What Kind of University It Really Is
University of Mississippi is a public four-year university located in the town of University, in Lafayette County, Mississippi. And I say town intentionally: the area around the campus is officially classified as remote, not within a large urban area. If your family does not live nearby, this matters from the start: besides the academic paperwork, you will have to figure out where your child will live and how your child will get around. The code placing it in this category only indicates how far away the nearest urban area is; it does not tell you how long the trip from your home takes or how isolated your child will feel there. You find that out by asking.
It is an institution that awards doctoral degrees as its highest reported level, and the Carnegie system—the way the United States classifies its universities by what they do—places it among research institutions with the highest possible level of activity on that scale. That sounds impressive, and in a certain sense it is: serious research is taking place there. But that label groups broad categories and, by itself, does not tell you how much of that research will touch the life of a first-year student. It is context, not a promise.
It is also classified as a large, primarily residential four-year school, according to data from a few years ago: between one-quarter and one-half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned housing, and at least half studied full time. And in its graduate classification, Carnegie marks it as one of the institutions that many transfer students attend. If your child plans to come here after studying somewhere else, this is a sign to ask in writing, starting now, which courses will be accepted and which will not. The label tells you that transfer activity exists; it does not tell you how many credits people arrive with or how many they lose along the way.
One more thing, simple but worth stating clearly: University of Mississippi does not have any of the three specific designations tracked by the government—it is not a historically Black college or university, not a tribal college or university, and not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of the three. The fact that Ole Miss is not on that list does not tell you which students it serves today or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, talk with someone who already studies there.
The Size of the Community Your Child Would Enter
University of Mississippi is large. In the most recent official count, it reported 24,043 enrolled students—a figure that places it in the highest band the government uses to measure schools. But that number can be misleading if you do not break it down: 19,094 are undergraduates and 4,949 are graduate students. If your child is entering an undergraduate program, the number that really matters is 19,094, not the total.
Within that undergraduate population, the composition tells a specific story. There are more women than men: 57 out of every 100 students are women. There are hardly any adult students—only 4 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old—so it is, in essence, a campus of young people recently out of high school. And most first-time students come from out of state: only 30 out of every 100 had permanent residence reported in Mississippi.
Now for the figure that probably matters most to you as a Latino family: 5 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. That is a small minority. Compared with 519 similar public schools nationwide, University of Mississippi falls in the bottom quarter for this share—three out of every four similar schools report a higher figure. This does not make it a bad school, nor does it mean your child will not find community there. It means that, if your child will be one of the few, it is worth asking very deliberately what student groups, cultural center, and Spanish-language support exist today, and having a current student tell you firsthand before you decide.
Academics: How the Year Is Organized and What Students Can Study
The calendar operates on semesters—two terms of about 15 weeks each. The university accepts credits for AP exams and military training, although it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience. Keep one important thing in mind: saying that it accepts AP does not mean it automatically awards credit for every exam. We do not know what scores it requires or how many credits it actually awards. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before your family assumes any savings.
As for what students can study, the offerings are broad: the university awarded 3,887 bachelor’s degrees in a recent year, distributed across 23 different fields of study. The largest field was business and management, with 27 out of every 100 degrees—notable, but far from the campus’s only story. Compared with 514 other similar schools, University of Mississippi ranks in the quarter awarding the most degrees per year. This does not mean there are exactly 23 majors available to your child today: a “field” groups several programs, and some of those rows may report zero degrees. Verify the specific program your child is interested in.
The student-to-faculty ratio is 17 to 1—a middle-of-the-range figure, neither among the lowest nor among the highest compared with similar schools. It is important to say this clearly: this number does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. It is an institutional average, not a measure of the classroom where your child will sit on the first day.
Outside the traditional classroom, the university reports several structured pathways: study abroad, undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken only at night or on weekends, and certification pathways for those who want to teach. It is worth asking about each one based on what your child wants to build.
How the Door In Works
Here comes one of the most reassuring figures in the record, and also one of those that must be read most carefully. University of Mississippi does not have open admissions—it reviews information before saying yes—but out of 27,837 first-time applicants, it offered admission to 27,218. That is 98 out of every 100. Compared with 519 selective public schools nationwide, it is among those accepting the most: at least nine out of every ten similar schools accept an equal or smaller share.
Out of every 100 students who apply here, 98 receive a yes. That means your child’s energy is better spent meeting deadlines and completing the application properly than obsessing over competing for a place. Among the four requirements the university marked as mandatory are the high school transcript, grade point average, completion of the required high school curriculum, and—this is important if your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish—the English-language proficiency exam when applicable. Ask about it today; it is one of those things people discover late, complicating everything.
The SAT and ACT are optional, not required. Of the students who enrolled, only 24 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them the middle half scored between 510 and 610 in reading and writing, and between 510 and 600 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who had already enrolled and chose to submit their scores—they are not a minimum your child must reach or a guarantee if your child does.
Now for the hard truth, without dramatizing it: being easy to get into does not mean being inexpensive, or that most of those admitted stay. And here is one fact worth facing directly. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 19 actually ended up enrolling in the fall. The other 81 had a place here and did not take it. This is not a stain on the school—the federal record does not explain why each person chose what they chose—but it is a sign that receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend. What really matters is your own letter showing the net price your family will have to pay. With that number in hand, you decide whether this school stays on the list.
Regarding transfers: in the recent fall term, 1,244 undergraduate students entered University of Mississippi for the first time after having studied at another institution. That is a high number compared with similar schools. But how many credits were accepted when they arrived is a completely different question, and one to ask the school directly.
Money: What They Advertise and What Is Actually Paid
At University of Mississippi, among 292 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $8,030. Among 141 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,525; among 161 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $20,769. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
Between the average for the lowest-income band (292 students) and the average for the highest-income band (161 students), there is a difference of $12,739. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $14,946.
The advertised price is not the same as the amount paid. Here, for students with low income, the average net price was $8,030 in academic year 2022-23.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, identifying yours correctly comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The letter that governs is the aid letter sent to you.
How the Remaining Cost Is Paid
Most undergraduate students receive some aid that does not have to be repaid: 73 out of every 100. Among those who receive it, the annual average was $12,738. But the federal Pell Grant—which goes specifically to low-income families—reached only 23 out of every 100 students. The difference between those two figures may include state, institutional, or other sources of aid; the report does not make it possible to know exactly how it is assembled. When your letter arrives, divide it yourself into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters mix them together in a single column, and that confusion costs families real money.
Regarding loans: 33 out of every 100 undergraduate students took out a federal loan in the reported year, with an average of $6,442 among those who borrowed. That figure covers only federal loans in the student’s name for one year—it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents often end up signing for, bank or credit card debt, and it does not represent accumulated debt at graduation. That number is not in this report. This percentage describes other families, not yours. How much your child would have to borrow is determined by your child’s own financial aid letter, not a national average.
Campus Life: What They Do Offer
University of Mississippi has its own housing, with reported capacity for 5,690 students. It is not mandatory for all first-time, full-time students, although that does not mean no program requires it—ask about the specific rule for your child’s year and program. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies depending on the plan selected. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available when your child needs one: request the year’s rate, the application deadline, and whether your child is guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list, all in writing.
The university reports ROTC programs in all three branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force—something only 135 of the 3,012 universities in this directory are able to mark as complete. It is a strong sign that there is someone to call, but it does not confirm that the program operates physically on this campus, that spaces are available, or that a scholarship is offered. Ask about each branch separately.
It competes in intercollegiate athletics under the NCAA. That confirms institutional membership; it does not tell you which division each specific sport competes in or whether a scholarship is available for the sport that interests your child. Ask the team’s coach directly, in writing.
Distance education is available at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although only 6 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their classes that way—the vast majority, 94 out of every 100, take at least one class in person. The library operates with employed staff, has physical and digital materials, and offers interlibrary loan. As for support services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services, specific support for veterans and military service members, and a page dedicated to services for students with disabilities are available.
If Your Child Enrolls, Will Your Child Stay? Graduate?
This is probably the most important section in this entire record.
Of the cohort of students who entered full time in a recent fall term, 88 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. That is a high figure; compared with similar schools, it falls near the top. But take note: that number combines two different groups—those who are still studying and those who have already graduated—and the report does not separate how many people fall into each category or explain what happened to the rest.
As for actual graduation: from a cohort of 3,634 students who began bachelor’s-degree programs for the first time and on a full-time basis, 68 out of every 100 graduated within six years. With a four-year window, the count changes. It is 55 out of every 100. The difference from the six-year window is 13 points. Compared with 518 similar schools, University of Mississippi ranks in the top quarter: three out of every four similar schools report an equal or smaller share of graduates.
There is an even longer measure, at eight years, that includes both full-time and part-time students: from a cohort of 6,130 students, 69 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the cutoff. Here, a difference appears that deserves direct mention: among students who received a Pell Grant—that is, students from low-income families—the figure dropped to 62 out of every 100, nine points lower than for those who did not receive Pell. The report does not explain why that gap exists. What you can do is ask the school, very directly, what concrete support exists for those students: an assigned counselor, emergency assistance, and whether the institution’s scholarship is renewed each year. And ask for the answer in writing.
What This Record Cannot Tell You
Everything above describes institutional averages and aggregates. It does not predict your child’s particular experience. It does not tell you whether your child will find community, whether the exact program your child wants is active today, or how much personal debt your child will carry upon leaving. Those answers live in telephone calls, in admission letters bearing your last name, and in direct conversations with the appropriate office.
You now have an in-depth understanding of one of the pieces you need to decide: who University of Mississippi really is according to its own official numbers. Put it together with what your child wants to study, what your child has already built in high school, and what your family can and is willing to pay. This reading cannot replace any of those three pieces. But now, when the conversation at the table mentions “Ole Miss” again, you will be better prepared to ask questions and to listen carefully to the answers.
Note on sources: the information in this article comes from data reported by University of Mississippi to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent University of Mississippi or any agency of the United States government.