Mississippi’s Best Graduate Schools of 2021
Graduate school may be a critical step in your higher education, whether you are interested in expanding your knowledge, learning a specialization, or earning advanced credentials required by your profession. The best graduate schools in Mississippi offer advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as opportunities for independent research, mentorships, and professional networking.
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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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 national average of $16,000/year)
- 15 Community Colleges
Mississippi’s Best Overall
There are 8 doctorate-granting universities in Mississippi, 5 of which satisfy our criteria. The best graduate schools below are composed of both private and public schools that satisfy the following four conditions:
- It must be a non-profit institution.
- It must be fully accredited.
- It must offer doctoral degrees and a broad array of graduate degrees.
- It must have a graduation rate greater than 40%.
How do we determine Mississippi's best graduate schools?
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. At the undergraduate level, the best colleges and universities are those with the highest concentration of influence. Our Concentrated Influence metric adjusts overall influence by size of undergraduate student body, thus allowing smaller schools to compete with larger schools so long as they have proportionately as strong influential faculty and alums.
But at the graduate level, the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. Overall influence, and not influence controlled by other variables, thus becomes the best gauge of academic excellence at the graduate level. Where smaller size is an advantage at the undergraduate level (hence Concentrated Influence), graduate studies benefit from a large and vibrant community of graduate students, who promise to become the new generation of academic influencers.
5 Best Grad Schools in Mississippi
- #1University of Mississippi#322 institution's overall influence#710 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
60%
Student body
21K
Median SAT/ACT
1135/25
University, MSView profile
What is University of Mississippi known for?
University of Mississippi's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Law
- Literature
- Medical
- Business
- Education
- History
- Political Science
- Biology
- Communications
- Engineering
Most Influential Alumni
- #2Mississippi State University#584 institution's overall influence#821 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
58%
Student body
21K
Median SAT/ACT
1175/26
Mississippi State, MSView profile
What is Mississippi State University known for?
Mississippi State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Engineering
- History
- Education
- Biology
- Communications
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Earth Sciences
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
- #3University of Southern Mississippi#1068 institution's overall influence#825 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
47%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
/22
Hattiesburg, MSView profile
What is University of Southern Mississippi known for?
University of Southern Mississippi's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Education
- Literature
- Biology
- History
- Religious Studies
- Medical
- Chemistry
- Political Science
- Mathematics
Most Influential Alumni
- #4Mississippi College#1436 institution's overall influence#150 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
29%
Graduation
59%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/25
Clinton, MSView profile
- #5William Carey University#2910 institution's overall influence#211 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
55%
Graduation
57%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1065/24
Hattiesburg, MSView profile
What is William Carey University known for?
William Carey University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Education
- Nursing
- Medical
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- History
- Biology
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
