Ole Miss: the complete school report for parents
It does not consider legacy, demonstrated interest and the interview, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. With a 97.4% admit rate and 64% of enrolled students at a 3.50 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong.
Ole Miss is officially University of Mississippi. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
What does Ole Miss actually weigh in admissions?
Ole Miss rates none of the 18 factors "Very Important". It does not consider 14 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Ole Miss's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Ole Miss rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Considered |
| GPA | Important |
| test scores | Important |
| the essay | Not Considered |
| extracurricular activities | Not Considered |
| recommendations | Not Considered |
| personal qualities | Not Considered |
| talent | Not Considered |
| class rank | Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Not Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Not Considered |
| geography | Not Considered |
| state residency | Not Considered |
| volunteer work | Not Considered |
| work experience | Not Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Ole Miss consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Ole Miss consider GPA?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Ole Miss consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Ole Miss consider the application essay?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider extracurricular activities?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider recommendation letters?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider character and personal qualities?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider a special talent or ability?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider class rank?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Ole Miss consider demonstrated interest?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does Ole Miss consider an interview?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it. There is no interview to prepare for.
Does Ole Miss consider legacy status?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does Ole Miss consider being first-generation?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider where we live?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider state residency?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider volunteer work?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider work experience?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
Does Ole Miss consider religious affiliation?
No. Ole Miss does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
64% of enrolled students had a 3.50 GPA or above. The average was 3.6 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.93% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 28.66% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 18.32% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 16.94% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 13.79% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 10.69% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 10.19% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 1.36% |
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Ole Miss admitted 60.4% of 3,545 transfer applicants, against 97.4% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Ole Miss offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action, so there is no early round to strategize about and every applicant is read in one pool.
| Regular application deadline | Not reported |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | August 1 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | Not reported |
| Early Decision offered | No |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | $75 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
Ole Miss requires 18 academic units and recommends 20. A college-preparatory program is neither. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 years | 4 years |
| Mathematics | 4 years | 4 years |
| Science | 3 years | 4 years |
| of which lab science | 2 years | Not stated |
| Visual / performing arts | 1 year | Not stated |
What will Ole Miss actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $13,314 a year at Ole Miss after grants and scholarships. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 76% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 2,111 merit awards averaging $10,081 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
What families at each income level actually paid:
| Family income | Average net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $8,945 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $9,217 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $14,794 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $18,573 |
| Over $110,000 | $21,313 |
43% of Ole Miss graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $32,545 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $212 a month in repayment. Ole Miss’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Ole Miss pay off?
Graduates earn a median $50,994 ten years after entering, and $45,336 at six years. 77% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 62% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:
| Family income | Four-year net cost | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $35,780 | 5.1 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $36,868 | 5.3 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $59,176 | 8.5 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $74,292 | 10.6 |
| Over $110,000 | $85,252 | 12.2 |
A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.
$85,311 to $37,297, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Ole Miss:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,311 | 67 |
| Civil Engineering | $83,228 | 24 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $82,084 | 262 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $79,095 | 327 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $69,335 | 171 |
| Biology, General | $65,624 | 138 |
| Marketing | $63,970 | 135 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $60,816 | 309 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $60,297 | 99 |
| Social Work | $41,925 | 102 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $38,389 | 170 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $37,297 | 34 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
87% of first-years return for a second year. 58% graduate within four years and 70% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 57.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 77.0% of everyone else, a gap of 20.0 points.
How big are the classes?
46% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 3% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 18:1, and 86% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
What is life at Ole Miss like?
22,939 undergraduates, 68% of first-years from out of state. 98% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 28% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 40% of men join a fraternity and 53% of women a sorority. 24% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $53,374.
What this means for your student
- 64% of enrolled students are at a 3.50 GPA or above, averaging 3.6. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- Its highest-earning major returns $85,311 five years out against $37,297 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Ole Miss
What GPA do you need for Ole Miss?
64% of enrolled students at Ole Miss had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.6, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
What do Ole Miss graduates earn?
Ole Miss graduates earn a median $50,994 ten years after entering, and 77% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Ole Miss
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Ole Miss’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.