest employer with more than 10,000 employees. Other top employers include Nissan North America Inc., Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, Tempstaff, and RPM Pizza LLC, which all employ more than 3,000 employees each.

What’s Next?

When exploring how to pay for a college education, it’s important to understand all of the available options. This list contains federal and state resources for undergraduates in the state of Mississippi.

  • Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning shows prospective college students where to look for scholarships and provides information on where to locate financial resources from the state.
  • Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The federal government provides a variety of financial resources for students seeking a college education. These financial resources include work-study programs, grants, scholarships, and loans. To find out if you qualify for federal aid, check online at FAFSA4caster. To apply, complete the online FAFSA form.
  • CareerOneStop. CareerOneStop is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This organization offers a comprehensive searchable list of scholarships, grants, and other financial opportunities available in the Mississippi. The list also contains detailed information like dollar amounts, qualifications, deadlines, and contact information for each financial opportunity listed.