Founded in 1910, University of Southern Mississippi. is a Public college. Located in Mississippi, which is a city setting in Mississippi, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 11,779 full time undergraduate students, and 2,773 full time graduate students.
The University of Southern Mississippi Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 17:1. There are 680 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at University of Southern Mississippi include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.
Quick Facts
Acceptance Rate
60%
Application Deadline
Application Fee
40
SAT Range
940-1190
ACT Range
20-26
Admissions at USM are considered Selective, with ,69% of all applicants being admitted.
In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 30 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.
78% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 44% were in the top quarter, and 18% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.
STUDENT LIFE Reviews
We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at University of Southern Mississippi.
4%
“We”re apathetic”
25%
“We know about current events and vote”
63%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
8%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
6%
“We save it for the classroom”
19%
“Sometimes, but not often”
48%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
27%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
3%
“I only go out in groups”
37%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
61%
“I feel extremely safe”
3%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
17%
“We bought the gear”
80%
“We live for the big game”
8%
“It”s not really our thing”
6%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
62%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
24%
“We”re a very artistic group”
8%
“Haven”t met them”
4%
“Available in class”
56%
“They keep regular office hours”
32%
“They”re always available”
3%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
14%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
75%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
9%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
11%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
51%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
25%
“We only party on weekends”
13%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
18%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
72%
“There might be people who do”
6%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
4%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
4%
“We”re apathetic”
25%
“We know about current events and vote”
63%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
8%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
6%
“We save it for the classroom”
19%
“Sometimes, but not often”
48%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
27%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
3%
“I only go out in groups”
37%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
61%
“I feel extremely safe”
3%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
17%
“We bought the gear”
80%
“We live for the big game”
8%
“It”s not really our thing”
6%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
62%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
24%
“We”re a very artistic group”
8%
“Haven”t met them”
4%
“Available in class”
56%
“They keep regular office hours”
32%
“They”re always available”
3%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
14%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
75%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
9%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
162 Students rated on-campus housing 3.6 stars. 26 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate off-campus housing?
123 Students rated off-campus housing 3.6 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate campus food?
179 Students rated campus food 3.4 stars. 21 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate campus facilities?
183 Students rated campus facilities 4.1 stars. 40 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate class size?
184 Students rated class size 4 stars. 37 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate school activities?
182 Students rated school activities 3.9 stars. 38 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate local services?
184 Students rated local services 4.3 stars. 52 % gave the school a 5.0.
How would you rate academics?
182 Students rated academics 3.9 stars. 38 % gave the school a 5.0.
University of Southern Mississippi REVIEWS
What's your overall opinion of University of Southern Mississippi?
92 Students rated University of Southern Mississippi
Anika
Prospective04/19/2025
The second I stepped on campus I fell in love. I have never felt so at home the entire time I was in awe. It brought me to tears when I saw the campus. On the tour, we listened to their premier choir perform, and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard and it felt like I was supposed to be here that I can stop looking at any other school. This is where I’m supposed to be at the beginning of my application journey. We were under the impression that they still did in-state tuition if you were within a certain radius, we were told recently that that changed about a year ago so we’ve been really struggling because I’m now looking at my dream school and I may not be able to afford going there and all I want is to go there I’ve been applying to scholarships like crazy since I found out and I’ve been trying to message anyone. I have in contact with that could tell me how I could earn more money because I really wanna go.
Marqui
08/30/2024
To be honest my opinion of University of Southern Mississippi is that it is a great place to start and that I can learn more about computer software engineering and where I can do sports on the side the most important thing opinion is that I want to try to get a masters or a bachelors degree
AKayshia
06/21/2023
I think that, overall, it is a very good school. The campus is so welcoming to everyone, and it is very easy to make friends. The places to eat are good, and the staff is excellent. Plus, it's a beautiful campus. There's always something to do on campus, and there's a club for everyone! The most important things to me on campus are the multicultural inclusion centers and the lgbt hangout space, as it offers an inclusive safe space. The counselors are also really nice to have.
Amari
07/26/2022
At first, I wasn't too interested into attending, but as soon as I stepped on campus all of that changed. The campus is beautiful, the view is just do relaxing. The people are nice, students, staff everyone makes the school feels like home. There are always amazing events going on and amazing opportunities to meet new people.
Jazmyn
07/21/2022
The University of Southern Mississippi is very friendly and loves involving its students. There are many events to keep students engaged outside the classroom. There are too many opportunities to get to know your fellow eagles from across the globe. USM is also very active on social media, ensuring everyone is up to date with sports, events, scholarships, camps, and more. Hattiesburg is beautiful and has many outlets and nearby stores for students to explore.
Emily
01/09/2022
USM is what you make of it. I believe the school doesn’t live up to it’s full potential but it’s not the worse school in the world.
Haleigh
07/29/2021
The University of Southern Mississippi is a wonderful school. The teachers are always very nice, helpful, and approachable. The teachers are also supportive. The university upholds a high academic standard, which I value very much. All my classes are engaging; I have learned so much. Extracurricular activities are well organized and attended. I especially like the way the university offers online and in-person classes.
Heaven
07/24/2021
Very open-minded and you always have a group of people there who are passionate about the things you are and if not then you can create your own club or organization. The University openly puts you up for success and wants you to achieve your career with many opportunities on and off campus. If you are interested in going to Washington D.C. for an internship then you should really consider going here as a lot of their students go to D.C.
Sarah
01/12/2021
I am a freshman this year, so I will give you my honest opinion. USM was my first pick, and it is a wonderful school. This year has been terrible due to Covid-19, and even though the university has responded health-wise to the pandemic, the educational response is lacking. I have been only offered all online classes, and as a STEM major, I have never stepped foot in a lab despite finishing two semesters. I haven't learned much, and I am cramped in a dorm stuck studying until 1 a.m. most days. The education as of right now is equivalent to watching YouTube videos and being quizzed. However, not many people seem to be concerned about it, and it has taken a great toll on my mental and physical health. I am considering transferring schools next year, but it would cost me thousands more to transfer and lose my current scholarships. Going to USM during a pandemic has left me financially stuck.
Karen
09/27/2020
I am a freshman at the University of Southern Mississippi. It's hard to give an accurate review since most of my time is spent in my dorm online because of COVID-19. I can say that my school has done a great job of keeping students informed and enforcing masks and social distancing. There are a variety of resources and extracurriculars available to students. My main problem is that I am a work-study student, and the financial aid department has not been very clear when I bring them my questions.
Sanetha
05/19/2020
It's a very busy school. I have enjoyed my time there so far. There is something going on every weekend whether that be football games or general activities there is always something going on. The first time I got there I was afraid and a bit homesick but after four years of being there I have learned to love it and have fun.
Dashon
05/15/2020
I enjoyed my freshman year at the University of Southern Mississippi. The traditions, the school spirit and the sense of community. Everyone welcomed me with open arms. During the first week of school, everyone on my dorm floor sat outside of Scott and really connected. We talked about where we were from, our majors and what we hoped to accomplish this year. It was a surreal experience that allowed me to enter my freshman year with a sense of confidence.
Gabriella
02/18/2020
I am a high school senior and I plan to attend this university in the fall. Over the summer I took a tour of the campus with my best friend and was astonished by how beautiful the campus was and how friendly the students were. I liked that all of my questions were answered and that the tour guide was willing to take me to the other side of the campus and back even though she wasn't required to. I knew from the moment the tour started that I would be safe and comfortable while furthering my education.
Travis
11/29/2019
They like their sports. I'm not a sports guy, but being an arts student and hearing from professors what goes on behind closed doors, if you're not making money, they don't care. Even if it's something important. That's why sports gets most of the funding. Luckily, there are passionate faculty and staff that make up the difference.
Gabrielle
11/13/2019
The school has so much spirit you can feel it as soon as you step on campus. Everyone is so cheerful and full of joy it is everything that i want in a college. The sports division is amazing they have so many amazing choices i will definitely be entering a sport when i attend in the fall.
The fall 2020 acceptance rate for University of Southern Mississippi is 60%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020, _____ students were offered admission.
What should every freshman at your school know before they start?
I have obtained a great job and I am on the rise. Without my degree, I would not be where I am today.
What's the most frustrating thing about your school?
When I attended USM, the school was transitioning into a 'walking campus'. I liked the idea of reducing traffic and promoting exercise and safety but it cut down the amount of convenient parking for off-campus students (like me). Also, the campus is huge and very spread out so if you have two classes on opposite sides of the campus, you may find yourself jogging a bit to make it. If this is my biggest complaint then I'm reeeeealy stretching to find something frustrating about my school.
Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!
Southern Miss University is an awesome school to attend. The unique thing about my school is they are very organized and care about your future. I have talked to some of my friends and they have told me that the schools they attend do not care about their well being and grades. Southern Miss will post your grades th next day, send you emails, and updates about things going on throughout the campus. I love Southern Miss, this have been my first choice of school before I graduated high school.
My classmates are a group of well-rounded, "different" individuals. I am blessed to have found a group of people who are so like-minded to myself. We are all very artistic in that we express ourselves through visual art and written words.
I think creative and curious people should come to my school. It is full of adventure and good times and you just know how to embrace it. Southern has some of the greatest school spirit around and its really important you can be a part of that as well. I feel only people who can leave USM better than they found it should come here.
What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?
My school has an awesome amount of school pride, the teachers are interactive and interesting, and it's almost impossible to fail due to the large amount of help with tutorial labs, help centers for writing and speech, and an amazing computer lab with tools for any field of study.
best thing is the cordial staff in the administration, pleasant atmosphere far away from the busy cities, close to the party place new orleans an hour and a half drive from the school,
What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?
We accept each other. We have forums to discuss beliefs, interests, trials, triumphs, etc. We support choice of life. We all get together a lot. It is up to the individual to speak to us about the things we do not see occurring to them. We never make a person tell about their problems, but we announce by flyers, over the intercoms in class, email, text, bulletins, etc. what meetings, support group, all types of outreach projects available, and more. You must believe in yourself and your ability to succeed in life We will stand beside you and help lift you up, but we cannot live for you.
All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA.
Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.
97% of students attending University of Southern Mississippi receive some sort of financial aid.
50% were awarded federal grants.63%received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.
