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.

  • $8,640 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    Students who reside in the state of Mississippi paid an average of $8,640 per year during the 2020-21 school year.

  • $14,940 FINANCIAL AID PER U.S. STUDENT

    Students who attended college for an undergraduate education for the 2019-20 school year received an average of $14,940 in financial aid for full-time coursework.

Our Research

This list features the top educational institutions in the state of Mississippi. During our review process, we looked at the cost of tuition, the types of programs offered, whether classes are offered in-person or online, and the credits required to graduate.

All of the colleges on our list are accredited, which means they meet the highest standards of education in the state. Most of the colleges on our list are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

We evaluated each program on the basis of flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost, and reputation. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score for each program on a scale from 0 to 100. For a more extensive explanation, check out Our Ranking Methodology.

  • 56 hours to write this article
  • 55 universities and colleges we assessed
  • 200 education programs we compared

The Top 16 Colleges in Mississippi

Best Colleges In Mississippi
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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 2020 were leisure and hospitality, transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, and retail trade.

When looking at potential careers and degree programs, it’s important to consider the fastest growing occupations in Mississippi. These include software developers and application developers, operations research analysts, industrial engineers, market research analysts and marketing specialists, and information security analysts.

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.