Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Mississippi (2026)
Updated
Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Mississippi lists 15 four-year institutions in Mississippi. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Mississippi, highest first.
The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. University of Mississippi ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $66,243 for its graduates four years after completing. The page includes 8 public and 7 private nonprofit schools.
University of Mississippi also holds the best Azimuth composite rank in the state, at 179th among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally. Mississippi Valley State University posts the lowest average net price on the list, at $9,686.
Delta State University admits 100% of applicants, the highest admission rate among the ranked schools.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Mississippi · University, MS | $66,243 | $13,314 | $8,945 | 96.6% |
| University of Mississippi reports median earnings of $66,243 for its graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $59,311 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
| Mississippi State University admits 78% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 67%. | |||||
| 3 | University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS | $48,593 | $21,708 | $19,867 | 99.1% |
| University of Southern Mississippi ranks 3rd on this list and carries an average net price of $21,708. | |||||
| 4 | Jackson State University · Jackson, MS | $47,606 | $23,836 | $22,869 | 93.2% |
| Jackson State University posts a six-year completion rate of 51% alongside median earnings of $47,606 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Mississippi University for Women · Columbus, MS | $62,987 | $12,411 | $10,676 | 90.3% |
| Mississippi University for Women has an average net price of $10,676 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 335th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 6 | Alcorn State University · Alcorn State, MS | $45,495 | $13,265 | $12,613 | 45.3% |
| Alcorn State University admits 45% of applicants and reports median earnings of $45,495 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Millsaps College · Jackson, MS | $67,303 | $26,034 | $24,215 | 43.1% |
| Millsaps College, a private nonprofit university in Jackson, shows a six-year completion rate of 57%. | |||||
| 8 | Mississippi Valley State University · Itta Bena, MS | $40,972 | $9,686 | $9,073 | 92.4% |
| Mississippi Valley State University carries the lowest average net price on the page at $9,686 and graduates 27% of its students within six years. | |||||
| 9 | Rust College · Holly Springs, MS | $41,313 | $12,587 | $12,546 | 48.7% |
| Rust College reports median earnings of $41,313 for its graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 49%. | |||||
| 10 | Blue Mountain Christian University · Blue Mountain, MS | $40,841 | $24,016 | $23,112 | 89.0% |
| Blue Mountain Christian University has an average net price of $23,112 for families earning under $30,000 and a six-year completion rate of 55%. | |||||
| 11 | Belhaven University · Jackson, MS | $51,795 | $15,676 | $10,551 | 49.8% |
| Belhaven University ranks 11th on this list and reports median earnings of $51,795 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Mississippi Christian University · Clinton, MS | $55,434 | $27,712 | $25,984 | 29.1% |
| Mississippi Christian University is the most selective school on the page, admitting 29% of applicants, and ranks 951st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 13 | Tougaloo College · Tougaloo, MS | $42,641 | $17,043 | $17,294 | 59.9% |
| Tougaloo College reports median earnings of $42,641 for its graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $17,294 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 14 | Delta State University · Cleveland, MS | $47,248 | $13,540 | $12,223 | 100.0% |
| Delta State University, a public university in Cleveland, admits 100% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 48%. | |||||
| 15 | William Carey University · Hattiesburg, MS | $54,242 | $14,258 | $12,224 | 60.3% |
| William Carey University ranks 905th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $54,242 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Mississippi, highest first. The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The pillar draws on the median earnings of each institution's federally aided completers, across all fields, who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. It does not measure earnings in any single major or teaching quality. The list is split between 8 public and 7 private nonprofit schools.