1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Southern Mississippi](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of Southern Mississippi Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do University of Southern Mississippi graduates earn? The reported median is $48,593 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$17,017 per year. Return is the weakest pillar at University of Southern Mississippi, in the 25th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion sit at $48,593, in the 15th percentile, which is $17,017 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $1,807 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 48th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,538. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,345. Earnings vary substantially by program mix: the downside scenario is $37,087 and the upside scenario is $71,055. These are earnings scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians graduates earn $89,904 four years after completion, from 51 degrees awarded. Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians follows at $82,848, with 98 degrees awarded. An estimated 28.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $48,593 **Rank for difference from expectations** 48th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **University of Southern Mississippi reported median** $48,593 **Peer schools comparable schools · $17,017 above University of Southern Mississippi** $65,610 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $1,807 above University of Southern Mississippi** $50,400 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $37,087 to $71,055, around the reported median of $48,593. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Southern Mississippi borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $37,087 **Median · reported** $48,593 **Higher estimate** $71,055 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do University of Southern Mississippi graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). University of Southern Mississippi graduates’ reported earnings are $1,807 below that expectation, the 48th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending University of Southern Mississippi caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$6,538 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$8,345 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$1,807 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at University of Southern Mississippi report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at University of Southern Mississippi are concentrated in technical fields, but the largest programs earn more moderately. Nursing is the exception: it awards 149 degrees a year and posts a median of $72,411 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #298 nationally within its field. Psychology is another large program, with 146 degrees awarded and median earnings of $37,925. Azimuth ranks it #337 nationally within its field. Liberal Arts and General Studies awards 161 degrees and reports median earnings of $44,963. Azimuth ranks it #157 nationally within its field, and it is the top-ranked program in Mississippi for that field. Business accounts for 16.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 12.0%. The university has 19 nationally ranked programs, and earnings data is available for 42 fields. Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians holds the strongest national rank at #2, and it is also ranked #1 in Mississippi. It awarded 98 degrees and its completers earned a median of $82,848 four years after completion. Nursing is the highest-earning large program, with 149 degrees awarded and median earnings of $72,411. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #298 within its field. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians is another ranked program, awarding 51 degrees and showing median earnings of $89,904; it ranks #6 nationally. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians** $89,904 **Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians** $82,848 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $81,740 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $72,411 **Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other** $70,328 **Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences** $66,142 **Accounting and Related Services** $65,861 **Chemistry** $63,856 [Explore University of Southern Mississippi program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-southern-mississippi/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $37,087 to a typical outcome of $48,593 and an upside of $71,055. The spread reflects variation by field. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians reaches $89,904 four years after completion, while Psychology, the lowest-earning among the largest programs, stands at $37,925. Federally aided graduates from University of Southern Mississippi who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $48,593 four years after completion, measured among a cohort of 2,856 completers. That median sits at the 15th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $17,017 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $1,807 less than the model expects for similar students. It is the gap between actual earnings and the model's expectation for similar students. Estimated from the program mix, the earnings scenarios run from $37,087 on the downside to $71,055 on the upside, with $48,593 as the typical outcome. An estimated 28.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## 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. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).