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University of Mississippi earned the #1 spot in this year's Most Geographically Diverse Colleges ranking in Mississippi. It scores 57.1 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 44.8, and gender diversity 97.9.
by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. This list highlights 33 institutions that stand out for their student bodies in Mississippi, using our 2026 methodology.
This ranking is based on the geographic origins of the student body (how widely students are drawn from across the country and the world). So you can compare your options, College Factual evaluated 33 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Diversity means different things to different students. Refine the list by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Ready to build your own comparison? We built a tool called College Combat to build custom comparisons using the factors most important to you.
Explore the leading colleges below:
University of Mississippi earned the #1 spot in this year's Most Geographically Diverse Colleges ranking in Mississippi. It scores 57.1 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 44.8, and gender diversity 97.9.
Jackson State University came in at #2 on this year's Most Geographically Diverse Colleges ranking in Mississippi. It scores 55.3 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 17.7, alongside a 92.1 gender-diversity score.
You'll find a welcoming community at Rust College, which ranked #3 this year. It scores 46.2 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 13.1, and gender diversity 99.8.
Mississippi Valley State University came in at #4 on this year's Most Geographically Diverse Colleges ranking in Mississippi. On geographic diversity, it scores 40.7 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 33.7, alongside a 98.6 gender-diversity score.
You'll find a welcoming community at Belhaven University, which ranked #5 this year. The school's geographic diversity score is 40.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 65.9, alongside a 94.7 gender-diversity score.
Mississippi State University earned the #6 position in Mississippi. Mississippi State University scores 35.8 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 47.3, with a gender-diversity score of 99.9.
Millsaps College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. The school's geographic diversity score is 31.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 59.8, alongside a 99.7 gender-diversity score.
Delta State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. Delta State University scores 30.1 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 52.4, and gender diversity 94.7.
Blue Mountain Christian University earned the #9 position in Mississippi. The school's geographic diversity score is 28.2 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 49.2, alongside a 99.1 gender-diversity score.
Alcorn State University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. On geographic diversity, it scores 27.6 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 12.9, and gender diversity 91.6.
University of Southern Mississippi earned the #11 position in Mississippi. It scores 27.5 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 56.3, alongside a 94.3 gender-diversity score.
William Carey University earned the #12 position in Mississippi. It scores 27.2 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 52.6, alongside a 91.2 gender-diversity score.
Mississippi College earned the #13 position in Mississippi. Mississippi College scores 25.9 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 56.0, alongside a 96.5 gender-diversity score.
Tougaloo College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. It scores 20.3 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 21.6, with a gender-diversity score of 96.9.
Concorde Career College-Southaven landed the #15 spot in Mississippi this year. It scores 15.6 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 35.1, and gender diversity 28.1.
Mississippi University for Women placed #16 among the most geographically diverse colleges in Mississippi. It scores 14.5 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 43.3, with a gender-diversity score of 74.3.
Delta Technical College landed the #17 spot in Mississippi this year. Delta Technical College scores 12.8 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 26.3, alongside a 99.9 gender-diversity score.
Coahoma Community College landed the #18 spot in Mississippi this year. It scores 10.2 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 17.1, alongside a 97.1 gender-diversity score.
Copiah-Lincoln Community College landed the #19 spot in Mississippi this year. It scores 8.6 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 45.1, alongside a 96.2 gender-diversity score.
Meridian Community College placed #20 among the most geographically diverse colleges in Mississippi. On geographic diversity, it scores 8.5 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 47.6, alongside a 87.1 gender-diversity score.
Southwest Mississippi Community College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. Southwest Mississippi Community College scores 8.2 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 46.0, and gender diversity 96.5.
East Mississippi Community College placed #22 among the most geographically diverse colleges in Mississippi. East Mississippi Community College scores 8.0 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 49.0, with a gender-diversity score of 97.7.
Pearl River Community College ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the most geographically diverse colleges. The school's geographic diversity score is 6.7 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 41.5, with a gender-diversity score of 91.8.
Northwest Mississippi Community College landed the #24 spot in Mississippi this year. Northwest Mississippi Community College scores 6.5 out of 100 for geographic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 49.1, and gender diversity 95.2.
Hinds Community College placed #25 among the most geographically diverse colleges in Mississippi. Hinds Community College scores 6.2 out of 100 for geographic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 52.8, with a gender-diversity score of 96.8.
These colleges also placed near the top this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
Our ranking weighs the geographic origins of the student body (how widely students are drawn from across the country and the world). The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
