The cost of college in Mississippi — and what it pays back
Across the 32 Mississippi institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $9,015/yr, $7,887 below the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $33,687 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 3 of the 32 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Mississippi's 32 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millsaps College | $26,034 | $53,848 | 19 yrs |
| University of Mississippi | $13,314 | $50,994 | 20.2 yrs |
| Mississippi State University | $17,595 | $51,513 | 22.3 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coahoma Community College | -$274 | $24,289 | no payback |
| Southwest Mississippi Community College | $2,525 | $33,227 | no payback |
| Mississippi Delta Community College | $3,715 | $28,421 | no payback |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community College | $3,894 | $31,241 | no payback |
| Hinds Community College | $4,060 | $30,774 | no payback |
How many Mississippi colleges actually pay for themselves?
3 of 32 — 9% of the Mississippi institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Mississippi graduates out-earn the national median?
Mississippi graduates report a median $33,687 ten years after entry, $9,862 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.