Mississippi State University
Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average high school GPA: 3.24
Average ACT Score: 24
Annual In-state Cost of Attendance: $22,620
Freshmen with grant aid: 91%
Post graduation median salary: $43,600
Undergraduate Programs: 97
Most Popular Majors: Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
Business Administration and Management
Elementary Education and Teaching
Student Faculty Ratio: 19 to 1
Average Class Size: 20-29

The University of Mississippi
Acceptance Rate: 81.2%
Average high school GPA: 3.75
Average ACT Score: 24
Annual In-state Cost of Attendance: $22,704
Freshmen with grant aid: 68%
Post graduation median salary: $40,000
Undergraduate Programs: 108
Most Popular Majors: Registered Nursing
Elementary Education and Teaching
Psychology
Student Faculty Ratio: 18 to 1
Average Class Size: 10-19

The University of Southern Mississippi
Acceptance Rate: 66.7%
Average high school GPA: 3.24
Average ACT Score: 22
Annual In-state Cost of Attendance: $20,600
Freshmen with grant aid: 93%
Post graduation median salary: $38,000
Undergraduate Programs: 102
Most Popular Majors: Elementary Education and Teaching
Registered Nursing
Psychology
Student Faculty Ratio: 17 to 1
Average Class Size: 20-29

In a comparison of the three universities, a lot of their attributes are similar across the board; however, crucial differences are seen below the surface of the basic statistics.

One of the many factors in deciding which institution to attend can be its location. Mississippi State is located partially in Starkville, and partially in its own province dubbed Mississippi State, Mississippi. Starkville is categorized as a rural town, and is surrounded by an abundance of natural forest and farmland. Though Starkville is affectionately nicknamed “Starkvegas” it is the most rural out of each university town.

The middle ground is found in Oxford, home of Ole Miss. Oxford is categorized similarly to Starkville, but offers more restaurants, shopping, and entertainment venues per capita.

The smallest of the three universities, Southern Miss has the largest hometown of Hattiesburg, with a population roughly the size of Starkville and Oxford combined. Hattiesburg boasts a spectrum of exciting activities, and is only a short drive from the gulf coast. Though each college town is different, a large part of the social life is based on the grounds of the university itself.

Though the pros and cons for each university will vary from person to person, here is a short summary comparing attributes of the university to nationwide standards, assigned as either a pro or a con based on popular belief.

Mississippi State
Pros
There is roughly $8,000 of research expenditure per student, per year.
The average out of pocket cost of attendance is $15,297.
Cons
The student faculty ratio falls in the bottom 30% in the nation.
College crime rate almost doubles that of the national college crime rate average per capita.

Ole Miss
Pros
Retention rate of full time students ranks in the top 30% in the nation.
The median salary of graduates 10 years post-enrollment is about $40,600.
Cons
The student faculty ratio falls in the bottom 45% in the nation.
Only about 68% of all undergraduates receive grant aid.

Southern Miss
Pros
The median salary of graduates 10 years post-enrollment is about $38,000.
College crime rate is roughly half of the national average college crime rate per capita.
Cons
Southern Miss expends about 150 times less funding for research in engineering than the national university average, and about 12 times less on Math and Computer science research.