Mississippi State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
University, Mississippi · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Mississippi State University is a public university in University, Mississippi that admits about 98% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $13,164 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Radio, Television, and Digital Communication and Accounting and Related Services, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 72% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 1.5 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Mississippi State University is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. For the most recent reporting cycle, Mississippi State University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 98%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1187 and an ACT composite around 25. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,164 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Mississippi State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Mississippi State University?
Mississippi State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Mississippi State University weight in admissions?
Mississippi State University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Mississippi State University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 510–600, with an EBRW midpoint near 568. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–29. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1000 |
| 50th percentile | 1090 |
| 75th percentile | 1200 |
| % submitting SAT | 22.8% |
| 25th percentile | 21 |
| 50th percentile | 25 |
| 75th percentile | 29 |
| % submitting ACT | 60.3% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required for some
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 22% |
| Top 25% of class | 44% |
| Top 50% of class | 71% |
| % submitting class rank | 35% |
How much does Mississippi State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $9,412 for in-state students and $26,980 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,040 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $13,164 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 22% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $9,612 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $28,440 |
| Room and board | $12,600 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $13,164 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Mississippi State University
| Notification date | Rolling beginning 8/1 |
| Reply deadline | No set date |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
Will my child graduate from Mississippi State University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Mississippi State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Mississippi State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Radio, Television, and Digital Communication and Accounting and Related Services. Across all programs, Mississippi State University confers roughly 1,702 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $79,095 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 327 | $79,095 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 309 | $60,816 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 262 | $82,084 |
| Psychology, General | 186 | $49,596 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 171 | $69,335 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 170 | $38,389 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | 139 | — |
| Biology, General | 138 | $65,624 |
Is Mississippi State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Mississippi State University disclosed 32 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 1.5 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 6 violent offenses and 15 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Mississippi State University?
About 31% of undergraduates at Mississippi State University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 36% of men join a fraternity and 64% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Mississippi parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Mississippi State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Mississippi State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Mississippi State University
What GPA do I need for Mississippi State University?
Mississippi State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Mississippi State University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 510–600, with an EBRW midpoint near 568. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 21–29.
How much does Mississippi State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Mississippi State University after grants and scholarships is $13,164 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Mississippi State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Mississippi State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Mississippi State University?
Mississippi State University accepts about 98% of applicants out of roughly 33,363 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Mississippi State University test-optional?
No. Mississippi State University requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
What is the graduation rate at Mississippi State University?
About 72% of students at Mississippi State University graduate within six years, and 57% finish in four years. 87% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Is Mississippi State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Mississippi State University is a public institution located in University, Mississippi.
What are the most popular majors at Mississippi State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Mississippi State University by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Radio, Television, and Digital Communication and Accounting and Related Services. The school awards about 1,702 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Mississippi State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Mississippi State University reported 32 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 1.5 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Mississippi State University?
At Mississippi State University, 31% of undergraduates live on campus, 36% of men are in fraternities, 64% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Mississippi State University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.