

Two ratings: the overall grade compares colleges the conventional way (outcomes, cost, resources, experience, reputation). The Outcome Rating asks what students earn: 60% wage-adjusted earnings 10 years after enrolling, 25% graduation, 15% retention. Methodology
What happens to students who enroll at Mississippi State University, from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
Typical debt at graduation equals about 43% of one year’s median earnings ten years after entry.
Earnings rank: 72nd percentile among bachelor’s-degree-focused colleges after a partial adjustment for local wage levels (MS wage index 0.68). This drives the Outcome Rating.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, retrieved Oct 2026. Earnings are for federally aided students who enrolled, whether or not they graduated.
Median pay of bachelor's degree graduates by field of study, and how each program ranks against every college reporting that major — by raw pay and adjusted for state wage levels. Same school, very different paychecks.
| Major | 1 yr after | 4 yrs after | vs. national | Rank (pay) | Rank (wage-adj.) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $80,896 | $106,039 | +5% | #52 of 258 | #10 | $25,037 |
| Chemical Engineering | $78,183 | $95,968 | -2% | #87 of 158 | #11 | $22,500 |
| Construction Management | $72,712 | $94,068 | -1% | #26 of 57 | #1 | $30,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $75,161 | $93,893 | +2% | #107 of 318 | #6 | $21,636 |
| Industrial Engineering | $70,703 | $92,332 | -6% | #68 of 94 | #13 | $27,000 |
| Engineering | $68,045 | $91,124 | -3% | #12 of 19 | #2 | $18,947 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $69,056 | $88,444 | -10% | #55 of 59 | #11 | $17,500 |
| Computer Engineering | $72,529 | $85,275 | -22% | #182 of 189 | #118 | $19,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $58,755 | $82,852 | -10% | #250 of 459 | #123 | $24,250 |
| Civil Engineering | $65,805 | $81,203 | -6% | #174 of 233 | #9 | $20,938 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $57,923 | $79,068 | -2% | #30 of 51 | #7 | $21,875 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $45,821 | $78,998 | +19% | #8 of 77 | #2 | $19,500 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $45,971 | $74,780 | -10% | #113 of 166 | #57 | $27,000 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $45,483 | $74,542 | -20% | #115 of 118 | #68 | $25,000 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $41,717 | $70,904 | -7% | #460 of 796 | #177 | $18,832 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $50,217 | $70,367 | -16% | #334 of 452 | #155 | $22,000 |
| Mathematics | $48,084 | $69,787 | +0% | #159 of 309 | #59 | $22,050 |
| Architecture | $53,679 | $69,699 | +4% | #29 of 78 | #2 | $31,000 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | — | $69,160 | +29% | #4 of 14 | #2 | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $42,298 | $62,082 | +3% | #60 of 138 | #12 | $21,500 |
| Interior Architecture | $44,811 | $61,421 | +2% | #9 of 17 | #2 | $22,254 |
| Marketing | $42,670 | $61,364 | -11% | #372 of 516 | #134 | $19,552 |
| Forestry | $40,219 | $58,499 | +-0% | #16 of 31 | #8 | $19,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $37,975 | $55,993 | -18% | #935 of 1176 | #493 | $21,500 |
| Political Science and Government | $29,442 | $54,325 | -14% | #450 of 565 | #172 | $25,469 |
| Animal Sciences | $41,464 | $52,755 | +6% | #24 of 78 | #2 | $19,719 |
| Biology | $20,056 | $51,221 | -10% | #647 of 841 | #272 | $22,296 |
| Plant Sciences | $45,994 | $50,653 | -10% | #34 of 44 | #15 | $19,500 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $29,654 | $50,503 | -7% | #391 of 610 | #126 | $23,250 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $27,841 | $50,176 | -1% | #35 of 59 | #13 | $23,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $41,658 | $49,541 | -4% | #205 of 345 | #36 | $15,750 |
| Criminology | $33,191 | $48,805 | -12% | #98 of 113 | #34 | $22,055 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $31,812 | $48,493 | -14% | #491 of 660 | #196 | $23,250 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $31,352 | $46,129 | -20% | #49 of 57 | #38 | $20,000 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | $30,247 | $45,445 | +0% | #18 of 37 | #4 | $21,625 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $30,565 | $44,979 | -31% | #109 of 110 | #96 | $23,248 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | $36,113 | $42,399 | -24% | #199 of 207 | #138 | $22,512 |
| Psychology | $27,416 | $41,986 | -17% | #920 of 1027 | #466 | $23,250 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $40,185 | $41,627 | -18% | #164 of 177 | #116 | $21,500 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $36,318 | $41,446 | -22% | #432 of 476 | #314 | $21,592 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $21,243 | $41,439 | -15% | #151 of 172 | #68 | $25,000 |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | $40,786 | — | — | — | — | $25,716 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $37,945 | $40,431 | -15% | #634 of 680 | #382 | $21,500 |
| Food Science and Technology | — | $39,940 | -44% | #29 of 29 | #29 | $23,767 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $24,752 | $38,939 | -7% | #47 of 68 | #17 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | $29,242 | $37,656 | -27% | #416 of 420 | #392 | $23,750 |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | $33,626 | $36,617 | -17% | #11 of 11 | #7 | $27,000 |
| History | $28,295 | $36,614 | -28% | #455 of 459 | #391 | $19,500 |
| English Language and Literature | $25,651 | $35,877 | -26% | #561 of 576 | #444 | $18,750 |
| Anthropology | $26,836 | — | — | — | — | — |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working; small programs are not reported.
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Rankings based on Repit College Grade among schools offering each program.
| Category | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $9,665 | $26,430 |
| Room | $7,238 | |
| Board | $4,586 | |
| Total Cost (On-Campus) | $29,454 | $46,219 |
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $11,968 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,879 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,750 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,608 |
| $110,001+ | $20,463 |
Programs ranked by number of degrees awarded annually.
Careers that graduates from Mississippi State University's top programs commonly pursue.
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Compare with other 4-Year public institutions of similar size.
Data source: IPEDS 2023-24 | Last updated: October 2026 | Methodology