Mississippi State University
A land-grant SEC university in Starkville with rolling admission and optional test scores.
- Acceptance rate
- 84%
- Fall 2025 entering first-year class (Common Data Set 2025-26)
- Students
- 23,563
- 19,093 undergraduates
- International
- 1%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 16:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $30,086
- 2026-27
About Mississippi State
Mississippi State University was chartered on February 28, 1878, as Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College and admitted its first students in 1880. It is a public land-grant research university in Starkville, classified R1, and a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. It is organised into 12 colleges and schools, including the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy and the Shackouls Honors College.
In fall 2025 MSU had 23,563 students, of whom 19,093 were undergraduates and 257 were international. The university describes its freshman process as rolling admission: the application opens on August 1 and stays open until the tenth day of classes. Scores are optional for admission but encouraged for scholarships, and the average high school GPA of the fall 2025 first-year class was 3.74 (Common Data Set 2025-26). The university admitted 22,858 of 27,333 first-year applicants, about 84 percent.
International applicants can meet English requirements with a TOEFL iBT of 71, IELTS of 6.0 or Duolingo 105, and the estimated total cost of attendance for an international student is $53,131 for 2026-27. It suits students who want a traditional SEC campus experience, an engineering or agriculture degree at a lower out-of-state price than many public flagships, and an admissions process without a fixed application deadline.
Why students choose Mississippi State
Admission is rolling: the freshman application opens on August 1 and stays open until the tenth day of classes.
ACT or SAT scores are optional for admission, and an official score of 20 ACT or 1030 SAT is needed by international freshmen only if their GPA is below 3.0 or they are applying for scholarships.
Automatic academic scholarships are awarded at admission to out-of-state freshmen with a minimum GPA of 3.30, with no separate application.
As a founding member of the SEC, Mississippi State offers a big-time college athletics culture, including baseball at Dudy Noble Field.
Admissions
Fall 2025 entering first-year class (Common Data Set 2025-26)
22,858 admitted from 27,333 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Deadlines
- Scholarship priority deadline Non-binding Next deadline · In 56 daysDecember 1, 2026
General Scholarship Application opens October 1; priority deadline for entering freshmen is December 1. Automatic academic scholarships are awarded at admission.
- Rolling admission Non-bindingApplication opens August 1, 2026 and stays open until the 10th day of classes
No early decision or early action. The application can be submitted before transcripts, test scores or the fee, but all are needed for a complete review.
Dates are from MSU's freshman admissions and scholarship pages, which are marked as updated for 2027 entry. The Common Data Set 2025-26 reports no early decision or early action plan and no waiting list.
How to apply
Apply online with the MSU application; the fee is $50 ($60 for international students). Upload an official high school transcript (grades 9-11 with senior schedule). International students submit certified, translated credentials, preferably evaluated by a NACES member agency such as TEC or MyIEE, plus English proficiency proof, and then use the I-20 portal.
What admissions looks for
- High school grade point average, rated very important in the Common Data Set.
- Standardized test scores, which are considered but optional.
- An official transcript covering grades 9-11 with the senior schedule.
- For international applicants, English proficiency and, in some cases, an ACT or SAT score.
Tips for applying to Mississippi State
- 1 Apply early even though admission is rolling, because scholarship priority is December 1 and awards are decided at admission.
- 2 Out-of-state and international freshmen need a minimum GPA of 3.30 for automatic academic scholarships; higher GPA and test scores raise the award.
- 3 If your GPA is below 3.0, plan on an ACT of 20 or SAT of 1030 as an international applicant.
- 4 Ask your school to send credentials through a NACES evaluator such as TEC or MyIEE; MSU recommends course-by-course evaluations.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Mississippi State University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
International students are shown an estimated 2026-27 cost of $53,131: tuition and fees $30,086, required medical insurance $2,790, chest X-ray and tuberculosis test $185, international fees $320, housing $9,536, food $5,210 and personal expenses $5,004. Automatic academic scholarships go to out-of-state freshmen with a minimum GPA of 3.30, and competitive scholarships need the General Scholarship Application, which opens each October.
- $26,295
- In-state total billed (tuition, housing, meals), 2026-27
- $45,286
- Out-of-state total billed (tuition, housing, meals), 2026-27
- December 1
- Scholarship priority date for entering freshmen
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Engineering (Bagley College)
The James Worth Bagley College of Engineering is MSU's engineering college.
Agriculture and Life Sciences
MSU began as an agricultural and mechanical college under the Morrill Act, and its farms remain research sites.
Architecture, Art and Design
According to Wikipedia, MSU has Mississippi's only accredited architecture program.
Veterinary Medicine
According to Wikipedia, MSU has Mississippi's only accredited veterinary medicine program.
Accountancy (Adkerson School)
Alumni include Richard Adkerson, who earned his accounting degree in 1969.
Shackouls Honors College
The Honors Program, founded in 1968, is now a separate college.
Research
- MSU is classified R1 (very high research spending and doctorate production).
- The High Performance Computing Collaboratory is on the North Farm and an astronomical observatory is on the South Farm.
- MSU participates in the National Sea Grant College Program and the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.
Schools & faculties
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- College of Architecture, Art and Design
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Business
- Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy
- College of Education
- James Worth Bagley College of Engineering
- Shackouls Honors College
- College of Forest Resources
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- School of Human Sciences
Student life
Mississippi State is an SEC school in Starkville, and Bulldog athletics are a major part of campus life. Baseball is especially important: the Diamond Dogs play at Dudy Noble Field, which holds the NCAA record for the largest single-game on-campus baseball attendance. The grounds include farms and research sites, with fraternity and sorority houses at the west edge of campus and beyond them the Cotton District and downtown Starkville.
- Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I as founding members of the Southeastern Conference (1932).
- Baseball is a major fan tradition, with the Diamond Dogs at Dudy Noble Field.
- Sixteen Bulldog teams compete in NCAA Division I in the Southeastern Conference.
- The Cotton District and downtown Starkville sit next to campus.
Housing. Median on-campus housing is $9,990 a year for 2026-27, with the Weekly 21 meal plan at $5,210.
Location
Starkville is a college town in the Golden Triangle of north-east Mississippi (2020 census population 24,360), and Mississippi State is its main institution. On the west side of campus are the fraternity and sorority houses, then the Cotton District, described by Wikipedia as North America's first New Urbanist community, and downtown Starkville. MSU's own 'How to get to Starkville' page has directions and travel options.
Nearest airport: Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR)
Notable alumni
- JG John GrishamBest-selling novelist; B.S. in accounting from Mississippi State (1977)
- MB Marsha BlackburnU.S. Senator from Tennessee; B.S. in home economics (1974)
- RA Richard AdkersonChairman of Freeport-McMoRan (Wikipedia); bachelor's in accounting (1969) and MBA (1970)
- CC Cynthia CooperWorldCom whistleblower and 2002 Time Person of the Year; B.S. in accounting
- HP Hartley PeaveyFounder of Peavey Electronics; 1964 graduate
- SM Sonny MontgomeryU.S. Representative and author of the Montgomery G.I. Bill; graduated 1943
- JC Jerry ClowerComedian; studied agriculture and played football at Mississippi State
Frequently asked questions
What is Mississippi State University's acceptance rate?
In fall 2025, MSU admitted 22,858 of 27,333 first-year applicants, about 84 percent, according to its Common Data Set.
Does Mississippi State require the SAT or ACT?
No. Scores are optional for admission but encouraged for scholarships. International freshmen need an ACT of 20 or SAT of 1030 only if their evaluated GPA is below 3.0 or they are applying for scholarships.
What is Mississippi State's application deadline?
MSU uses rolling admission: the application opens August 1 and stays open until the tenth day of classes. The scholarship priority deadline for entering freshmen is December 1.
How much does Mississippi State cost for international students?
MSU estimates $53,131 for an international student in 2026-27, including $30,086 tuition and fees, $2,790 medical insurance, $9,536 housing, $5,210 food and $5,004 personal expenses.
What English test scores does Mississippi State accept?
TOEFL iBT 71, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 105, ACT English 19 or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 510, with higher scores in some departments.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- QS World University Rankings 2027 (topuniversities.com)
- THE World University Rankings 2026
- ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026
- US News: Mississippi State University (Best Colleges 2027)
- US News Best Global Universities: Mississippi State University
- NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments, FY2025 endowment market values
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