Mississippi State University
Public Research University in Mississippi State, MS. Six-year graduation rate 67%. Median 10-year earnings $51,513.
Ten years after entry, the median Mississippi State University student earns $51,513 — a solidly middle-of-the-pack result for an undergraduate institution. 67% graduate within six years, so most students who start here finish here. Median debt at graduation is $22,142, roughly typical for an undergraduate degree.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
An acceptance rate of 78% puts Mississippi State University on the accessible end — a realistic target for a broad range of applicants. The applicant pool is large — 23,346 in the most recent cycle — so the published rate reflects genuine competition rather than a small-sample quirk. Only 20% of admitted students enroll — the great majority of admits go elsewhere or nowhere. The score bands below rest on the 6% of enrolled first-years who submitted an SAT score — a self-selected group, and not a cutoff.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | 560–670 | 209 (6%) |
| SAT Math | 540–680 | |
| ACT Composite | 21–29 | 3,041 (85%) |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Mississippi State University →Academics
Six-year completion runs to 67% — students who start here overwhelmingly finish here. First-year retention of 83% shows the cohort holds together through the hardest year. The two rates sit near each other: few students who return for a second year are missing from the six-year completion figure. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 47% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. The student-faculty ratio is 16:1 — typical, which in practice means large lectures early and smaller classes in the major.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 18,144 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Students pay an average of $18,478 annually once grants are applied. The income table below is the number that matters — $14,332 at $0–30k versus $22,987 at $110k+. 84% of students receive grant aid, averaging $12,324 — common but not automatic. Federal borrowing reaches 39% of students.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 3,751 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $14,332 |
| $30–48k | $14,372 |
| $48–75k | $18,671 |
| $75–110k | $20,704 |
| $110k+ | $22,987 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 7,051 of these 18,144 students, totalling $47,084,254 — an average of $6,678 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Oktibbeha County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)