University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, MS · Public

Official website

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Admission rate

University of Southern Mississippi admitted 99.1% of applicants university-wide (6,986 of 7,048).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide99.1%6,9867,048
Men98.8%2,5512,582
Women99.3%4,4354,466

Of 6,986 admitted students, 1,745 enrolled (25.0% yield).

University of Southern Mississippi U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

ACT (mid-50%)
20–29

Testing policy: Required

University of Southern Mississippi U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $24,770/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$11,998
Fees, housing, food, books & other$12,772
Sticker cost of attendance$24,770/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$19,867
$30k–48k$20,432
$48k–75k$22,756
$75k–110k$25,812
Over $110k$26,542

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Golden Eagle Scholarship$8,000 per year (Merit)
  • Academic Excellence Award$500 to $6,000 per year (Automatic)
  • Eagle Scholarship$4,000 per year (Merit)
  • Non-Resident Award$4,000 per year (Automatic)
  • Mississippi Resident Scholarship$2,000 per year (Merit)
  • Transfer Academic Scholarship$2,000 per year (Automatic)
  • USM GrantUp to $2,000 per year (Need Based)
  • Athletic ScholarshipVaries up to full cost of attendance (Full Ride)
  • Eagle Elite ScholarshipFull tuition, fees, room and board (Full Tuition)
  • Freshman Academic ScholarshipVaries, up to $5,000 per year (Merit)
  • Non-Resident Tuition WaiverCovers difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition (Other)

International applicants

No need-based aid reported for internationals.

  • Golden Eagle Scholarship$8,000 per year (Merit)
  • Academic Excellence Award$500 to $6,000 per year (Automatic)
  • Eagle Scholarship$4,000 per year (Merit)
  • Non-Resident Award$4,000 per year (Automatic)
  • Transfer Academic Scholarship$2,000 per year (Automatic)
  • Athletic ScholarshipVaries up to full cost of attendance (Full Ride)
  • Eagle Elite ScholarshipFull tuition, fees, room and board (Full Tuition)
  • Freshman Academic ScholarshipVaries, up to $5,000 per year (Merit)

University of Southern Mississippi U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Online Application (USM Application or Common Application)
  • High School Transcripts and/or School Leaving Examination Results
  • Official College Transcripts
  • SAT or ACT Scores (optional)
  • GRE, GMAT, or MAT Scores (optional)
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose or Writing Sample
  • Immunization Records

International applicants

  • Online Application (USM Application or Common Application)
  • High School Transcripts and/or School Leaving Examination Results
  • Official College Transcripts
  • SAT or ACT Scores (optional)
  • GRE, GMAT, or MAT Scores (optional)
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose or Writing Sample
  • Immunization Records
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

University of Southern Mississippi · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

University of Southern Mississippi requires no supplemental essays.

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$44,140
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
49.1%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
72%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$22,500
At graduation

University of Southern Mississippi · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #318
  • WSJ: #531
  • Niche: #254

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (21%), Psychology (7%), Computer & information sciences (6%).

University of Southern Mississippi U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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