2026 Best Colleges for Student Athletes (Division I) in Mississippi

Choosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. Our ranking highlights 6 colleges for Student Athletes (Division I) by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

To arm you with the information you need, College Factual evaluates each program using a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.

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Top 6 Colleges for Student Athletes (Division I)

Explore the leading programs below:

1

Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS

83% Academic Quality Percentile

Our analysis found Mississippi State University to be the best college for Student Athletes (Division I) in Mississippi. This public school is set in Mississippi State, MS.

2

University of Mississippi
University, MS

86% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Mississippi landed the #2 spot for Student Athletes (Division I). University of Mississippi is a public school based in University, MS.

3

University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS

79% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Southern Mississippi came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Hattiesburg, MS, University of Southern Mississippi is a public institution.

4

Jackson State University
Jackson, MS

70% Academic Quality Percentile

Jackson State University came in at #4 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes (Division I). Based in Jackson, MS, Jackson State University is a public institution.

5

Alcorn State University
Alcorn State, MS

66% Academic Quality Percentile

Alcorn State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Alcorn State University is a public school based in Alcorn State, MS.

6

Mississippi Valley State University
Itta Bena, MS

62% Academic Quality Percentile

Mississippi Valley State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes (Division I). Located in Itta Bena, MS, Mississippi Valley State University is a public institution.

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Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.

References

• NCAA Academic Progress Rate & Graduation Success Rate — National Collegiate Athletic Association (athlete academic outcomes).
• Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) — U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (team participation, revenue, expenses, and aid).
• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics (institutional data).

Read more about our data sources and methodologies.