Public Universities and Colleges in Mississippi: Systems, Flagships and How Admission Works
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Feb 02, 2025 • US States & Cities
Mississippi has 8 public universities under one governing board, 15 public community colleges, and one statewide minimum admission standard with three ways to qualify.
🎓 2 flagships: University of Mississippi (Oxford) and Mississippi State University (Starkville)
🏠 3 historically Black universities: Alcorn State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State
📩 Minimum admission: 3.20 GPA with no test score, or 2.50 GPA plus ACT 16, or 2.00 GPA plus ACT 18
15 community colleges feed transfer students into every public university
One board runs all 8 public universities
The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board of Trustees governs all 8 public universities in the state. The board sets tuition, approves admission standards, and oversees each campus budget, so policies stay consistent across the system even though the campuses differ in size and mission.
The 8 universities
Two campuses carry flagship status and the largest research budgets. The other six serve specific regions or missions.
| University | City | Type |
|---|---|---|
| University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) | Oxford | Flagship, law school, largest enrollment |
| Mississippi State University | Starkville | Flagship, land-grant, veterinary medicine |
| University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg | Research university, polymer science, Gulf Coast programs |
| Jackson State University | Jackson | Historically Black university, urban research |
| Alcorn State University | Lorman | Historically Black land-grant university |
| Mississippi Valley State University | Itta Bena | Historically Black university, Delta region |
| Delta State University | Cleveland | Regional university, aviation program |
| Mississippi University for Women | Columbus | Regional university, nursing and health sciences |
A ninth IHL campus, the University of Mississippi Medical Center , offers only a handful of undergraduate degrees in nursing and health-related professions. Its main role is graduate and professional training in medicine, dentistry and other health fields.
Flagship or regional: match the campus to your goals
Ole Miss and Mississippi State draw students from every state and abroad, run the widest range of majors, and charge the highest out-of-state tuition. Pick one of them if you want a large research campus, Division I athletics, or a program only they offer, such as pharmacy or veterinary medicine.
The six regional universities cost less, admit at similar or lower thresholds, and often deliver strong outcomes in a narrow set of fields. Delta State trains commercial pilots. Mississippi University for Women runs one of the state's largest nursing programs. Jackson State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State combine historically Black university traditions with research and graduate programs of their own.
15 community colleges feed the system
The Mississippi Community College Board oversees 15 public community colleges spread across the state, including Hinds, Jones, East Mississippi, Meridian, Holmes, Itawamba, Coahoma, Pearl River, Northeast Mississippi, Northwest Mississippi, East Central, Copiah-Lincoln, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi Gulf Coast and Southwest Mississippi. Tuition runs well below any of the 8 universities, and general education credits transfer through the Mississippi Articulation and Transfer Tool , so a 2-year start followed by a transfer into a university junior year is a standard, low-cost path.
How admission works
The IHL board sets one statewide minimum standard that applies at every public university. You qualify by meeting any one of these:
3.20 cumulative GPA (4.0 scale) after completing the college preparatory curriculum, no test score required
2.50 GPA or top 50 percent class rank, plus an ACT composite of 16 or higher
2.00 GPA plus an ACT composite of 18 or higher
Qualification as an NCAA Division I athlete
Individual campuses add requirements on top of this floor, according to the IHL admission standards page . Ole Miss and Mississippi State routinely admit students well above the minimum, and both schools set higher bars for competitive majors, honors colleges and merit scholarships. Check each university's admissions page for the numbers that apply to the program you want, not just the systemwide floor.
When and how to apply
All 8 public universities accept applications through their own portals rather than one shared application, though some also take the Common App. Most run rolling admission, so you get a decision fairly quickly instead of waiting for one release date. Apply early in your senior year: scholarship committees at Ole Miss and Mississippi State review files in the order they arrive, and merit aid runs out for later applicants even while general admission stays open.
Send an official high school transcript and, if you're using the test-score admission pathway, your ACT or SAT report directly from the testing agency. If you already hold community college or dual-enrollment credit, request those transcripts too, so the registrar evaluates your transfer credit before you register for classes.
Choosing where to apply
Start with your intended major. Aviation, veterinary medicine, pharmacy and nursing each concentrate at specific campuses, so the program often narrows the list before cost or location does. After that, weigh distance from home, campus size, and whether you want flagship-level research resources or a smaller regional school where introductory classes stay small.