Top Mississippi Colleges

5 of the Top Colleges and Universities in Mississippi

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Updated on December 26, 2017

Mississippi's top schools range from a large public university to a small, private liberal arts college. I've listed the top Mississippi colleges alphabetically to avoid the arbitrary distinctions often used to distinguish #1 from #2, and because of the impossibility of comparing schools with such varying missions and personalities. The schools were chosen based on factors such as academic reputation, curricular innovation, first-year retention rate, six-year graduation rate, value, financial aid and student engagement.

Compare Mississippi Colleges: SAT Scores | ACT Scores

Belhaven University

Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Enrollment: 4,758 (2,714 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church
Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio on the residential campus; adult education centers in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Houston, Jackson, Memphis and Orlando; attractive campus with a lake and walking trails; popular business program
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Belhaven University profile

Millsaps College

Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Enrollment: 866 (802 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church
Distinctions: one of the top South Central colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kapps for strong liberal arts and sciences; featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; highest graduation rate of any Mississippi college; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Millsaps College profile

Mississippi College

Location: Clinton, Mississippi
Enrollment: 5,048 (3,145 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private college affiliated with the Baptist Church
Distinctions: oldest college in Mississippi (founded in 1826); largest private college in Mississippi; 80 areas of study; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; high marks for value and commitment to community service
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Mississippi College profile

Mississippi State University

Location: Starkville, Mississippi
Enrollment: 21,622 (18,090 undergraduate)
Type of Institution: public university
Distinctions: 4,000-acre campus; Honors College for high-achieving students; good value; strong engineering programs; member of the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference (SEC)
GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Mississippi State admissions
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Mississippi State profile

University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)

University of Mississippi Tower. lucianvenutian / Flickr

Location: Oxford, Mississippi
Enrollment: 23,610 (19,213 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public university
Distinctions: largest university in Mississippi; chapter of Phi Beta Kapps for strong liberal arts and sciences; home to 30 research centers; Honors College for high-achieving students; good value; member of the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference (SEC)
GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Ole Miss admissions
For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Mississippi profile

Explore Top Colleges in the Region

Florida State University. J-a-x / Flickr

If you're interested in attending a great college in the South but aren't limiting your search to Mississippi, these articles can help you find other top schools in the area:

Top South Central Colleges (AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX)
Top Southeast Colleges (FL, GA, NC, SC, VA, WV)