Let’s walk together through what University of Southern Mississippi really is: who studies there, how much it costs, how easy or difficult it is to get in, how much aid is available, and what happens to students once they arrive. Everything comes from the official reports the university submits to the federal government. None of this is my opinion about whether it is right for you. It is the map. The decision still belongs to your family.
Who This University Is
University of Southern Mississippi is in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in Forrest County, within what the government calls a metropolitan area. That tells you where it is, not what getting there every day is like. If your child is thinking about living at home while attending, my recommendation is simple: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time they would have class. The actual travel time is almost never what the map on your phone says.
It is a public four-year university. The federal system (IPEDS) records a doctoral degree as the highest level it reports offering, and the Carnegie classification—the system that organizes the country’s universities by what they do—places it among doctoral institutions with the highest research activity. It is also a school that, in its historical profile, enrolls many transfer students. None of these facts tells you whether the specific major your child is interested in exists there or what day-to-day life in a classroom is like. They are institutional labels, useful for placing it in context, not for deciding.
Something else worth knowing: University of Southern Mississippi is not recorded as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. These are three different designations with different histories, and this school has none of the three. That says nothing about which communities it serves today or how your child will feel there. Those are questions to ask during a visit: what cultural centers exist, what student organizations there are, and—if it matters to you—whether anyone in the offices speaks Spanish.
The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up
In the fall of 2023, University of Southern Mississippi reported an enrollment of 13,110 students. It is a large school. But that number includes both undergraduate and graduate students: 10,012 students are pursuing bachelor’s degrees, and 3,098 are already in graduate programs. If your child is entering to pursue their first degree, the number that truly matters is the smaller one: 10,012, not the total.
Of every 100 undergraduate students, 64 are women. And 18 out of every 100 are between the ages of 25 and 64—meaning this is not a campus made up solely of teenagers fresh out of high school; there is a real mix of ages and stages of life.
As for where students come from: slightly more than half of first-time students, 72 out of every 100, reported living in Mississippi when they applied. It is largely an in-state community.
And here is a fact worth stating plainly, without dressing it up: 5 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. Compared with 519 selective public four-year universities that report this same information, University of Southern Mississippi ranks in the lowest quarter of the group. It is a small minority on campus.
That does not make the school bad, just as having many Latino students would not make another school good. It is simply information about who is enrolled today. If your child will be one of the few, the right question is not whether they should rule it out, but what is there for them: a Latino student group, a cultural center, someone to speak with before deciding. You or your child must do that research directly with the school; the national data do not answer it.
How Academic Life Is Organized
The academic year at University of Southern Mississippi is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. It is the most common calendar and the one you probably already know.
The university accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it grants credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam or that the credit will apply to your child’s specific major. Before counting those savings in your budget, request a written equivalency evaluation. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program and reports accepting credit for military training.
As for its academic offerings: between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 2,551 bachelor’s degrees across 26 different fields of study. No field accounts for a large share—not even business and management, the area with the most degrees, reached 18 out of every 100. Its offerings are broad and distributed, rather than being built around two or three flagship programs. That said, “26 fields represented in the report” is not equivalent to 26 complete majors with active students in each one; some rows may report no degrees awarded that year. Verify the exact program your child is interested in by its specific name.
The student-to-faculty ratio is 15 to 1, a middle-range figure compared with similar schools. It does not tell you the actual size of a first-year classroom—IPEDS does not publish that information—but it gives you a general point of reference.
The university also reports offering structured academic opportunities: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, developmental education support (both for credit and not for credit), and pathways to teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification. Their being reported does not tell you whether they are right for your child; it is a list of possibilities to explore with the school.
Getting In: What They Require and What They Do Not
Now for the part that probably concerns you most. University of Southern Mississippi does not have open admission: it reviews criteria before saying yes. Of the nine factors the federal system asks about, it marked four as required: the high school record, the high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory courses the university requires, and—when applicable—an English-proficiency exam.
The list of what is not considered for admission is longer: class rank, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or skills exam, work experience, and whether a family member attended the university. Even if those documents are submitted, the report says they do not factor into the admission decision.
If your child attended high school outside the United States or studied in Spanish, put this on your calendar today: ask whether the English-proficiency exam applies to them and what would exempt them. It is one of those things families discover too late if they do not ask in time.
And now, the number that will probably change how you see all this: during the reported cycle, University of Southern Mississippi received 8,818 first-time applications and offered admission to 8,763 applicants. That is 99 accepted out of every 100 applicants. Compared with 519 similar selective public universities, it is among those that admit the largest share in the entire group.
I am not saying admission here is automatic—55 of the 8,818 applicants did not receive an offer. I am saying that if your child meets the requirements, the family’s energy is better spent completing the application carefully and meeting the deadlines than worrying about competing for a place. But an open door does not resolve everything else. Before deciding, two numbers carry more weight than the admission number: net price and graduation rate. Let’s look at them.
One fact is definite: the SAT or ACT is required to complete the application. Fewer than 1 out of every 100 enrolled students submitted an SAT score; among those who submitted ACT scores, the median was 22. Set aside an exam date now—it is not optional here.
And something worth understanding clearly: out of every 100 admitted students, only 20 ultimately enrolled. In other words, out of every 5 who receive a yes, roughly one actually attends. That is not a stain on the school—the federal record does not say why each person made the choice they did, and other families’ decisions tell you nothing about what you will be offered. What matters is waiting for your own financial-aid letter before crossing this school off or confirming it on your list.
Regarding transfers: in the fall of 2023, 1,315 undergraduate students arrived here for the first time after previously studying at another institution. That places the university in the upper half compared with similar schools by volume of arriving transfer students. What the report does not say is how many credits they were awarded upon arrival—that is something to ask the admissions office directly.
The Price: What It Costs and What Is Actually Paid
At University of Southern Mississippi, among 436 full-time, first-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 $12,798. Among 108 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $16,248; among 99 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $19,561. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (436 students) and that of the highest-income band (99 students) is $6,763. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $14,050.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this information with the same time coverage, this one falls in the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you should request the aid letter before deciding.
The income bands in this profile describe full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Aid and Ways to Pay
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at University of Southern Mississippi, 81 received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid, with an annual average of $9,424 among those who received it. And 47 out of every 100 received Pell, the federal aid for low-income families.
Remember: the percentage and the average should not be multiplied by each other. One tells you how many received aid; the other tells you how much those who received it were awarded. When your letter arrives, separate it by hand 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 is where families get confused.
Regarding loans: half of undergraduate students—50 out of every 100—received a federal student loan during the reported year, with an average of $8,169 among those who borrowed. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is on the high side: seven out of every ten similar universities had fewer students in debt.
Financing an education with debt is common here, not the exception. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the program’s four years, the total would be around $32,676, not including interest. That number is decided before the first signature, not at the end of the journey. And take note: that average covers only federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for or debt from banks or credit cards. The university also reports offering an installment tuition-payment plan as an option for managing the cost.
This percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow will come from their own financial-aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
Campus Life, Learning Formats, and Support
University of Southern Mississippi has its own housing, with reported capacity for 3,539 students on or off campus, and it does not require all first-time students to live there—although that does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. Request the price, deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child will be put on a waiting list in writing.
If ROTC is a possibility for your child, the university reports opportunities in two branches: Army and Air Force. Navy is not marked. Its being reported does not necessarily mean it is offered on this campus—ask directly before building a plan around it.
In athletics, the university participates in NCAA-affiliated intercollegiate competition, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The membership belongs to the school, not to your child—if your child is interested in competing, write directly to the coach for that sport and ask about roster availability, division, and the possibility of an athletic scholarship, in writing.
Regarding distance education: the university offers it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 23 took their entire course load online, and 77 took at least one course in person. It also reports having at least one complete program that can be finished entirely through distance education—but confirm with the school whether that applies to the specific degree level and major your child is interested in.
The library operates with paid staff, annual expenditures above the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary lending. The university also reports a broad list of support services: combined academic and career counseling, a job board for currently enrolled students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a point of contact for veterans and their families, a student veterans’ organization, and a webpage dedicated to services for people with disabilities. Their being reported confirms that they exist as resources; it does not confirm their quality or effectiveness for your child’s particular situation. That must be verified by speaking with the appropriate office.
What Happens to Students Once They Arrive
This is, to me, the most honest part of the article, because this is where the numbers are not cushioned.
Of the cohort that entered full-time in the fall of 2022, 70 out of every 100 were still enrolled at the university or had already graduated one year later—the official retention criterion. The report does not separate how many were “still here” from how many had “already graduated,” nor does it explain what happened to the rest. Compared with similar schools, this proportion falls in the lower part of the group: seven out of every ten similar universities retained a larger proportion.
Regarding graduation: of the 1,894 students who entered full-time bachelor’s-degree programs in 2017, 958 had graduated from this school six years later. That is 51 out of every 100—almost half and half. At four years, the period most families have actually budgeted for, the figure falls to 34 out of every 100. The difference between four years and six is 17 percentage points. Compared with similar schools, this graduation rate falls below the midpoint of the group.
I want to tell you this plainly, without dramatizing it or softening it: if your family has budgeted for four years, it is time to have an honest conversation about how realistic that timeline is for the major your child is interested in. Before signing anything, request in writing how long the specific program typically takes, how required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if a fifth year becomes necessary. That fifth year, if it comes, must also be paid for.
There is one more figure, measured at eight years, that looks at a different cohort: of 3,777 students who entered between 2015 and 2016 (full-time and part-time, first-time students and those with prior experience), 52 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by August 2023. Among those who received a Pell Grant, that figure falls to 47 out of every 100—11 percentage points lower than among those who did not receive one. Compared with similar schools, it also falls below the midpoint of the group.
If your family would qualify for Pell, this is the question worth taking to the school: what specifically is available for those students—an assigned counselor, emergency aid, whether the internal scholarship is renewed each year. And ask them to answer you in writing.
What This Article Cannot Tell You
I do not know how much your family earns, whether you would live near or far from campus, what major your child wants to pursue, or how much they have already built into their record. I do not know whether you would qualify for Pell or whether the resident rate would apply to you. Only your family has those pieces, and some will be resolved only when the admission and financial-aid letters arrive.
What I can tell you is what the official data show, without dressing it up or obscuring it: it is a large public university with practically open admission, a moderate published price compared with similar schools but a net price in the high range for lower-income families, student debt that is common among its students, and graduation outcomes that are, honestly, closer to half than to excellence compared with its peers.
None of that disqualifies it. None of that guarantees it. These are the facts your family needs to consider alongside what your child wants to study, what they have already built, and what you are able and willing to pay. A real plan comes from that combination—not from a single article or a single figure.
Now you know this piece in depth. What remains is to put it together with the other two.
Source note: the information in this article comes from reports that University of Southern Mississippi submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent University of Southern Mississippi or the federal government, and this article is not a substitute for the admission and financial-aid letter the university sends directly to your family.