Why This Matters

  • 16 MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGES WITH ASSOCIATE DEGREES

    College Navigator shows that Mississippi has 16 community colleges that offer two-year associate degree programs.

  • $3,730 ON AVERAGE FOR IN-DISTRICT TUITION AND FEES

    On average, a Mississippi resident paid $3,730 during the 2022-23 school year to cover tuition and fees at in-district community colleges, according to College Board.

  • 80.6% OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS GET FINANCIAL AID

    Based on data from the 2019-20 school year, 452,493 enrolled students at two-year community colleges in the U.S. received some type of financial aid to pay for their tuition and fees.

Our Research

This list features some of the best community colleges 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 small, midsize, and large colleges as well as trade, technical, and vocational programs. 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 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), a reputable organization that examines objectives, quality and overall effectiveness of education programs in the southern 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 students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

The Top 50 Community Colleges in Mississippi

Best Community Colleges In Mississippi Badge 2023
01
Intelligent Pick
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
01
Most Beautiful Campus
Southwest Mississippi Community College
01
Best for Residential Students
East Central Community College
01
Best for Commuters
East Mississippi Community College
01
Best Student Support Services
Mississippi Delta Community College
01
Best HBCU
Coahoma Community College
01
Most Affordable
Itawamba Community College
01
Best Scholarships
Northwest Mississippi Community College
01
Best Career Support Services
Northeast Mississippi Community College
01
Best Alumni Network
Holmes Community College
01
Best Partnerships
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
01

Meridian Community College
01

Pearl River Community College
01

Hinds Community College
01

Jones County Junior College

What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in Mississippi

Looking at potential career paths will help you choose the best program for you. In Mississippi, the top five highest-paying jobs for people with associate degrees were air traffic controllers, avionics technicians, radiation therapists, nuclear medicine technologists, and diagnostic medical sonographers.

Another consideration is the number of job openings available. Careers requiring associate degrees in Mississippi with the most job openings include preschool teachers (except special education), paralegals and legal assistants, radiologic technologists, physical therapy assistants, and dental hygienists.

It’s also a good idea to know which career paths expect declining employment. The jobs requiring an associate degree that are projected to decline the most in Mississippi are broadcast technicians, mechanical drafters, morticians, forest and conservation technicians, and architectural and civil drafters.

What’s Next?

Looking into financial aid options is another part of the community college research process. Below is a list of state and federal resources highlighting the grants, scholarships, and loans available to Mississippi students at community colleges.

  • Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning provides information and application options for financial aid through its Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid.
  • Federal Student Aid. The office of Federal Student Aid offers more than $120 billion each year in grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and loans. With FAFSA4caster, you can check your eligibility. When you’re ready to apply, use the online FAFSA form.
  • CareerOneStop. This comprehensive resource helps you find scholarships, grants, and other types of financial aid with information on the amounts, eligibility, and application requirements. You can filter the results based on your state and the type of degree you’re pursuing for the best match.