Mississippi’s higher education landscape carries deep historical significance and remarkable academic distinction. The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) — home to the #1 NAPLEX pharmacy pass rate nationally and the #1 Patterson School of Accountancy in the South — leads alongside Mississippi State’s top veterinary school, Jackson State University’s nationally funded STEM research, and Tougaloo College, one of America’s most historic civil rights institutions, founded in 1869 during Reconstruction.
Best Universities in Mississippi 2026
Tougaloo College
Location: Tougaloo | Type: Private | Founded: 1869 | Tuition: $11,500/yr
Tougaloo College is a private HBCU liberal arts college founded in 1869 in Tougaloo, Mississippi, by the American Missionary Association during Reconstruction. A historic civil rights institution — Tougaloo students were among the first Freedom Riders and led pivotal Mississippi desegregation cases — Tougaloo is…
Programs: Business & Finance, Liberal Arts, Medicine & Health Sciences, Social Work & Humanities
University of Southern Mississippi
Location: Hattiesburg | Type: Public | Founded: 1910 | Tuition: $9,130/yr
The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss) is a public research university founded in 1910 in Hattiesburg. Enrolling 14,000 students, Southern Miss is known for polymer science (#1 polymer science program in the US), marine sciences (Gulf Coast Research Laboratory), nursing, education, and business programs.nnCollegesSchool…
Programs: Business & Finance, Liberal Arts, Medicine & Health Sciences, Science & Research
Mississippi Valley State University
Location: Itta Bena | Type: Public | Founded: 1950 | Tuition: $7,710/yr
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) is a public HBCU founded in 1950 in Itta Bena, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Enrolling 2,000 students, MVSU is known for education, social work, environmental science, and criminal justice programs serving one of America’s most historically significant…
Programs: Business & Finance, Education, Liberal Arts, Medicine & Health Sciences
Alcorn State University
Location: Lorman | Type: Public | Founded: 1871 | Tuition: $7,690/yr
Alcorn State University is a public HBCU founded in 1871 in Lorman, Mississippi — Mississippi’s 1890 land-grant HBCU and the oldest state-supported HBCU in Mississippi. Enrolling 3,000 students, Alcorn State is known for nursing, agriculture, and education programs.nnProgramsSchool of Nursing — CCNE-accredited; nursing for rural…
Programs: Agriculture & Environment, Business & Finance, Education, Liberal Arts
Mississippi State University
Location: Starkville | Type: Public | Founded: 1878 | Tuition: $9,390/yr
Mississippi State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university founded in 1878 in Starkville. Enrolling 21,000 students, MSU is known for veterinary medicine, aerospace engineering (world-leading computational fluid dynamics research), agriculture, and business programs.nnCollegesCollege of Engineering — ABET-accredited; top computational fluid dynamics researchCollege of…
Programs: Agriculture & Environment, Business & Finance, Engineering, Liberal Arts
Jackson State University
Location: Jackson | Type: Public | Founded: 1877 | Tuition: $8,196/yr
Jackson State University (JSU) is a public HBCU founded in 1877 in Jackson, Mississippi. A Carnegie R2 research university, JSU enrolls 7,000 students and is known for engineering, business, public health, education, and social work programs. JSU is one of the most research-active HBCUs in…
Programs: Business & Finance, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Medicine & Health Sciences
University of Mississippi
Location: Oxford | Type: Public | Founded: 1848 | Tuition: $10,140/yr
The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is a public research university founded in 1848 in Oxford — Mississippi’s SEC flagship. Enrolling 24,000 students, Ole Miss is known for law (top Deep South law school), pharmacy (#1 in NAPLEX pass rates nationally), business (Patterson School of…
Programs: Business & Finance, Journalism & Media, Law, Liberal Arts
Top Community Colleges in Mississippi 2026
Community colleges in Mississippi provide affordable pathways with transfer agreements to major state universities.
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College — Perkinston
- Hinds Community College — Raymond
How to Choose a University in Mississippi
Consider your major, tuition, accreditations, location, and career outcomes. Compare financial aid packages and visit campuses.
- Tuition: Compare in-state vs out-of-state rates and financial aid generosity.
- Accreditation: AACSB (business), ABET (engineering), CCNE (nursing).
- Location: Proximity to employers and internship opportunities.
- Campus Culture: Visit open days to find the right environment.
Mississippi’s universities serve communities across the Delta and beyond, with strong programs in agriculture, engineering, business, and public health. The state’s rich HBCU tradition — spanning Jackson State, Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State, and Tougaloo — represents a powerful legacy of academic excellence and community service.
Browse our complete Mississippi university directory.
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