More selective than 57% 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 $29,651. College Scorecard.
Higher than 86% of Mississippi colleges we cover and 61% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 50% of Mississippi colleges we cover and 20% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
William Carey University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 571 applicants, William Carey University admitted 331 and 204 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1040–1290 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
William Carey University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What William Carey University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of William Carey University took 4.2 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 | $12,224 | $51,708 | 4.1 years |
| $30–48k | $12,411 | $52,499 | 4.2 years |
| $48–75k | $15,320 | $64,804 | 5.2 years |
| $75–110k | $18,436 | $77,984 | 6.2 years |
| $110k+ | $19,701 | $83,335 | 6.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (32% 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 ($43,087) minus $30,550 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,537 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.
William Carey University majors, earnings & careers
William Carey University offers 30 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Science & Math · 3
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at William Carey University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $82,147 | $31,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $61,978 | $25,524 |
| Business Administration | $51,866 | $24,249 |
| Criminal Justice | $51,430 | $24,729 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $47,152 | $22,916 |
| Biology | $46,598 | $18,770 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $42,389 | $20,754 |
| Psychology | $38,325 | $32,693 |
Quick list of all 30 majors
- Bible Studies—
- Biology$46,598
- Business Administration$51,866
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Criminal Justice$51,430
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$42,389
- Education (Subject Teaching)$61,978
- English—
- Gerontology—
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Intercultural / Multicultural and Diversity Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$47,152
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$82,147
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Psychology$38,325
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
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
Living in Hattiesburg
Overall prices in the Hattiesburg, MS area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,316. Housing costs 40% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 62 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Forrest County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Forrest County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare William Carey University with similar schools
Similar private 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Carey University | 60% | $14,258 | 60% | $43,087 | This school |
| Belhaven University | 50% | $15,676 | 49% | $46,440 | |
| Tougaloo College | 60% | $17,043 | 33% | $34,724 | |
| Millsaps College | 43% | $26,034 | 57% | $53,848 | |
| Mississippi College | 29% | $27,712 | 59% | $47,485 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
William Carey University would cost you $1,418 less per year than Belhaven University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at William Carey University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$14,770).
- Belhaven University gives aided families $8,724 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Mississippi resident | William Carey University | Belhaven University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,480 | $30,250 | −$14,770 |
| Books & supplies | $1,899 | $650 | +$1,249 |
| Housing & meals | $7,599 | $9,400 | −$1,801 |
| Personal & travel | $6,885 | $1,000 | +$5,885 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,212 | −$1,507 | −$705 |
| Sticker price | $29,651 | $39,793 | −$10,142 |
| Average grants | −$15,393 | −$24,117 | +$8,724 |
| You pay | $14,258 | $15,676 | −$1,418 |
“+” means William Carey 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 William Carey University
What is the William Carey University acceptance rate?
William Carey University accepts 60% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 331 of 571 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1040–1290 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
How much does William Carey University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $29,651 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,258 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,224 and families earning $110k+ pay $19,701.
How much do William Carey University graduates earn?
Former William Carey University students earn a median $43,087 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the William Carey University graduation rate?
60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for their second year.
How long does a William Carey University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at William Carey University costs about $64,804 after grants ($15,320 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,087 ten years after starting, $12,537 more than high school graduates in Mississippi ($30,550), so the cost is repaid in 5.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is William Carey University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing William Carey University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “William Carey University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/william-carey-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).