# University of Southern Mississippi

Public college in Hattiesburg, MS. IPEDS ID 176372.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-mississippi · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/university-of-southern-mississippi.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 99% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $21,708 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 49%; beats 43% of MS colleges and 41% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $44,140; beats 57% of MS colleges and 23% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $14,250

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $19,867 |
| 30-48k | $20,432 |
| 48-75k | $22,756 |
| 75-110k | $25,812 |
| 110k+ | $26,542 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.39 years on average (34% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $44,140 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $30,550 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MS (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $19,867 | $87,216 | 6.4 years |
| 30-48k | $20,432 | $89,696 | 6.6 years |
| 48-75k | $22,756 | $99,899 | 7.4 years |
| 75-110k | $25,812 | $113,315 | 8.3 years |
| 110k+ | $26,542 | $116,519 | 8.6 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $26,566 in-state; about $28,566 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $9,998 in-state, $11,998 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $11,664; books: $840

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: 20–29 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 8,818 applicants, 8,763 admitted, 1,733 enrolled; test scores required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 99%, ACT 20–29 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 99%, ACT 19–27 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (70 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $75,493 | $89,904 | $31,250 |
| Architectural Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $76,114 | $82,848 | $25,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | $81,740 | not reported |
| Nursing | $70,068 | $72,411 | $25,125 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | not reported | $70,328 | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | $66,142 | not reported |
| Accounting | $40,764 | $65,861 | $20,200 |
| Chemistry | not reported | $63,856 | not reported |
| Finance | $39,444 | $55,959 | not reported |
| Data Processing | $37,734 | $55,514 | $28,743 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $39,049 | $54,909 | $23,770 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | $53,436 | not reported |
| Business Administration | $38,757 | $52,089 | $24,508 |
| Security / Homeland Security | not reported | $51,956 | not reported |
| Marketing | $40,496 | $51,714 | $18,781 |
| Human Resources | $44,709 | $51,402 | $22,865 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | $51,381 | $21,608 |
| Dietetics | not reported | $50,957 | not reported |
| Legal Support Services | not reported | $48,196 | not reported |
| Public Health | $28,363 | $47,419 | $28,375 |
| Mathematics | not reported | $47,150 | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | $36,315 | $46,109 | $21,125 |
| Hospitality Management | not reported | $45,985 | not reported |
| Biology | $24,195 | $45,471 | $23,213 |
| Communications | not reported | $45,161 | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $25,354 | $45,056 | $29,460 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | $44,990 | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $37,800 | $44,963 | $28,438 |
| History | $30,684 | $44,586 | $25,455 |
| Social Work | $28,262 | $42,390 | $30,700 |
| Journalism | $29,591 | $41,293 | $26,000 |
| Arts and Entertainment Management | $26,619 | $41,095 | $26,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $38,766 | $40,932 | $24,250 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | $40,707 | not reported |
| English | not reported | $39,214 | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | $38,599 | not reported |
| Psychology | $28,130 | $37,925 | $22,685 |
| Sociology | not reported | $36,907 | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | $36,771 | not reported |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $31,020 | $33,936 | $32,062 |
| Theatre | not reported | $30,864 | not reported |
| Library Science and Administration | not reported | $30,340 | $24,937 |
| Interior Architecture | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ocean Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Polymer / Plastics Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Apparel and Textiles | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Laboratory Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Construction Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $63,530 (Hattiesburg, MS), $69,390 (MS), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $76,270 (Hattiesburg, MS), $77,090 (MS), $97,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).