What is the acceptance rate at Mississippi State University?

Mississippi State University's acceptance rate is approximately 78% (Mississippi State, MS), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.

What SAT score do you need for Mississippi State University?

Admitted students at Mississippi State University typically score 1100–1350 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.

How much does Mississippi State University cost?

At Mississippi State University, the average net price (after aid) is about $17,595 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.

How many undergraduates attend Mississippi State University?

Mississippi State University enrolls approximately 18,397 undergraduate students.

Where is Mississippi State University located?

Mississippi State University is located in Mississippi State, MS.

Mississippi State University: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Cost — QuantAdmit

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Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MSpublicmsstate.edu

Acceptance

78%

SAT 25–75

1100–1350

Avg net price

$17,595

Earnings (10 yr)

$51,513

Graduation rate

67%

Admit rate has ranged 54%–80% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.

Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.

Mississippi State University blends SEC football fervor with deep strengths in agriculture, engineering, and veterinary sciences. With a 77.6% acceptance rate and a 95% career outcomes rate within six months of graduation, it’s a land-grant powerhouse where cowbells ring loud and STEM thrives.

Admission requirements

Test-optional — scores considered if submitted

Required

High school transcript
Grade point average
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)

Considered (not required)

Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)

Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.

More details

Undergrad enrollment: 18,397
In-state tuition: $10,202
Out-of-state tuition: $27,637
Notable Fact: Athlete Graduation Success Rate: 96% (tops in SEC)
Acceptance Rate: 77.6%
Graduation Rate: 63%
Most Popular Majors: Business, Psychology, Kinesiology
6-Month Career Outcomes Rate: 95%

Outcomes & value

Median earnings (10 yr): $51,513
Value (earnings ÷ net price): 2.9×
Median debt at graduation: $22,142
Graduation rate: 67%
First-year retention: 83%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr): 63%
Pell (lower-income) share: 63%
First-generation share: 25%
Endowment / student: $48,632

Top-earning majors

Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$74,405
Chemical Engineering$74,307
Mechanical Engineering$73,852
Industrial Engineering$69,710
Computer Engineering$67,660
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$63,005

Campus & location

Campus safety

On-campus violent crimes (2024): 7
Per 1,000 students: 0.38

On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.

Climate

Pleasant days / yr: 92
Summer high: 90°F
Winter low: 40°F
Annual rain: 55.4"
Annual snow: 1.3"
Natural-hazard risk: Relatively Low

Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.

Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility

Research output

Institutional h-index: 447
Scholarly works: 52,768

Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.

Economic mobility

Mobility rate: 1.8%
Bottom → top quintile: 20%
From bottom quintile: 9%

Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.

Quick answers

What is the acceptance rate at Mississippi State University?: Mississippi State University's acceptance rate is approximately 78% (Mississippi State, MS), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Mississippi State University?: Admitted students at Mississippi State University typically score 1100–1350 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Mississippi State University cost?: At Mississippi State University, the average net price (after aid) is about $17,595 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Mississippi State University?: Mississippi State University enrolls approximately 18,397 undergraduate students.
Where is Mississippi State University located?: Mississippi State University is located in Mississippi State, MS.

Admissions

Mississippi State’s admissions process is moderately selective, with a 77.6% (though Reddit chatter suggests it dipped to 57% in 2019). Middle 50% test scores for admitted freshmen fall between 1100–1340 on the SAT and 21–29 on the ACT. Over half (51.2%) of enrollees boast GPAs of 3.75 or higher, with automatic admission granted to Mississippi residents ranking in the top 50% of their class with at least a 16 ACT or 770 SAT. Transfer students face similar academic benchmarks.

bigfuture.collegeboard.org prepscholar.com catalog.msstate.edu reddit.com

Academics

MSU offers 175+ degree programs, with business administration (9% of graduates), psychology (6%), and kinesiology (6%) as the most popular. The university’s agricultural and engineering programs are particularly renowned, alongside veterinary and animal science—a of its land-grant roots. Graduate offerings include doctoral programs, emphasizing research in these core areas. A Reddit thread notes professors are 'typically work with you,' while Facebook data highlights strong career outcomes for graduates in key majors.

msstate.edu