Quad
Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS · Public

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (8% of graduates). 16 students for every faculty member, more than at 72% of colleges. 83% of faculty are full-time. Spends $8,632 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

4,271 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 29% of graduates; 83 programs in 27 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Business Administration and Management, General 52.02017.6% 324
    Graduates in this field earn $55,993 4 years out
  2. Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 30.99995.7% 242
    Graduates in this field earn $42,399 4 years out
  3. Psychology, General 42.01015.5% 236
    Graduates in this field earn $41,986 4 years out
  4. Exercise Science and Kinesiology 31.05055.5% 236
    Graduates in this field earn $50,503 4 years out
  5. Mechanical Engineering 14.19014.6% 196
    Graduates in this field earn $93,893 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Engineering, 14% → 18% of graduates since 2014–15 (764 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$106,039 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $80,896

    4 years after completion$106,039
    National median: $100,647Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $89,995 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $25,037 · 155 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Chemical Engineering$95,968 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $78,183

    4 years after completion$95,968
    National median: $98,158About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $83,651 · Non-Pell: $95,659(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $22,500 · 162 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Construction Management$94,068 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $72,712

    4 years after completion$94,068
    National median: $95,124About typical

    Median federal debt: $30,500 · 32 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Mechanical Engineering$93,893 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $75,161

    4 years after completion$93,893
    National median: $92,135About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $86,269 · Non-Pell: $88,143(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $21,636 · 358 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Industrial Engineering$92,332 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $70,703

    4 years after completion$92,332
    National median: $98,442Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $75,768 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $27,000 · 124 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college16 to 1
16 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 72% of 1,892More students per faculty →

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Full-time faculty83%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$90,000

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$8,632
$8,632
← Lessmore than 26% of 557More →
Endowment per student$41,465
$41,465
← Lessmore than 85% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)