Affordable Colleges in Mississippi
All 30 colleges in Mississippi, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.
The most affordable is Coahoma Community College at about $-274 a year; the costliest here is Mississippi Christian University at $27,712. A typical Mississippi school on this list lands near $9,686.
Cheapest first, that means Coahoma Community College, Southwest Mississippi Community College and Mississippi Delta Community College. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.
Narrow it down
- Most Affordable Community Colleges in Mississippi15 community colleges · from $-274/yr
- Most Affordable Public Universities in Mississippi8 public universities · from $9,686/yr
- Affordable Private Colleges in Mississippi7 private colleges · from $12,587/yr
Every college in Mississippi, cheapest first · 30
Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.
- Coahoma Community College
- Southwest Mississippi Community College
- Mississippi Delta Community College
- Copiah-Lincoln Community College
- Hinds Community College
- East Mississippi Community College
- Itawamba Community College
- East Central Community College
- Holmes Community College
- Jones County Junior College
- Meridian Community College
- Pearl River Community College
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
- Northwest Mississippi Community College
- Northeast Mississippi Community College
- Mississippi Valley State University
- Mississippi University for Women
- Rust College
- Alcorn State University
- University of Mississippi
- Delta State University
- William Carey University
- Belhaven University
- Tougaloo College
- Mississippi State University
- University of Southern Mississippi
- Jackson State University
- Blue Mountain Christian University
- Millsaps College
- Mississippi Christian University
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable college in Mississippi?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Coahoma Community College at about $-274 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much does college in Mississippi cost on average?
- Across the 30 colleges in Mississippi that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $9,686 a year after aid, running from $-274 to $27,712.
- Are community colleges cheaper in Mississippi?
- On this data, yes. The typical two-year college in Mississippi has a net price around $5,240 a year, against about $15,676 at the typical four-year school — a difference of roughly $10,436 a year. Credits often transfer, so two years at a community college can cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 22% to 72%, with a middle of about 45%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free