by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Mississippi State University, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
If you want to dig into a particular figure, jump to any section below:
Attendance costs at Mississippi State University ranged from $26,922.00 to $44,357.00 depending on residency and living arrangement.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: roughly $26,922.00 in-state compared with $44,357.00 for out-of-state students.
Here the cost is broken out three ways: no aid, average aid, and the aid a low-income student typically receives.
| Tuition and fees | $10,202.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $16,720.00 |
| Total cost | $26,922.00 |
| That is 40% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $26,922.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$11,672.00 |
| Net price | $15,250.00 |
| That is 21% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $26,922.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,935.00 |
| Net price | $11,987.00 |
| That is 38% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $27,637.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $16,720.00 |
| Total cost | $44,357.00 |
| That is 130% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $44,357.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$11,672.00 |
| Net price | $32,685.00 |
| That is 70% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $44,357.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,935.00 |
| Net price | $29,422.00 |
| That is 53% above the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on tuition and fees and room and board. |
The reported cost series has been increasing at about 3.5% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. These tables carry the cost across a degree for three cases: low-income w/ aid, average aid, and no aid. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Freshman year | $12,412.00 | $15,790.00 | $27,876.00 |
| Senior year | $13,778.00 | $17,528.00 | $30,944.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $52,347.00 | $66,596.00 | $117,568.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $19,942.00 | $25,371.00 | $44,789.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $602.00 | $766.00 | $1,353.00 |
| Total amount paid | $72,289.00 | $91,967.00 | $162,357.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Freshman year | $12,412.00 | $15,790.00 | $27,876.00 |
| Senior year | $12,851.00 | $16,349.00 | $28,863.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $25,263.00 | $32,140.00 | $56,739.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $9,624.00 | $12,244.00 | $21,615.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $291.00 | $370.00 | $653.00 |
| Total amount paid | $34,887.00 | $44,384.00 | $78,354.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Freshman year | $30,464.00 | $33,843.00 | $45,928.00 |
| Senior year | $33,817.00 | $37,568.00 | $50,983.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $128,485.00 | $142,735.00 | $193,706.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $48,948.00 | $54,377.00 | $73,795.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,479.00 | $1,643.00 | $2,229.00 |
| Total amount paid | $177,433.00 | $197,111.00 | $267,501.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Freshman year | $30,464.00 | $33,843.00 | $45,928.00 |
| Senior year | $31,543.00 | $35,041.00 | $47,555.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $62,007.00 | $68,884.00 | $93,483.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $23,623.00 | $26,242.00 | $35,614.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $714.00 | $793.00 | $1,076.00 |
| Total amount paid | $85,630.00 | $95,127.00 | $129,097.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the Net Price section.
The net price figure shows the cost after grants and scholarships are deducted. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $17,595.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $15,501.00 |
What families actually pay shifts with income, since need-based grants are larger for lower-income students. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $11,968.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $12,879.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $16,750.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $19,608.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $20,463.00 |
For a personalized estimate, try the Mississippi State University Net Price Calculator, or get in touch with the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the financial aid breakdown.
Median graduate debt at Mississippi State University is $16,324.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
Across borrowers, debt at graduation distributes like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $6,083.00 |
| Median (50th) | $16,324.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $38,000.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
Explore borrowing, repayment, and default in detail on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,750.00 |
| Middle income | $15,295.00 |
| High income | $16,500.00 |
Low-income borrowers graduate with $250.00 more than graduates from high-income families.
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,000.00 |
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Mississippi State University amounts to $2,500.00. The Department of Education flags this school for a Pell-debt-inequity pattern.
The federal default-rate tier for Mississippi State University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 5.6% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Mississippi State University total $1,451,455,098.00 spread across 59,002 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 423 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $9,966.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 154 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $3,344.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the veteran aid breakdown.
Beyond the data above, it helps to ask a few questions when weighing Mississippi State University, keep these questions in mind:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.