Mississippi’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
What are the best colleges and universities in Mississippi if you reward schools for making the best use of their limited resources? Academic Stewardship asks how effectively schools manage their financial and human resources to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential.
Colleges and universities in Mississippi deserve to be recognized when they do more with less. It’s impressive when a large wealthy school can spend money lavishly on expensive buildings and programs. But it’s even more impressive when a small school with limited means is able to train and inspire students that the larger wealthier schools tend to ignore.
The American Association of Colleges and Universities reported in late 2021 that almost 75 percent of higher-education professionals at US colleges and universities felt financial constraints prevented their schools from effectively attracting students. Distracted by the size and amenities of larger schools, prospective students tended especially to be overawed by the big research universities.
Mississippi’s smaller colleges, especially its liberal arts colleges, need effective ways of communicating their value to a world that celebrates “bigger is better” and “you need the best.” Unfortunately, most college ranking companies, such as U.S. News & World Report, define “best” in a way that devalues schools with smaller budgets and fewer students even when these schools do remarkable work in advancing their students’ education. By and large, college rankings penalize schools that serve underserved populations.
Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell, who for years now has criticized conventional college rankings for misrepresenting what’s good and valuable in education, we decided to construct a new ranking metric that highlights those schools that do more with less. That metric—called the Academic Stewardship metric—takes away both the size and the wealth advantage of schools, and focuses instead on how well schools use the resources available to them to advance the education of their students.
How We Measure the Academic Stewardship of Mississippi’s Colleges and Universities
As a metric, Academic Stewardship is defined by a precise mathematical formula, which can be found in our Academic Stewardship white paper. Measuring the Academic Stewardship of Mississippi’s colleges requires measuring two forms of stewardship: 1) Stewardship of financial resources (using the money they have responsibility without waste) and 2) Stewardship of human resources (doing their best to help students, faculty, and administration to flourish). Together, these two types of stewardship form what we call Academic Stewardship. If you want to learn more about the factors involved in Academic Stewardship, click the more button below.
- Stewardship of financial resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of financial resources, we factored in its undergraduate size, budget, endowments and reserves, as well as tuition and fees. All these data are available from the National Center for Educational Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. In addition, we factored in a school’s financial responsibility as gauged by the Federal Student Aid Office at the US Department of Education through its financial responsibility composite scores.
- Stewardship of human resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of human resources, we used our InfluenceRanking engine to track the influence of the school’s faculty and alumni but also to control for size of the undergraduate student body. We’ve found that measuring a school’s influence based on the contributions of faculty and alumni make in their fields of study but then also controlling for size of the undergraduate population is the single best indicator of academic excellence. We call this Concentrated Influence. Schools that rank highly in Concentrated Influence are schools that, given their available human resources, invest heavily in their students and faculty, and the results are demonstrable.
- We measure the influence of colleges and universities based on the publications and citations of the schools’ faculty and alumni who are teaching in and working in areas related to their degrees. To do this, we take publicly available databases, such as Semantic Scholar, Crossref, and Wikipedia and use these to measure the influence of academics in their disciplines. Having measured the influence of persons, we then identify the schools that they’re affiliated with, adding up the influence scores of the faculty and alumni to measure the influence of the schools and their disciplinary programs. Finally, we control these influence scores by size of undergraduate student body so that schools do not score high in influence simply because of a size advantage. We lay out these methodological considerations on our methodology page.
- Academic Stewardship: Having measured a school’s stewardship of financial and human resources in the two previous points, we now divide the second measure by the first to define the Academic Stewardship metric. This metric spotlights smaller schools, with fewer financial resources and people, that invest wisely and do proportionately better in building influence than large wealthy schools. Many of these smaller, less wealthy schools are incentivized to make better use of their resources but would never get recognized in conventional school rankings, which directly or indirectly put a premium on the wealth of schools.
Academic Stewardship as so defined is connected to keeping tuition and other costs down, but it should not be confused with affordability or frugality. The schools that this metric ranks as exemplary academic stewards tend to be all over the map when it comes to tuition and other costs. At issue is the influence of schools given the financial and human resources they have on hand. If a school is going to charge more for tuition, then that needs to be reflected in the school having proportionately greater influence.
Why Academic Stewardship Matters to Students and Their Families
The benefits of attending a school with strong academic stewardship include:
- A clear reason for why students are at the school in the first place. Without the distraction of amenities and luxuries, these schools are at once unpretentious but also passionately committed to their educational mission. The schools in this ranking are financially efficient and academically rigorous. By avoiding frills, these schools take the most direct path to accomplishing their mission of educating students.
- Valuing character over prestige and self-indulgence. A school that’s a good steward of its resources doesn’t instill shame in its students over what they are missing (such as elite cuisine) but rather pride in what they have and making the most of it. These schools exhibit a culture of good stewardship, which tends to build good character in the students that attend these schools.
- Avoiding the spoiled-student syndrome. It’s easy to think that offering students endless options and opportunities will enrich their time at school in every way. But spoiling people—whether in business, sports, or academics—has the opposite effect, causing people to take their advantages for granted and in the end achieving less than they might otherwise, a point well-documented in Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. Schools exhibiting academic stewardship avoid this pitfall.
- The best schools vs. the schools that help students to be their best. Students at schools demonstrating outstanding academic stewardship aren’t so much concerned about being at the “best” school, whatever that may mean, as about being at a school that helps them to be their best. These schools pay attention to their students, hoping that any glory goes to them rather than to the school. Small schools, and especially liberal arts colleges, help themselves by communicating this advantage to prospective students.
- Emphasizing development over talent and achievement. Schools like Harvard and Stanford have their pick of academic talent, and their students have a long record of achievement even before they apply to such elite schools. But if a school doesn’t have the resources of a Harvard or Stanford, how does it build a great team of students? In that case, it must focus on student development. Colleges exemplifying academic stewardship emphasize student growth and development, ensuring that the schools are doing everything in their power to help students reach their full potential and thereby become their best selves.
Mississippi’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
- #3 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship #3 Best Christian Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #3 Best Private Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
49%
Graduation
31%
Student body
<1K
Career Outlook for degree at Tougaloo College
Cost of Degree: $10,735Expenses: $12,240Starting Salary: $32,400Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Tougaloo College known for?
Tougaloo College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #5 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship #6 Best Christian Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #6 Best Private Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
25%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
889/17
Career Outlook for degree at Rust College
Cost of Degree: $9,900Expenses: $8,700Starting Salary: $26,600Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Rust College known for?
Rust College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Business
- Literature
- Political Science
- Biology
- Education
- Social Work
- Criminal Justice
Most Influential Alumni
- #22 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #2 Best Christian Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #2 Best Private Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
57%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1244/26
Career Outlook for degree at Millsaps College
Cost of Degree: $43,760Expenses: $17,210Starting Salary: $54,500Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Millsaps College known for?
Millsaps College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- History
- Sociology
- Economics
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Earth Sciences
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #2 Best Small Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #5 Best Public Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #6 Best Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #6 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi 2024
- #4 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #6 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #14 Best Online Master's in English
- #17 Top 20 Most Affordable Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Programs
- #21 Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
99%
Graduation
46%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1110/20
Career Outlook for degree at Delta State University
Cost of Degree: $8,605Expenses: $13,817Starting Salary: $37,600Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Delta State University known for?
Delta State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #4 Best Small Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #6 Best Public Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #8 Best Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #2 Best Online Bachelor's of Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Mississippi
- #5 Best Online Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #7 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #8 Best Online Bachelor's in Public Health Degree Programs for Students
- #8 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #10 Best Online Bachelor’s of Elementary Education Degree Programs for 2024
- #14 Best Online Bachelor’s of Early Childhood Education Degree Programs for 2024
- #17 Best Online Bachelor’s of Education Degree Programs for 2024
- #18 Best RN to BSN Online
- #20 Best Online Bachelor's in Law and Legal Studies Degree Programs for 2024
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
99%
Graduation
37%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for degree at Mississippi University for Women
Cost of Degree: $7,866Expenses: $14,227Starting Salary: $38,900Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Mississippi University for Women known for?
Mississippi University for Women’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Mississippi University for Women’s Online Degrees
BBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- General Business
- Healthcare Management
- Human Resource Management
- Management
- Management Information Systems
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BAS in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- General Business
- Healthcare Management
- Human Resource Management
- Legal Administration
- Management
- Culinary Management
- Required Credits: 121
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BAS in Business Administration Management Information Systems
Degree Concentrations
- Management Information Systems
- Required Credits: 121
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Early Childhood Development
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Elementary Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSN in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Rn To Bsn
- Required Credits: 42
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Public Health Education
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #5 HBCU Doctoral Programs Online #10 Best HBCU Online Master's Programs #21 Most Influential HBCUs in the US Ranked for 2024 #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #6 Best Small Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #7 Best Public Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #8 Most Affordable Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #10 Best Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #6 Best Online Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #8 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #8 Best Online Master's in Biology
- #12 Best HBCU Online Programs
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
30%
Graduation
47%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1009/19
Career Outlook for degree at Alcorn State University
Cost of Degree: $8,549Expenses: $15,195Starting Salary: $35,000Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Alcorn State University known for?
Alcorn State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Alcorn State University’s Online Degrees
BA in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 122-124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Child Development
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #16 Best CCCU Colleges and Universities 2024 #21 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Doctoral Degrees #1 Best Christian Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #1 Best Private Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #1 Best Small Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
- #5 Best Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #5 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi 2024
- #5 Best Research Universities in Mississippi 2024
- #3 Best Online Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #5 Top 10 Best Online Counseling PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates)
- #5 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #7 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #9 Most Affordable Online PhDs in Psychology Ranked for 2024
- #10 Best Online Bachelor’s of Homeland Security Degree Programs for 2024
- #11 Best Online Bachelor's in Law and Legal Studies Degree Programs for 2024
- #11 Top 15 Fastest Accelerated Online Counseling Doctorates (PhDs)
- #23 Best Online Master's in Cybersecurity
- #23 Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration
- #25 Best Online Master's in Sports Management
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
40%
Graduation
62%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for degree at Mississippi College
Cost of Degree: $21,098Expenses: $18,329Starting Salary: $44,900Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Mississippi College known for?
Mississippi College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Mississippi College’s Online Degrees
BSBA in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 130
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Loss Prevention
- Required Credits: 130
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Homeland Security
- Required Credits: 130
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Paralegal Studies
- Required Credits: 130
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Communication
- Required Credits: 130
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #11 Best HBCU Online Master's Programs #22 Most Influential HBCUs in the US Ranked for 2024 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #4 Best Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #4 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi 2024
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #4 Best Public Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #4 Best Research Universities in Mississippi 2024
- #1 Best Online Bachelor's of Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Mississippi
- #2 Best Online Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #3 HBCU MBA Programs Online
- #4 Top 10 Best Online Counseling PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates)
- #4 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #4 Best Online Master's in Biology
- #6 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #10 Best Online Bachelor's of Healthcare Administration Degree Programs for 2024
- #12 Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration
- #13 Best HBCU Online Programs
- #15 Best Online Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Programs for 2024
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
35%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1141/18
Career Outlook for degree at Jackson State University
Cost of Degree: $8,445Expenses: $21,078Starting Salary: $33,700Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Jackson State University known for?
Jackson State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Medical
- Education
- Communications
- Literature
Most Influential Alumni
Jackson State University’s Online Degrees
BST in Technology-Emergency Management
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 122
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Professional Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Healthcare Administration
- Required Credits: 122
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #3 Best Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #3 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi 2024 #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #3 Best Public Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #3 Best Research Universities in Mississippi 2024
- #1 Best Online Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #3 Best Online Bachelor's in Construction Management Degree Programs
- #3 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #3 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #4 Best Online Bachelor's of Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Mississippi
- #8 Most Affordable Online Master's of Music Education Programs
- #9 Best Online Bachelor's in Philosophy Degree Programs Ranked for 2024
- #9 Best Online Bachelor’s of Elementary Education Degree Programs for 2024
- #10 Best Online Bachelor's in Public Health Degree Programs for Students
- #11 Best Online Bachelor’s in Child Development Degree Programs for 2024
- #15 Best Online Master's in Sports Management
- #16 Best Online Bachelor’s of Education Degree Programs for 2024
- #16 Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration
- #18 Best Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities Degree Programs for 2024
- #19 Top 20 Most Affordable Online Doctorate of Education (PhDs)
- #21 Best Online Bachelor's in Sociology Degree Programs Ranked for 2024
- #24 Best RN to BSN Online
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
99%
Graduation
52%
Student body
16K
Career Outlook for degree at University of Southern Mississippi
Cost of Degree: $9,450Expenses: $16,550Starting Salary: $42,700Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Southern Mississippi known for?
University of Southern Mississippi’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- History
- Anthropology
- Earth Sciences
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Biology
- Literature
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
University of Southern Mississippi’s Online Degrees
BSBA in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Construction Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSBA in Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BAS in Applied Technology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Elementary Education
Degree Concentrations
- Teacher Assistant
- Required Credits: 121
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BLS in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Library And Information Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Sociology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Philosophy
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Public Health
Degree Concentrations
- Allied Health
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Medical Laboratory Science
Degree Concentrations
- Mlt To Mls
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSN in Nursing Rn To Bsn
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Child And Family Sciences
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #2 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #2 Best Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #2 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi 2024 #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #2 Best Public Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #2 Best Research Universities in Mississippi 2024
- #2 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #2 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #3 Best Online Bachelor's of Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Mississippi
- #12 Most Affordable Online Computer Science PhDs (Doctorates) 2024
- #16 Best Online Master's in Computer Science Degree Programs
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
63%
Student body
26K
Median SAT/ACT
1175/25
Career Outlook for degree at Mississippi State University
Cost of Degree: $9,398Expenses: $17,709Starting Salary: $47,400Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Mississippi State University known for?
Mississippi State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Earth Sciences
- Engineering
- Chemistry
- History
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Business
- Physics
- Anthropology
- Economics
Most Influential Alumni
- #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #1 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi 2024 #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #1 Best Public Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #1 Best Research Universities in Mississippi 2024
- #1 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #1 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #2 Most Affordable Online PhDs in Psychology Ranked for 2024
- #5 Best Online Master's in Hospitality and Tourism Degree Programs
- #6 Fastest Accelerated Online Public Health Doctorates (PhDs)
- #8 Best Online Master's in Criminal Justice
- #10 Top 10 Fastest Accelerated Online PhD in Criminal Justice (Doctorates)
- #13 Best Online Master's in Marketing and Advertising
- #13 Best Online Master’s in Education
- #14 Best Online Master’s in Communications
- #14 Top 20 Best Online Accredited Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2024
- #14 Best Online Doctorate in Education Degree Programs Ranked for Students
- #24 The Best Online MBA Degree Programs in 2024 Ranked for Students
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
68%
Student body
24K
Median SAT/ACT
1125/25
Career Outlook for degree at University of Mississippi
Cost of Degree: $9,220Expenses: $18,690Starting Salary: $56,600Cost Recoup Time: 10 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Mississippi known for?
University of Mississippi’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Law
- History
- Political Science
- Medical
- Business
- Literature
- Communications
- Earth Sciences
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #4 Best Christian Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #4 Best Private Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #6 Best Research Universities in Mississippi 2024 #7 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #7 Best Small Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #9 Most Affordable Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #5 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #7 Best Online Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #9 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #12 Best Online Master's in Nursing MSN
- #13 Best RN to BSN Online
- #18 Best Online Master's in Behavior Analysis Degree Programs
Tuition + fees
$15K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
42%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1185/24
Career Outlook for degree at William Carey University
Cost of Degree: $14,685Expenses: $16,248Starting Salary: $40,500Cost Recoup Time: 14 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is William Carey University known for?
William Carey University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Communications
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Education
- History
- Mathematics
Most Influential Alumni
William Carey University’s Online Degrees
BS in Physical Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Health, Physical Education And Recreation
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSN in Nursing Rn To Bsn
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #5 Best Christian Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #5 Best Private Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #8 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
- #8 Best Small Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #1 Best Online Associate Degrees in Mississippi 2024
- #4 Best Online Doctorate in Business Administration Degree Programs
- #4 Best Online Colleges in Mississippi 2024
- #7 How To Get an Online Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies
- #9 Best Online MBA Programs in Mississippi
- #10 Best Online Master's Programs in Mississippi 2024
- #14 Best Online Associate in Biblical Studies
- #17 Best Online Bachelor’s of Human Services Degree Programs Ranked for 2024
- #19 Best Online Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies
- #19 Best Online Bachelor's in Hospitality and Tourism Degree Programs for 2024
- #21 Best Online Bachelor’s of Christian Ministry Degree Programs for 2024
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
43%
Graduation
46%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1090/21
Career Outlook for degree at Belhaven University
Cost of Degree: $28,375Expenses: $10,750Starting Salary: $42,900Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Belhaven University known for?
Belhaven University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Literature
- Nursing
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Medical
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- History
Most Influential Alumni
Belhaven University’s Online Degrees
BS in Accounting
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Hospitality Management
- Information Technology
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Management
Degree Concentrations
- Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Biblical Studies
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Human Services
Degree Concentrations
- Christian Ministries
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSN in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Rn To Bsn
- Required Credits: 31
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Health Administration
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #17 Best HBCU Online Master's Programs #8 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #8 Best Public Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #10 Best Small Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
26%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for degree at Mississippi Valley State University
Cost of Degree: $7,414Expenses: $14,192Starting Salary: $27,200Cost Recoup Time: 14 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Mississippi Valley State University known for?
Mississippi Valley State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #7 Best Christian Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #7 Best Private Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #9 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Mississippi 2024 #8 Best Online Colleges in Mississippi 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
39%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1090/22
Career Outlook for degree at Blue Mountain College
Cost of Degree: $19,280Expenses: $12,877Starting Salary: $29,200Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Blue Mountain College known for?
Blue Mountain College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- Medical
- Business
- Communications
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Biology
- History
Most Influential Alumni
Blue Mountain College’s Online Degrees
BS in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120-123
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Psychology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Mississippi’s Best Colleges in Your Area of Interest
Colleges and Universities in Mississippi
The majority of the learning institutes in Mississippi are public schools, with the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, being the largest. This university, located in Oxford, boasts alumni like William Faulkner, John Grisham, and James Meredith. Tuition at Ole Miss runs about $9,000, just below the national average. The eight private colleges, all of which have religious affiliations, range in tuition costs from $10,000 at Rust College to $40,000 at Millsaps College.
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Students who attend these schools have the option to pursue degrees in fields like nursing, business, dentistry, Christian ministry, education, and literature. Additionally, all of these private schools are considered small schools, serving under 5,000 students. Mississippi also offers up to $12,000 of undergraduate loan forgiveness, over the course of four years, for teachers who work in designated shortage areas or who teach in critical shortage subjects, like special education or mathematics.
From Mississippi mud pie to fried chicken, Mississippi brings a whole new meaning to the term comfort food.
The Magnolia State is easy on the eyes too. With nearly endless forests spilling over with hickory, pine, and oak trees, the intricate river system, and the Gulf Island National Seashore, Mississippi is a true destination for lovers of outdoor adventure. And students who plan on earning their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in Mississippi have 31 colleges and universities to choose from.
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What are Mississippi’s Colleges & Universities?
- 6 Research Universities
- 9 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 8 Graduate Schools
- 8 Public Colleges & Universities
- 7 Private Colleges & Universities
- 7 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 11 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 12 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 15 Community Colleges
- 8 Online Colleges