More selective than 50% of Mississippi colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $29,267. College Scorecard.
Higher than 93% of Mississippi colleges we cover and 72% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 93% of Mississippi colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Mississippi State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 20,877 applicants, Mississippi State University admitted 15,934 and 3,751 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1100–1350 on the SAT or 21–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Mississippi State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Mississippi residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Mississippi State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Mississippi State University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Mississippi. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $14,332 | $62,774 | 3.0 years |
| $30–48k | $14,372 | $62,949 | 3.0 years |
| $48–75k | $18,671 | $81,779 | 3.9 years |
| $75–110k | $20,704 | $90,684 | 4.3 years |
| $110k+ | $22,987 | $100,683 | 4.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (43% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($51,513) minus $30,550 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,963 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Mississippi State University majors, earnings & careers
Mississippi State University offers 86 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 20
- Engineering · 17
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Business & Finance · 10
- Education · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Mississippi State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | $106,039 | $26,750 |
| Chemical Engineering | $95,968 | $23,298 |
| Construction Management | $94,068 | $30,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $93,893 | $22,500 |
| Industrial Engineering | $92,332 | $27,000 |
| Engineering, Other | $91,124 | $19,469 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $88,444 | $17,625 |
| Computer Engineering | $85,275 | $19,500 |
Quick list of all 86 majors
- Accounting$70,904
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$88,444
- Agricultural Business$78,998
- Agricultural Production Operations$69,160
- Animal Sciences$52,755
- Anthropology—
- Apparel and Textiles$46,129
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture$69,699
- Biochemistry$44,979
- Biological / Biosystems Engineering—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$51,221
- Biomedical Engineering$74,542
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Business Administration$55,993
- Business Economics—
- Chemical Engineering$95,968
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$81,203
- Communications$48,493
- Computer and Information Sciences$82,852
- Computer Engineering$85,275
- Construction Management$94,068
- Criminology$48,805
- Culinary Arts and Related Services—
- Curriculum and Instruction—
- Data Science—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$40,431
- Education (Subject Teaching)$49,541
- Educational / Instructional Media Design—
- Educational Administration and Supervision—
- Electrical Engineering$106,039
- Engineering—
- Engineering, Other$91,124
- English$35,877
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Finance$70,367
- Food Science and Technology$39,940
- Forestry$58,499
- Geology / Earth Science$62,082
- Health Administration—
- History$36,614
- Human Development and Family Studies$41,439
- Industrial Engineering$92,332
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$79,068
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Interior Architecture$61,421
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$50,503
- Landscape Architecture—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$41,446
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$74,780
- Marketing$61,364
- Mathematics$69,787
- Mechanical Engineering$93,893
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$42,399
- Music—
- Nutrition Science—
- Petroleum Engineering—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences$50,653
- Political Science$54,325
- Psychology$41,986
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$50,176
- Public Administration—
- Social Work$37,656
- Sociology—
- Special Education$41,627
- Statistics—
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services—
- Taxation—
- Veterinary / Animal Health Technologies / Technicians$36,617
- Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences—
- Visual and Performing Arts$38,939
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$45,445
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Mississippi State
2 bedrooms $1,024.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 58 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Oktibbeha County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Oktibbeha County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Mississippi State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Mississippi by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State University | 78% | $17,595 | 67% | $51,513 | This school |
| University of Mississippi | 97% | $13,314 | 72% | $50,994 | |
| University of Southern Mississippi | 99% | $21,708 | 49% | $44,140 | |
| Jackson State University | 93% | $23,836 | 51% | $39,060 | |
| Mississippi University for Women | 90% | $12,411 | 47% | $46,128 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Mississippi State University would cost you $4,281 more per year than University of Mississippi, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Mississippi State University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$430).
- University of Mississippi gives aided families $3,674 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Mississippi resident | Mississippi State University | University of Mississippi | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,202 | $9,772 | +$430 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $12,293 | $12,040 | +$253 |
| Personal & travel | $6,146 | $6,300 | −$154 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$574 | −$652 | +$78 |
| Sticker price | $29,267 | $28,660 | +$607 |
| Average grants | −$11,672 | −$15,346 | +$3,674 |
| You pay | $17,595 | $13,314 | +$4,281 |
“+” means Mississippi State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Mississippi State University
What is the Mississippi State University acceptance rate?
Mississippi State University accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 15,934 of 20,877 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1100–1350 on the SAT or 21–29 on the ACT.
How much does Mississippi State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $29,267 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,595 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,332 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,987.
How much do Mississippi State University graduates earn?
Former Mississippi State University students earn a median $51,513 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Mississippi State University graduation rate?
67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 83% return for their second year.
How long does a Mississippi State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Mississippi State University costs about $81,779 after grants ($18,671 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,513 ten years after starting, $20,963 more than high school graduates in Mississippi ($30,550), so the cost is repaid in 3.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Mississippi State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/mississippi-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).