Cost & financial aid brief
University of Southern Mississippi Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does University of Southern Mississippi cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 18% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving a sticker-to-net gap of $4,858. The pattern across income bands is one of relatively flat pricing.
The lowest-income band averages $19,867, only $6,675 less than the highest band at $26,542. That narrow spread suggests aid is distributed broadly rather than targeted sharply at the neediest families.
The figures are averages within each band and do not describe any individual aid package.
The published cost of attendance at University of Southern Mississippi is $26,566. Azimuth ranks the university #664 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $19,867, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $22,756, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $26,542. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $6,675.
Aid covers about 18% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $21,708, which is $6,074 above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $22,500 in federal student loans. That is $2,424 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions.
84.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $14,301.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
The University of Southern Mississippi serves a student body where federal borrowing is widespread: 84.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $22,500, which is $2,424 above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
The range around that median is broad. For a separate population of parent borrowers, the median Parent PLUS loan is $14,301.
Graduates of University of Southern Mississippi earn a median of $48,593 four years after completing a degree. That figure is $17,017 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and it sits at the 15th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $1,807 less than expects for similar students, a result at the 48th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $37,087 to an upside of $71,055.
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,500 in federal student loans, $2,424 above the peer median of $20,076. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month.
Earnings land below the peer median and below what the model expects. The upside earnings scenario reaches $71,055.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $14,301. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $14,301
- Estimated parent payment
- $182/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | Caution |
| $100,000 | Safe |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $22,500
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $14,301
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $256/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $182/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $438/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $48,593, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
11.8% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.