1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Mississippi](/school/university-of-mississippi/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # University of Mississippi Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-mississippi/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-mississippi/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-mississippi/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/university-of-mississippi/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-mississippi/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at University of Mississippi? University of Mississippi’s reported acceptance rate is 96.6%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 96.6% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2025-26 **Applicants** 37,621 **Admitted** 36,635 Source: University of Mississippi Common Data Set 2025-26, C1 · first-time, first-year students. How to interpret the acceptance rate The University of Mississippi admits 96.6% of applicants, a rate above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 37,621 first-year applicants and 36,635 admitted applicants, with 5,458 enrolling. ## What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled University of Mississippi students report? In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported an average high-school GPA of 3.60 among enrolled first-year students reporting one, 99.9% of the cohort. Enrolled SAT submitters posted a middle half from 990 to 1175 and a median of 1080; 27% of the entering class submitted SATs. Enrolled ACT submitters posted a middle half from 21 to 29 and a median of 25; 61% of the entering class submitted ACTs. Among enrolled first-year students with a reported class rank, 46% were in the upper quarter of their high-school class and 22% were in the upper tenth. Only 35% of the entering class reported a rank. An applicant can weigh their own scores against the university's 990–1175 SAT and 21–29 ACT ranges as context, not as a cutoff. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at University of Mississippi. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. **27% of entering students submitted SAT scores** SAT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 990 **Median** 1080 **75th percentile** 1175 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. **61% of entering students submitted ACT scores** ACT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 21 **Median** 25 **75th percentile** 29 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. Source: University of Mississippi Common Data Set 2025-26, C9 · Enrolled first-time, first-year score submitters. ## Who enrolls at University of Mississippi? **Pell Grant recipients** 21.7% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 19.1% **First-year retention** 87.2% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. 21.7% of undergraduates at University of Mississippi receive Pell Grants. An estimated 19.1% arrive as transfers or part-time students, out of 21,473 undergraduates overall. The campus draws from multiple entry points. Many students bring prior college credit earned elsewhere, and federal grant aid supports a distinct share of the undergraduate population. That mix reflects a student body combining traditional first-year entrants with continuing-education paths. Pell-eligible and transfer applicants should verify how their specific aid awards and transfer credits align with degree requirements in their intended program before committing. Those shares describe the enrolled population, not the criteria that shape any single admission decision. University of Mississippi retains 87.2% of its first-year students, above the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 71.7%, also above the peer median of 65.0%. Pell recipients complete at 47.9%, 23.8 percentage points below the overall rate. Enrolled students can expect persistence and completion rates that exceed the norm for similar schools, though the experience for Pell recipients diverges from the overall pattern. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported a retention rate of 87% for the first-time, full-time fall 2024 entering class. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time, full-time fall 2019 entering class was 70.0%, with Pell recipients in that cohort completing at 57.0%, below the overall rate. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).