University of Southern Mississippi

www.usm.edu

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$9,094

3.51% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$13,651

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

95.8%

9,314 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

14,146

74.9% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

51.8%

783 Graduates

About

University of Southern Mississippi is a higher education institution located in Forrest County, MS. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at University of Southern Mississippi were Registered Nursing (203 degrees awarded), General Business Administration & Management (176 degrees), and General Psychology (167 degrees).

In 2021, 3,570 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of Southern Mississippi. 65.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 34.1% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,301 degrees), 2.72 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (845 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of Southern Mississippi is $9,094, which is $−19,898 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

Photo by hattiesburgmemory

Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at University of Southern Mississippi is $9,094, which is $−19,898 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $13,651.

In 2021, 88% of undergraduate students attending University of Southern Mississippi received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 54% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$9,094

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at University of Southern Mississippi was $9,094. The cost of tuition at University of Southern Mississippi is $−19,898 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

This chart compares the tuition costs of University of Southern Mississippi (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$13,651

2021 Value

7.73%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 University of Southern Mississippi had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $13,651. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of University of Southern Mississippi grew by 7.73%.

This chart compares the average net price of University of Southern Mississippi (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$10,269

Room and Board

$1,400

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of Southern Mississippi was of $10,269 in 2021. The cost of room and board did not change between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,400. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 6.67% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at University of Southern Mississippi (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

88%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

54%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

88% of undergraduate students at University of Southern Mississippi received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 6.02% with respect to 2020, when 83% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at University of Southern Mississippi (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

2019 Default Rate

124

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at University of Southern Mississippi was 3%, which represents 124 out of the 4140 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

University of Southern Mississippi received 9,314 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 3.81% annual growth. Out of those 9,314 applicants, 8,922 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 95.8% acceptance rate.

There were 14,146 students enrolled at University of Southern Mississippi in 2021.

University of Southern Mississippi has an overall enrollment yield of 17.8%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

95.8%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

8,922

Accepted Out of 9,314

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of Southern Mississippi was 95.8% (8,922 admissions from 9,314 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 96.3%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 3.81%, while admissions declined by −4.35%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of University of Southern Mississippi (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

Enrollment

University of Southern Mississippi had a total enrollment of 14,146 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at University of Southern Mississippi is 10,590 students and the part-time enrollment is 3,556. This means that 74.9% of students enrolled at University of Southern Mississippi are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at University of Southern Mississippi, both undergraduate and graduate, is 60.5% White, 27% Black or African American, 3.88% Hispanic or Latino, 3.32% Two or More Races, 1.69% Asian, 0.346% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0919% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at University of Southern Mississippi in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (38.5%), followed by White Male (21.3%) and Black or African American Female (20.5%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (38.8%), followed by White Male (21.1%) and Black or African American Female (12.5%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

74.9%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of Southern Mississippi in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 14,146 students. The full-time enrollment at University of Southern Mississippi is 10,590 and the part-time enrollment is 3,556. This means that 74.9% of students enrolled at University of Southern Mississippi are enrolled full-time compared with 76.6% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at University of Southern Mississippi (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

70%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at University of Southern Mississippi was 70%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), University of Southern Mississippi had a retention rate lower than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at University of Southern Mississippi (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
8,564 enrolled students
Black or African American
3,816 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
549 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at University of Southern Mississippi is 60.5% White, 27% Black or African American, 3.88% Hispanic or Latino, 3.32% Two or More Races, 1.69% Asian, 0.346% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0919% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 48.9% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.56% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 50 students (0.353%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 1,136 more women than men received degrees from University of Southern Mississippi. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at University of Southern Mississippi is white (2,301 degrees awarded). There were 2.72 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (845 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of Southern Mississippi is Registered Nursing (203 degrees awarded), followed by General Business Administration & Management (176 degrees) and General Psychology (167 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at University of Southern Mississippi, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Library Science (119 degrees awarded), Applied Sciences (26 degrees), and Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (206 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Southern Mississippi are Elementary & middle school teachers (130,426 people), Other managers (100,945 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (98,683 people), Secondary school teachers (66,611 people), and Postsecondary teachers (50,120 people).

The most specialized majors at University of Southern Mississippi in 2021 are Library Science (119 degrees awarded), Applied Sciences (26 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (206 degrees), Human Sciences (133 degrees), and Engineering Technologies (144 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Southern Mississippi are Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Surgeons, Diagnostic medical sonographers, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, and Physicians

The most specialized majors at University of Southern Mississippi are Library Science (119 degrees awarded), Applied Sciences (26 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (206 degrees), Human Sciences (133 degrees), and Engineering Technologies (144 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Southern Mississippi are Elementary & secondary schools (289,374 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (133,120 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (105,550 people), Computer Systems Design (84,701 people), and Legal services (77,992 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by University of Southern Mississippi.

Most Common (2021)

Registered Nursing
203 degree-majors awarded
General Business Administration & Management
176 degree-majors awarded
General Psychology
167 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of Southern Mississippi was Registered Nursing with 203 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at University of Southern Mississippi according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

1,217

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

2,353

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 1,217 degrees were awarded to men at University of Southern Mississippi, which is 0.517 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,353).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at University of Southern Mississippi by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 96 degrees were awarded to men at University of Southern Mississippi in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.681 times less than the 141 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 161 degrees were awarded to men at University of Southern Mississippi in Registered Nursing, which is 3.83 times more than the 42 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

28%

100% Completion Time

49%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 28% of students graduating from University of Southern Mississippi completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 49% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 51% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Hispanic or Latino Male

Highest Graduation Rate (64.3%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at University of Southern Mississippi is Male and Hispanic or Latino (64.3% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0.383% of graduates (3 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
2,301 degrees awarded
Black or African American
845 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
137 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of Southern Mississippi is white (2,301 degrees awarded). There were 2.72 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (845 degrees).

0% of degree recipients (0 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
1,510 degrees awarded
White Male
791 degrees awarded
Black or African American Female
587 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of Southern Mississippi is white female (1,510 degrees awarded). There were 1.91 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (791 degrees).

Operations

University of Southern Mississippi has an endowment valued at nearly $143M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 3.54M (2.47%) compared to the 10.4% average return (40.5M on 388M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2021, University of Southern Mississippi had a total salary expenditure of 342M. University of Southern Mississippi employs 209 Assistant professors, 189 Associate professors and 147 Professors. Most academics at University of Southern Mississippi are Male Associate professor (112), Female Assistant professor (112), and Male Professor (98).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of Southern Mississippi are: Business and Financial Operations, with 308 employees, Computer, Engineering, and Science, with 225 employees, and Service with 204 employees.

Endowment

$143M

2021 Endowment

27.2%

growth from 2020

University of Southern Mississippi has an endowment valued at about $143M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of University of Southern Mississippi grew 27.2% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $244M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at University of Southern Mississippi (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$143M

2021 Salaries

1.51%

decline from 2020

In 2021, University of Southern Mississippi paid a median of $143M in salaries, which represents 42% of their overall expenditure ($342M) and a 1.51% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.8% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$49.5M

Instructional Salaries

651

Number of Employees

In 2021, University of Southern Mississippi paid a total of $49.5M to 651 employees working as instructors, which represents 34.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Assistant professor

Most Common Instructor

209 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

308 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of Southern Mississippi were Assistant professor with 209 employees, Associate professor with 189 employees, and Professor with 147 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of Southern Mississippi were Business and Financial Operations with 308 employees, Computer, Engineering, and Science with 225 employees, and Service with 204 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Associate professor
Female Assistant professor
Male Professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of Southern Mississippi was Male Associate professor with 112 employees, Female Assistant professor with 112 employees, and Male Professor with 98 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at University of Southern Mississippi.