Mississippi State University prides itself on its three broad purposes in education—teaching, research, and service. MSU hires high-quality faculty, staff, and administrators to support well-designed and comprehensive academic programs that will assist students in leading constructive lives and achieve their personal and professional goals.
Our university is proud to provide the information on this site to demonstrate the caliber of our programs and services. This site discloses all of the requirements in accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act that was reauthorized in 2008 (http://www.ed.gov/HEOA), but we have provided additional information beyond federal disclosure requirements.
We invite students, parents, alumni, employees, and other interested parties to explore the many facets of our university in order to make informed decisions about MSU. This site includes discussions and links to supporting web sites in the following areas:
- General Institutional Information
- Educational Programs & Outcomes
- Financial Information
- Health & Safety
- Research
- Service & Outreach
General Institutional Information
In fall 2021, the University enrolled 23,086 students, 16,335 (70.8%) of which were full-time students. Of those who reported race or ethnicity and gender, 6,556 (28.4%) were reported minority students and 11,822 (51.2%) were female. The majority of the students, 18,584 (80.5%) are undergraduate students, and 4,104 (17.8%) are graduate students. The remaining 398 (1.7%) are professional students in veterinary medicine.
- MSU Mission and Values
- Points of Pride
- Bulldog Basics
- Information concerning the privacy of student records (FERPA)
- Facilities and services for students with disabilities
- Student diversity and enrollment demographics
- Student activities / campus organizations
- Campus Life
- Common Data Set
- Career and job placement services - Career Center
- Copyright infringement policies and sanctions
- Computer use and file sharing
- Instructional facilities
- Transfer credits and articulation agreements
- Textbook information
- Athletic program participation rates (Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act)
- Voter Registration
- City of Starkville
Educational Programs & Outcomes
Known throughout our history as "The People's University," our university provides the academic, leadership, and social opportunities to help each person excel. How do we know that our educational programs are successful? Mississippi State University engages in continuous improvement processes, known as institutional effectiveness. The information in this section demonstrates the types of outcomes that our institution uses to measure institutional effectiveness and to maintain excellence in its programs.
During 2020-21, MSU awarded 5,510 degrees. Our 6-year graduation rate was 64%, and our freshman to sophomore retention rate was 85%. Compare our institution with other institutions at the National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS Data Center.
Every year, MSU collects first destination data on graduates through six months post-graduation. The most recently available data are from 2020-21 with a 78% response rate. The Career Center shares an annual report:www.career.msstate.edu/annualreport
As of December 16, 2021, MSU employed 1,198 instructional faculty. To support the research and service mission of the institution, MSU also employed 99 research faculty, 73 extension faculty, and 137 clinical.
- Accreditation, approval, and licensure of institution and programs
- Current degree programs
- Faculty list
- Faculty profile
- Program improvement plans
- Retention rate
- Graduation rate
- Teacher preparation program report
- Gainful employment-Mississippi State University does not offer any educational programs that fall within the federal definitions of gainful employment. Refer to the list of available degree programs and their requirements for more information about the University's educational programs.
Financial Information
Student financial aid is economic assistance to help students finance their college education. This assistance can come in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, employment, or waivers. Our staff in the Department of Student Financial Aid is happy to help students with questions about and the process for obtaining financial assistance.
- Contact information for Student Financial Aid
- Cost of attendance
- Student financial aid information, including requirements for eligibility
- Assistance available for federal, state, local, and institutional programs
- Refund policy, requirements for withdrawal, and return of federal financial aid
- Satisfactory academic progress
- Federal student financial aid penalties for drug law violations
- Preferred lender list
- Code of conduct
Health and Safety
Mississippi State University is committed to creating and maintaining a community in which students, faculty, and staff can work together in a safe atmosphere. Every member of the university community should be aware that the university considers personal physical safety of students and employees to be a minimal prerequisite for the establishment of a learning environment.
The MSU Police Department is a full-service agency that is available 24 hours a day, throughout the year. The MSU Police Department is comprised of professional commissioned police officers who receive the same level of training as municipal and county law enforcement officers.
- Maroon Alert emergency warning system
- Campus security policies, crime statistics, & crime log
- Fire safety policies, statistics, & fire log
- Drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs
- Sexual assault services office
- State of Mississippi sexual offenders registry
- Safety tips
- Missing student policy (report incidents by calling the Police at 662-325-2121 or through Dean of Students web site)
- Immunization requirements
- Ethics Line
Research
Mississippi State is among the nation's leading major research universities, according to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The NSF Higher Education Research and Development Survey for Fiscal Year 2020 (released in 2021) placed Mississippi State at 88 overall among public and private institutions based on $280 million in total research and development expenditures. Nationally, MSU is ranked 59 in non-medical school R&D expenditures and 59 among public institutions. The 2020 survey ranked 910 institutions.
View more information about Research at Mississippi State University.
Service & Outreach
To meet its outreach and public service mission, Mississippi State University operates various research units, extension systems, and centers and institutes. The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station operates research sites throughout the state. Additionally, the University offers programs and services through its Extension Service to educate the people of the state to help them make decisions about their vocations, families, and environment. Both of these systems combined form the MSUcares, or Coordinated Access to the Research and Extension System. These scientists, specialists, and agents work daily to solve problems and to educate the people all across the State of Mississippi.
Additionally, the Maroon Volunteer Center offers opportunities for students and employees to participate in services, programs, and events in support of the MSU community.
Mississippi State University’s elective designation for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification was renewed in 2020. This classification is based on voluntary participation for institutions that collaborate with their local, state, regional, national, or even global communities. The institution initially received this honor in 2010. Currently, 359 institutions in the nation have this designation.
Last updated: March 28, 2022
