Most universities in Mississippi are public universities and despite being public, they are small to midsize. Jackson the capital city of the Mississippi holds most of the universities. The largest university in Mississippi is the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss is known for its vibrant campus with the competition. The competitive football team is often hosted by this university.

A few number of private universities are also located in Mississippi and they are most mostly Christian oriented that mainly attached with religion.

Here are the top universities in Mississippi that are worth studying for:

1. Mississippi State University– is a highly ranked public land-grant research university that was established in 1878 in Starkville, Mississippi. The university serves a total body of 22,226 students. The acceptance rate is 54% making admissions highly competitive. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1. Its tuition and fees for the in-state resident are $8,910 and for out-of-state resident is $23,950.

The university offers more than 175 academic programs in undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degree programs through its eight colleges. Top majors are Business Administration, Kinesiology, Mechanical Engineering, Biological Sciences, and Psychology. The starting salary of alumni is $50,700.

Rankings of Mississippi State University in Mississippi:

1 in Best University Athletics in Mississippi

1 in Best Universities in Mississippi

1 in Universities with the Best Professors in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

15 in Best Universities for Agricultural Sciences in America

47 in Best University Campuses in America

84 in Best Universities for Engineering in America

206 in National Universities 

Website: www.msstate.edu

Address: Lee Boulevard Mississippi State, MS 39762, United States

2. University of Mississippi– Founded in 1848, the University of Mississippi also known as Ole Miss is a reputable public research university is located in University, Mississippi. It is the largest university in Mississippi. With an enrolment of 21,617 students, its acceptance rate is 88%. Tuition and fees for Mississippi resident are $8,818 and tuition and fees for non-resident is $25,090. Inside the classroom, the student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1.

The university’s 14 schools and colleges offer more than 100 programs in undergraduate degree programs and graduate degree programs in several areas of study. Top majors are Nursing, Accounting, Finance and Marketing. The starting salary of alumni is $47,700.

Rankings University of Mississippi in Mississippi:

1 in Best Value Universities in Mississippi

1 in Best University Campuses in Mississippi

1 in Best University Locations in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

52 in Best Universities for Accounting and Finance in America

71 in Top Public Universities in America

   160 in National Universities 

Website: www.olemiss.edu

Address: Oxford, Mississippi University, MS 38677, United States

3. University of Southern Mississippi– Founded in 1910, the University of Southern Mississippi is a public university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is a large institution with an enrolment of 14,133 students. The acceptance rate of 97% makes this institution the least selective in nature. In-state and out-of-state tuition and fees are $8,896 and $10,896 respectively. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1.

The university offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degree through its 4 colleges. It also offers graduate and professional programs.  Nursing, Elementary Education, Liberal Arts and Humanities, Psychology and Business are the sought-after majors. The annual starting salary of alumni is $43,800.

Rankings of University of Southern Mississippi in Mississippi:

2 in Best Online Universities in Mississippi       

3 in Most Liberal Universities in Mississippi

3 in Universities with the Best Professors in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

17 in Best Online Universities in America

120 in Best University Dorms in America

151 in Top Public Universities in America

Website: www.usm.edu

Address: 118 College Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, United States

4. Belhaven University– founded in 1883, Belhaven University is a private Christian liberal arts university located in Jackson, Mississippi. The university has an enrolment of 4,445 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1. The acceptance rate of 49% makes admissions difficult. Tuition and fees to attend Belhaven is $27,025. The university offers associate, certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in various areas of study. Business, Biblical Studies, Healthcare Management, and Psychology are some of the top majors. The average starting salary of alumni is $42,100.

Rankings of Belhaven University in Mississippi:

3 in Best Small Universities in Mississippi

3 in Top Private Universities in Mississippi

4 in Hardest Universities to Get Into in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

95 in Best Christian Universities in America

103 in Best Universities for Performing Arts in America

122 in Safest University Campuses in America

Website: www.belhaven.edu

Address: 1500 Peachtree St Jackson, MS 39202, United States

5. William Carey University– is a private, Christian university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that was founded in 1892. It has other two campuses in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university serves a total student body of 5,040 students. With an acceptance rate of 55%, admission is quite competitive. The student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1. $13,650 is the tuition and fees.

The university offers 31 bachelor’s programs, 21 master’s programs, 4 specialist programs, and 9 doctoral programs in various fields of study through its 10 schools and colleges. Top majors are Nursing, Elementary Education, Psychology, General Studies, and Business. The average starting salary of a William Carey graduate is $44,600.

Rankings of William Carey University in Mississippi:

2 in Best Universities for Education in Mississippi

3 in Best University Locations in Mississippi

4 in Best Universities for Psychology in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

98 in Best Christian Universities in America

215 in Best Universities for Education in America

   272 in National Universities 

Website: www.wmcarey.edu

Address: 710 William Carey Parkway Hattiesburg, MS 39401, United States

6. Mississippi University for Women– is a public university that was founded in 1884 and is located in Columbus, Mississippi. The university is least selective as its acceptance rate is 97% with the enrolment of 2,811 students. The student to faculty ratio is 13:1. Tuition and fees for both in-state and out-of-state residents are $7,525. The university offers 70 undergraduate majors, 11 graduate programs through its 4 colleges and school. The top majors are Nursing, Business, Physical Education, Speech-Language Pathology, and Public Health Education. The average starting salary of alumni is $42,900.

Rankings of Mississippi University for Women in Mississippi:

2 in Best Universities for Nursing in Mississippi

6 in Most Conservative Universities in Mississippi

9 in Universities with the Best Professors in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

39 in Best Universities for Culinary Arts in America

236 in Best University Food in America

337 in Most Conservative Universities in America

Website: www.muw.edu

Address: 1100 College Street Columbus, MS 39701, United States

7. Delta State University– founded in 1924, Delta State University is a public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi.  The university has a student population of 3,751 students and 12:1 is the student to faculty ratio. Admissions are very easy as the school has an acceptance rate of 94%. Tuition and fees for both resident and non-resident are $8,121.

The university offers 12 bachelor’s degree programs with 42 majors, 8 master’s degrees, an Educational Specialist degree, and a doctoral degree in education in four colleges and schools. Top-ranked majors are Nursing, Physical Education Teaching and Coaching, and Family Studies and Consumer Sciences. The starting salary of alumni is $44,000.

Rankings of Delta State University in Mississippi:

2 in Most Conservative Universities in Mississippi

3 in Most Diverse Universities in Mississippi

9 in Universities with the Best Student Life in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

93 in Best University Athletics in America

267 in Best Universities for Student-Athletes in America

364 in Universities with the Best Professors in America

Website: www.deltastate.edu

Address: 1003 W Sunflower Road Cleveland, MS 38733, United States

8. Alcorn State University– it is a historically black public land grant university located in Lorman, Mississippi that was founded in 1871. It is a small university by enrolment with 3,523 total students. The university’s acceptance rate is 58%. $7,580 is its tuition and fees for both in-state and out-of-state residents. The student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1.

Associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees are offered through its five schools.  Top majors are Biology, Liberal Arts and Humanities, Business, and Nursing. The starting salary of alumni is $46,600.

Rankings of Alcorn State University in Mississippi:

2 in Best University Food in Mississippi

5 in Best University Campuses in Mississippi

7 in Most Liberal Universities in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

86 in Best University Food in America

93 in Best Greek Life Universities in America

202 in Universities with the Best Professors in America

Website: www.alcorn.edu

Address: 1000 ASU Dr Ste 359 Alcorn State, MS 39096, United States

9. Jackson State University– founded in 1877, Jackson State University is a historically black public university located in Jackson, Mississippi. The acceptance rate is 68% making it a fairly selective institution. The student-to-faculty ratio is 15:1. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,445 and out-of-state tuition and fees are $9,445.

The university provides 45 undergraduate programs, 48 graduate programs, and 19 online programs in various fields of study through its 5 colleges. Liberal Arts and Humanities, Biology, and Social Work, and Youth Services are the top majors. The starting salary of alumni is $43,900.

Rankings of Jackson State University in Mississippi:

1 in Most Liberal Universities in Mississippi

2 in Best Greek Life Universities in Mississippi

7 in Universities with the Best Student Life in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

64 in Best Greek Life Universities in America

125 in Best Universities for Public Policy in America

157 in Best Universities for Criminal Justice in America

Website: www.jsums.edu

Address: 1400 John R. Lynch Street Jackson, MS 39217, United States

10. Mississippi Valley State University– founded in 1950, Mississippi Valley State University is a historically black public university located in Mississippi. The university has a total enrolment of 2,147 students. The acceptance rate is 65%. The student to faculty ratio is 13:1. Its tuition and fees for residents and non-resident are $6,746.

 The university offers undergraduate, graduate degrees and professional programs through its three colleges. Majors in demand are Business, Social Work and Youth Services, and Sport and Fitness Management. The average starting salary of alumni is $32,800.

Rankings of Mississippi Valley State University in Mississippi:

4 in Best Greek Life Universities in Mississippi

6 in Most Liberal Universities in Mississippi

12 in Most Diverse Universities in Mississippi

Rankings in the nation:

144 in Best Greek Life Universities in America

232 in Universities with the Best Professors in America

248 in Top Party Schools in America

Website: www.mvsu.edu

Address: 14000 Highway 82 West Itta Bena, MS 38941, United States

Conclusion:

Therefore, these were some of the top universities in Mississippi. Most of the universities are public university as they are the most in number in Mississippi and some of them even charge the same tuition and fees for the both residents and non-residents. Belhaven University and William Carey University are the only two private universities on this list and they both maintain religious affiliation. In fact, most of the private universities do. So students concerned with education’s affordability should consider Mississippi for their higher education, as that will provide them a better academic goal with minimal fees.