Mississippi has 56 colleges including 19 four-year colleges, 21 community colleges, and 16 trade schools. By control type, 28 schools are public and 28 schools are private. 168,332 students enrolled in Mississippi colleges according to IPEDS.

For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 19 schools are active in Mississippi (9 public and 10 private). 97,415 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 39,811 men and 57,604 women students.

These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 73.97% and an average SAT score of 1,059. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $9,064 and for out-of-state students is $14,222. The average enrollment is about 5,127 students per college. On average, each college offers about 77 programs.

5 Prominent Mississippi Colleges

The following table lists major colleges in Mississippi that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by Mississippi residents. It includes 3 public institutions and 2 private institutions.

Mississippi Major Colleges by Region
RegionProminent Institutions
Northern MississippiUniversity of Mississippi (Oxford), Mississippi State University (Starkville)
Central MississippiJackson State University (Jackson), Millsaps College (Jackson), Belhaven University (Jackson)
Southern MississippiUniversity of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg)

University of Mississippi, located in University, is generally considered the flagship institution in Mississippi. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 107 graduate programs and 25 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 26,449 including 1,904 online students.

University of Mississippi has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 26,449 students. It offers the largest number of programs of 221.

Of the major colleges in Mississippi, 1 law schools and 1 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. University of Mississippi has both a law school and a medical school. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.

Notable public institutions

Prominent private institutions

  • William Carey University: Offering offering 82 programs; $15,480 tuition & fees; 60.29% acceptance rate; and 5,321 student population.
  • Millsaps College: Most selective Mississippi College, with an admission rate of 43.12% and an average SAT score of 1,060
Comparison of Mississippi Major Colleges
NameGraduate ProgramsDistance LearningTuition & FeesAdm. RateSAT ScoreEnrollOffered ProgramsLaw SchoolMedical School
University of Mississippi
University
YesYes$28,60096.58%109026,449221VisitVisit
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State
YesYes$27,63777.64%121023,150200
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg
YesYes$11,99899.12%13,170180
William Carey University
Hattiesburg
YesYes$15,48060.29%11505,32182
Millsaps College
Jackson
YesYes$44,68043.12%106059346