There are 56 colleges in Mississippi - 28 public and 28 private schools. At Mississippi colleges, over the past decade, the Cost of Attendance (COA)—covering tuition, fees, textbooks, room and board, and living expenses—has sharply increased, making higher education less affordable for many students and families.
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Mississippi colleges:
Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:
| Institution Type | 10-Year Increase (2016-2025) | 2025 Average Tuition & Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Public, In-State | 35.20% (from $6,704 to $9,064) | $9,064 |
| Public, Out-of-State | 3.61% (from $13,727 to $14,222) | $14,222 |
| Private Colleges | 27.08% (from $14,931 to $18,974) | $18,974 |
Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by 3.61%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by 4.72% over the same period.
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 18.48% when living on campus and 16.86% when living off campus at Mississippi Colleges.
In private Mississippi Colleges, the COA has increase by 30.63% (on-campus) and 28.78% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $31,003 when a student lives on campus and $31,387 when living off campus at Mississippi Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Mississippi Colleges over the past 10 years.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $19,144 | $26,167 | $27,371 | $19,835 | $26,858 | $28,062 |
| 2016-17 | $19,759 3.21% | $27,091 3.53% | $28,306 3.42% | $20,046 1.06% | $27,378 1.94% | $28,593 1.89% |
| 2017-18 | $20,497 3.74% | $27,189 0.36% | $29,147 2.97% | $20,682 3.17% | $27,374 -0.01% | $29,332 2.58% |
| 2018-19 | $20,789 1.42% | $26,263 -3.41% | $29,648 1.72% | $20,816 0.65% | $26,290 -3.96% | $29,675 1.17% |
| 2019-20 | $21,512 3.48% | $25,801 -1.76% | $30,699 3.54% | $21,515 3.36% | $25,804 -1.85% | $30,702 3.46% |
| 2020-21 | $21,463 -0.23% | $25,752 -0.19% | $31,067 1.20% | $21,491 -0.11% | $25,780 -0.09% | $31,095 1.28% |
| 2021-22 | $22,331 4.04% | $26,771 3.96% | $31,657 1.90% | $21,918 1.99% | $26,358 2.24% | $31,244 0.48% |
| 2022-23 | $23,564 5.52% | $27,588 3.05% | $32,116 1.45% | $23,753 8.37% | $27,777 5.38% | $32,305 3.40% |
| 2023-24 | $24,765 5.10% | $28,837 4.53% | $33,457 4.18% | $24,494 3.12% | $28,566 2.84% | $33,186 2.73% |
| 2024-25 | $25,845 4.36% | $31,003 7.51% | $35,755 6.87% | $26,229 7.08% | $31,387 9.88% | $36,139 8.90% |
For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Mississippi Colleges is $9,295 for Mississippi residents and $14,828 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $20,108.
For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $9,474 for Mississippi residents and $15,007 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $14,512.
The tuition & fees has increased 3.61% for undergraduate programs and 4.72% for graduate programs at Mississippi Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $6,704 | $13,727 | $14,931 | $6,766 | $13,752 | $11,588 |
| 2016-17 | $6,982 4.15% | $14,314 4.28% | $15,529 4.01% | $7,077 4.60% | $14,409 4.78% | $12,205 5.32% |
| 2017-18 | $7,405 6.06% | $14,097 -1.52% | $16,055 3.39% | $7,505 6.05% | $14,197 -1.47% | $12,699 4.05% |
| 2018-19 | $7,725 4.32% | $13,199 -6.37% | $16,584 3.29% | $7,827 4.29% | $13,300 -6.32% | $12,743 0.35% |
| 2019-20 | $8,039 4.06% | $12,328 -6.60% | $17,226 3.87% | $8,143 4.04% | $12,432 -6.53% | $13,536 6.22% |
| 2020-21 | $8,095 0.70% | $12,384 0.45% | $17,699 2.75% | $8,172 0.36% | $12,461 0.23% | $14,143 4.48% |
| 2021-22 | $8,410 3.89% | $12,850 3.76% | $17,736 0.21% | $8,542 4.53% | $12,982 4.18% | $14,364 1.56% |
| 2022-23 | $9,128 8.54% | $13,152 2.35% | $17,680 -0.32% | $9,148 7.09% | $11,970 -7.80% | $14,002 -2.52% |
| 2023-24 | $9,484 3.90% | $13,556 3.07% | $18,176 2.81% | $9,410 2.86% | $13,652 14.05% | $13,314 -4.91% |
| 2024-25 | $9,064 -4.43% | $14,222 4.91% | $18,974 4.39% | $9,243 -1.77% | $14,401 5.49% | $13,886 4.30% |
For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $1,205 for Mississippi Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,326 |
| 2016-17 | $1,356 2.26% |
| 2017-18 | $1,319 -2.73% |
| 2018-19 | $1,222 -7.35% |
| 2019-20 | $1,255 2.70% |
| 2020-21 | $1,249 -0.48% |
| 2021-22 | $1,275 2.08% |
| 2022-23 | $1,255 -1.57% |
| 2023-24 | $1,188 -5.34% |
| 2024-25 | $1,205 1.43% |
For Mississippi Colleges, the living have increased 25.05% when a student lives on campus facilities and 22.93% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $11,114 | $11,301 |
| 2016-17 | $11,421 3.44% | $11,507 -0.58% |
| 2017-18 | $11,773 3.62% | $11,939 1.24% |
| 2018-19 | $11,842 3.69% | $12,103 0.52% |
| 2019-20 | $12,218 4.24% | $12,572 2.91% |
| 2020-21 | $12,119 -0.37% | $12,505 -0.47% |
| 2021-22 | $12,646 3.48% | $12,968 -0.93% |
| 2022-23 | $13,181 1.45% | $13,539 8.49% |
| 2023-24 | $14,093 7.28% | $14,188 5.20% |
| 2024-25 | $15,576 9.06% | $15,599 17.20% |