University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi · Website
$44,140
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$44,140
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of Southern Mississippi is a public 4-year college in Hattiesburg, Mississippi with 10,075 undergraduates and 2,977 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $21,708 a year (tuition and fees $9,998 in-state, $11,998 out-of-state). It admits 99% of applicants and 49% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $44,140 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$21,708
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$9,998
Out-of-state $11,998
Admission rate
99%
US median 78%
Completion rate
49%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,500
About $239 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$44,140
Rank 2,113 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $21,708
- Tuition in-state
- $9,998
- Tuition out-of-state
- $11,998
- Cost of attendance
- $26,566
- Students with a need-based grant
- 46%
- Students with federal loans
- 48%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $19,867
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $20,432
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $22,756
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $25,812
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $26,542
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $7,334 in 2015-16 to $9,998 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 99%
- Average SAT
- 1,190
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 10,075
- Graduate students
- 2,977
- Part-time students
- 14%
- Women
- 62%
- Students per teacher
- 18
- Completion rate
- 49%
- Retention rate
- 72%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 168
- Endowment
- $160.4M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,113 of 5,094 US colleges and 8 of 49 in Mississippi (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MS median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $21,708 | $13,265 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,998 | $4,806 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 99% | 89% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 49% | 51% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 72% | 69% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,500 | $9,722 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $37,710 | $28,592 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $44,140 | $33,017 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 55% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 64% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
168 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 212 | $21,924 | $38,766 | $40,932 | $47,382 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 206 | $20,000 | $38,757 | $52,089 | $68,257 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 168 | $24,327 | $70,068 | $72,411 | $88,910 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 167 | $20,500 | $28,130 | $37,925 | $50,706 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 144 | $25,000 | $37,800 | $44,963 | $53,072 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 127 | $22,506 | $39,049 | $54,909 | $54,562 |
| Library Science and AdministrationOnlineMaster's | Master's | 125 | $37,968 | $43,862 | $48,769 | $56,301 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 100 | $20,500 | $71,153 | $87,139 | $103,485 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 98 | $20,548 | $24,195 | $45,471 | $57,214 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 83 | $29,677 | $31,020 | $33,936 | $48,568 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $27,000 | $28,262 | $42,390 | $51,790 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 69 | $21,208 | $75,493 | $89,904 | $80,890 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 68 | $19,000 | $40,496 | $51,714 | $69,303 |
| Public HealthMaster's | Master's | 66 | Withheld | $53,068 | $55,930 | $82,751 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 62 | $33,632 | $43,543 | $51,523 | $65,123 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionDoctoral | Doctoral | 61 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $100,573 |
| Construction ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Library Science and AdministrationOnlineGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 58 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 58 | $18,267 | Withheld | $51,381 | $58,928 |
| Architectural Engineering Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 56 | $22,875 | $76,114 | $82,848 | $82,320 |
| Security Science and TechnologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 55 | Withheld | Withheld | $51,956 | $57,805 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessMaster's | Master's | 54 | Withheld | $43,019 | $54,457 | $62,033 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingDoctoral | Doctoral | 54 | $143,995 | $180,486 | $191,713 | $138,131 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasMaster's | Master's | 52 | Withheld | Withheld | $53,118 | $63,707 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | Withheld | Withheld | $39,214 | $48,590 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Mississippi on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Mississippi
- Homes: Homes for sale in Mississippi
Questions and answers
How much does University of Southern Mississippi cost?
$21,708 a year is the average net price at University of Southern Mississippi after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,998 for in-state students and $11,998 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $26,566. Families earning under $30,000 pay $19,867 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Southern Mississippi?
99% of applicants are admitted to University of Southern Mississippi. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,190 and the middle ACT score is 23. The median admission rate of colleges in Mississippi is 89%.
How much do University of Southern Mississippi graduates earn?
$44,140 a year is the median pay of former University of Southern Mississippi students who work, 10 years after they started ($37,710 after 6 years). That ranks 2,113 of 5,094 US colleges and 8 of 49 in Mississippi. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral) at $180,486.
How much student debt do University of Southern Mississippi graduates have?
$22,500 is the median federal student loan debt of University of Southern Mississippi graduates, about $239 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 48% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of Southern Mississippi?
49% of first-time, full-time students at University of Southern Mississippi finish within 6 years. 72% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at University of Southern Mississippi?
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (212 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (206 bachelor's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (168 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 168 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.