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University of Southern Mississippi: Rankings, Popular Courses, Fees
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Last updated on 5 May '26University of Southern MississippiWhat's new?
The application deadline for USM international applicants for Fall intake students is closed.
About the University of Southern Mississippi
Established in 1910, University of Southern Mississippi is a public institute in Mississippi, USA. In 1962, the Legislature changed the name of this university to University of Southern Mississippi. It is one of America’s leading research institutes that has earned distinction as a community-engaged Carnegie R1 University. Furthermore, the university is among only 1% of the institutions in the world to earn dual accreditation in both Accounting and Business by AACSB. USM has two campuses namely the Hattiesburg Campus and Gulf Park Campus.
According to Fall 2024 enrollment, USM has more than 13,000 students. Out of this, 10,000+ are undergraduate students and 2,900+ are graduate students. The full-time student enrollment is more than 11,000. Over 70 countries are represented by students at USM. A few sources have mentioned that the University of Southern Mississippi acceptance rate is 99%. This means that the university is less selective at the time of admission. The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) provides a diverse environment for international students with over 140 UG programs and more than 200 Graduate programs. The courses are offered at its Dual campus, Hattiesburg and Gulf Park, along with teaching and research sites and online options. Additionally, the university supports Indian students through its Indian Students Association.
- Programs: The University of Southern Mississippi courses are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Southern Miss offers 300+ programs for international students. At the UG level, 140+ courses are available and at the PG level, 200+ courses are available
- Campus: The university operates on two campuses Hattiesburg and Gulf Park. There are five teaching and research sites in Mississippi and through online at Southern Miss
- Application Process: International UG applicants can apply via Common App or USM application. On the other hand, the graduate applicants can fill the online application form directly from the official website of the university. An application fee has to be paid too.
- International student support services: At USM, the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) coordinates all the things related to international students. It provides students with the orientation, educational workshops on immigration and cultural topics, opportunities for intercultural programs, and support for campus engagement with global themes.
- Low Cost of Living: A few unofficial sources claim that the cost of living, where University of Southern Mississippi is located i.e. Hattiesburg have low cost of living. The total cost of attendance for UG students at USM Mississippi is USD 30,786 for UG students (Around INR 27.1 L) and USD 29,360 (Around INR 26 L) for PG students.The housing cost is USD 12,278 while living on campus and USD 10,648 while living off campus.
Application Fee waiver- To know the details about application fee waiver at Southern Miss, it is important to check official website.
Commonly asked questions On Highlights
The University of Southern Mississippi cost for international students will be around INR 9 Lacs – INR 19 lakh. For out-of-state students, the tuition fee will be around USD 11,500. For students coming from out-of-state, the tuition fee is cheaper than the national average cost of out-of-state students i.e. USD 27,320.
The University of Southern Mississippi acceptance rate is 99%. This acceptance rate justifies that the university is less selective while granting admission. So, those applicants with a great academic record and who meet the entry requirements have a higher chance of admission. The general admission requirements for USM include having a high school qualification for admission to UG courses. For graduate courses, the applicants are required to have an undergraduate degree.
The average GPA required for the University of Southern Mississippi admission varies for the UG and Graduate programs. The details for average GPA are given below:
- UG: An average GPA of 2.5 is required in core academic subjects for strong applicants
- Graduate: A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required in the last 60 hours of UG coursework
Besides meeting the GPA requirements, the applicants should submit the application materials as well.
A few of the reasons to choose Southern Miss are:
- A wide range of academic degree options are available for international students. Over 100 UG programme options and 200 graduate options are available
- The university is one of the US leading research institutes. It has earned Carnegie R1-University designation
- Various scholarship opportunities are available for international students. At the undergraduate available, a number of Freshman scholarships are available
Also Check: Top Reasons to Study in USA
The University of Southern Mississippi Ranking 2026
The University of Southern Mississippi is one of the most prominent universities in the USA. If we see The University of Southern Mississippi rankings, top ranking bodies all over the globe rank it. According to Shiksha Popularity Rankings 2026, The University of Southern Mississippi is ranked at #389 in the USA. Whereas, in the world rankings, The University of Southern Mississippi ranks at #1038 in 2026. Subject rankings of the The University of Southern Mississippi are also given below-
| The University of Southern Mississippi Course Name | Shiksha Popularity Ranking 2026 (World) | Shiksha Popularity Ranking 2026 (Country) |
|---|---|---|
| BBA | - | #265 |
By Other Ranking Bodies
Apart from Shiksha Popularity ranking, US News has also ranked the university globally. It ranks The University of Southern Mississippi at #342 in 2025.
Popular Courses at the University of Southern Mississippi
At the undergraduate level, the University of Southern Mississippi offers over 140 academic programs. On the other hand, the university offers more than 200 master’s and doctoral programs. Two of the most popular the University of Southern Mississippi courses are MS in Computer Science and BS in Computer Science. Furthermore, there are certain academic departments / courses at the university that offer credit for pathways / internships. A few of these departments are given below:
- College of Business
- School of Mass Comm. And Journalism
- Department of Geography
- Department of Criminal Justice
There are 4 colleges at Southern Miss now which are further consolidated into traditional departments and thematic schools. The colleges are:
- College of Business and Economic Development
- College of Nursing and Health Professions
- College of Education and Human Sciences
- College of Arts and Sciences
Fine Arts
USM Mississippi is the only institution within the state, and one of the dozen universities in America, to be accredited in all four Fine Arts emphasis areas: Arts, Dance, Music, and Theatre. It operates the Southern Miss Wind Ensemble and the USM Symphony Orchestra.
Subject Rankings
USM Mississippi ranks at No. 90 in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Education schools. This university has jumped nine spots since breaking in the Top 100 schools in 2024 and is currently the second-highest ranked institution in Mississippi for Teacher Education programs. These rankings for Education programs evaluate the university on a number of factors like faculty resources, student selectivity, research activity and peer assessment.
14.8K+ students got admitted through us.
14.8K+ students got admitted through us.
The University of Southern Mississippi Admission 2026
Indian applicants can apply for The University of Southern Mississippi admissions on the university's Official Application Portal. Regarding admission rarities, the university offers admission to students based on the eligibility criteria for the course of choice. To gain admission, all overseas applicants must fulfil the The University of Southern Mississippi eligibility criteria, which include academic transcripts, GPA requirements, results on standardized and aptitude tests, SOP, LOR, Essay and CV. Additionally, students must provide their results from entrance/English language proficiency tests, such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, GRE and GMAT.
- Application fees :USD 40 - 60
- Type of deadline :Depends on course
University of Southern MississippiThe University of Southern Mississippi Scholarships
Southern Miss offers scholarships to international students. Around 6 USM scholarships options are available. Scholarships are offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The details about Freshman Scholarships are given below:
Freshman Scholarships
- The University of Southern Mississippi Freshman scholarships are available to high school seniors who have been admitted to the university in the Fall semester. Make sure to apply to the university as per the specified admission deadline. For a few freshman scholarships, the applicants are required to submit a separate scholarship application
- A complete admission file for the Freshman Scholarships includes an application for admission, an application fee, high school transcript, SAT / ACT score
- The applicants are required to meet the requirements for achieving the core GPA. For Freshman scholarship consideration, core GPA is calculated from the high school transcript based on the student’s first 6 semesters of high school work
- A few of the freshman scholarships available to students are Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarships, Freshman Designation-Based Scholarships, etc.
Graduate Assistantships
- Southern Miss graduate assistantships are offered by the academic department to which students apply. There are no separate applications for the assistantships
- To be considered for these, the applicants are required to simply indicate on the graduate application, in the specific area, that they should be considered
University of Southern Mississippi Popular Courses
18 monthsUniversity of Southern Mississippi Placements
USM has mentioned placement details for few courses only like Nursing BSN MPA etc. The placement data for these programs -
BSN
- No. of program completers: 19
- No. of students employed: 100%
MPA
- No. of program completers: 26
- No. of students employed: 100%
University of Southern MississippiStudent profile
Others
65%
Black
28%
Hispanic
4%
Asian
1%
In state
70%
Out of state
26%
Foreign
3%
UG Number of Applicant
Overall Graduation Rate
UG Enrollment
PG Enrollment
University of Southern MississippiStudying in USA
Key Facts About USA
Insights on education, demographics & weather.
University of Southern Mississippi Acceptance Rate
The University of Southern Mississippi acceptance rate for Indian students is 99.12% which means that this university is easy to get into. So students with academic background and who meet the entry requirements have a higher chance of taking admission to this university. An overview of the acceptance rate in the previous years is mentioned below:
|
Year |
No. of Applicants |
Admitted Students |
Admit Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2024-25 |
7048 |
6986 |
99.12% |
|
2023-24 |
8818 |
8763 |
99.38% |
|
2022-23 |
9043 |
8,945 |
98.92% |
|
2021-22 |
9314 |
8922 |
95.79% |
|
2020-21 |
9683 |
9328 |
96.33% |
University of Southern Mississippi FAQs for Indian Students
The University of Southern Miss offers on-campus housing facility to first-year students. After getting admitted to the university, students shall be able to apply for housing by logging into the university’s housing portal. The housing options are Century Park, Vann Hall, Hillcrest Hall, Scott Hall, etc. The housing rates vary as per the occupancy and type of accommodation.
English language proficiency test scores that are accepted at Southern Miss are IELTS / TOEFL / PTE. The minimum score required in PTE is 54. For other tests, the minimum score requirement is given below:
Tests | Minimum Scores |
|---|---|
TOEFL iBT | 71 |
IELTS | 6.0 |
The University of Southern Mississippi admission requirements are given below:
Undergraduate
- International applicants should be 17 years by the 1st day of classes
- A 2.5 GPA in core academic subjects
- Copies of high school transcripts
- Proof of English language proficiency
- SAT / ACT scores (test-optional)
Graduate
- Minimum GPA in undergraduate coursework
- Good standing in the last institution attended
- Official transcripts of all previous colleges or universities attended
- TOEFL / PTE / PTE scores
- 3 Letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose or writing samples
- Immunization of records
About the author
University of Southern MississippiTake a look at Campus
College Campus
College Campus
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College CampusUniversity of Southern MississippiLocation
| University City | Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA |
University of Southern MississippiContact Information
118 College Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, United States
Hattiesburg ( Mississippi)
(For general query)
(For admission query)
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