Cost of Attending College in Mississippi: Tuition and Living Costs
By Muntasir • Published May 02, 2026 • Updated Sep 27, 2026 • US States & Cities
Mississippi's 8 public universities charge in-state tuition between $7,492 and $10,897 a year for 2026-27, and out-of-state tuition between $7,492 and $32,149. Full on-campus cost of attendance at Ole Miss runs $32,148 in-state and $52,938 out-of-state.
💵 Cheapest: Mississippi Valley State and Delta State, both under $8,500 a year for any student
🏠 Ole Miss: $10,278 in-state, $31,068 out-of-state
🎓 Mississippi State: $10,845 in-state, $29,836 out-of-state
Community college tuition runs well below any 4-year public university
Tuition at Mississippi's 8 public universities, 2026-27
The IHL Board sets tuition once a year for all 8 public universities. These are the approved combined fall and spring rates for undergraduates, from the board's approved tuition schedule :
| University | In-state (annual) | Out-of-state (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Valley State University | $7,492 | $7,492 |
| Delta State University | $8,435 | $8,435 |
| Alcorn State University | $8,105 | $9,105 |
| Mississippi University for Women | $8,647 | $9,647 |
| Jackson State University | $9,408 | $13,408 |
| University of Mississippi | $10,278 | $31,068 |
| University of Southern Mississippi | $10,684 | $12,684 |
| Mississippi State University | $10,845 | $29,836 |
Delta State and Mississippi Valley State charge the same rate to every student regardless of home state, so they stand out for out-of-state applicants. Ole Miss and Mississippi State charge the widest gap between in-state and out-of-state rates of any campus in the system.
These figures don't include required fees. Every campus adds a Capital Improvements Fee and a Student Activity Fee each term, and some add a per-credit-hour Technology Fee, together adding roughly $100 to $300 a year depending on the campus.
Paying by semester, not by year
IHL's published tuition figures combine fall and spring into one annual number, but you pay half at the start of each term. Budget the full annual figure when you plan financial aid and loans, then confirm your actual per-semester bill through your campus's student account portal, since fees shift slightly between terms.
Extra fees by campus
Fees vary by campus and stack on top of tuition. Ole Miss charges a $50-per-term Capital Improvements Fee plus $2 per credit hour in Student Activity Fee. Mississippi State charges a $100-per-term Capital Improvements Fee plus $25 per term for Student Activity Fee. Alcorn State adds a $20-per-credit-hour Technology Fee, capped at $240 a term, on top of its Capital Improvements and Student Activity fees. Check your specific campus's fee schedule before you budget, since the totals differ by hundreds of dollars a year.
What the sticker price leaves out
Tuition is only part of the bill. At the University of Mississippi, the published cost of attendance for a student living on campus totals $32,148 for in-state students and $52,938 for out-of-state students, including tuition, fees, housing ($8,030), food ($5,580), books, personal expenses and transportation, according to Ole Miss's cost of attendance page . Books, supplies, transportation and personal expenses push real totals higher still. Budget a similar room-and-board range at other campuses, adjusted for local rent in each college town.
Community colleges and private schools
Mississippi's 15 public community colleges, run by the Mississippi Community College Board, charge tuition well below any of the 8 universities, which makes a 2-year start followed by a transfer one of the cheapest routes to a bachelor's degree in the state. Private nonprofit colleges such as Millsaps College, Mississippi College and Belhaven University publish sticker tuition higher than most public out-of-state rates, but they also award their own institutional aid. Use each private college's net price calculator rather than the sticker price to estimate your real cost.
How Mississippi compares for out-of-state students
If you're weighing public universities in different states, Mississippi's out-of-state sticker prices split into two tiers. Delta State, Mississippi Valley State, Alcorn State, Mississippi University for Women, Jackson State and Southern Miss all charge out-of-state rates under $13,500 a year, competitive with in-state tuition at many other states' public universities. Ole Miss and Mississippi State price out-of-state students far higher, above $29,000 a year before room and board.
Lowering your cost
Mississippi residency cuts your tuition by thousands of dollars a year at every campus except Delta State and Mississippi Valley State, so confirm your residency status before you enroll. State grant programs like MTAG, MESG and HELP, applied for through the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid , cover tuition and fees entirely for students who qualify on income or GPA.