Mississippi State University

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School Location

Mississippi State, MS 39762

General information

(662) 325-2323

Type of institution:	Public, 4-year or above
Federal Aid:	Institution has a Program Participation Agreement with the US Department of Education for eligible students to receive Pell Grants and other federal aid.
Degrees offered:	Bachelor degrees, Masters degrees, Certificates/Post-Master's Certificates, Doctor's degrees, First-Professional degrees
Carnegie classification:	Research Universities (high research activity)
Number of students:	17,039 (2007)
2009-2008 Undergraduate application fee:	$ 35

About this School

Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in north east-central Mississippi in the town of Starkville and is situated 125 miles northeast of Jackson and 23 miles west of Columbus. It is the largest public university in the state.

History

The University began as The Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi (or Mississippi A&M), one of the national land-grant colleges established after Congress passed the Morrill Act in 1862. It was created by the Mississippi Legislature on February 28, 1878, to fulfill the mission of offering training in "agriculture, horticulture and the mechanical arts . . . without excluding other scientific and classical studies, including military tactics." The university received its first students in the fall of 1880 in the presidency of General Stephen D. Lee. In 1887 Congress passed the Hatch Act, which provided for the establishment of the Agricultural Experiment Station in 1888. The university has since had its mission expanded and redefined by the Legislature. In 1932, the Legislature renamed the university as Mississippi State College. Further, in 1926 the university had received its first accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. By 1958, when the Legislature again renamed the university as Mississippi State University, the Graduate School had been organized (1936), doctoral degree programs had begun (1951), the School of Forest Resources had been established (1954), and the College of Arts and Sciences had replaced the General Science School (1956). The School of Architecture admitted its first students in 1973, the College of Veterinary Medicine admitted its first class in 1977. The MSU Vet school (commonly referred to as the CVM) is the largest veterinary school in the nation under one roof. The School of Accountancy was established in 1979. The University Honors Program was founded in 1968 in order to provide more rigorous course curricula for academically talented students, as well as to facilitate guest lecture series, forums, and distinguished external scholarships. The program has been vastly expanded to form its own college after Bobby Shackouls, a MSU alum and retired CEO, donated $10 million to found the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College in April, 2006. See Also:

List of Presidents of Mississippi State University

Tuition and Fees	2009-2008	2008-2007	2007-2006
Academic year prices for full-time, first-time undergraduate students
In-State	$ 5,151	$ 4,978	$ 4,596
Out of State	$ 12,503	$ 11,469	$ 10,552
Books and Supplies	$ 1,000	$ 1,000	$ 950
On-Campus
Room and board	$ 7,333	$ 6,951	$ 6,331
Other Expenses	$ 3,313	$ 3,108	$ 3,656
Off Campus
Room and board	$ 7,333	$ 6,951	$ 6,331
Other Expenses	$ 3,313	$ 3,108	$ 3,656
Off Campus w/ family
Other Expenses	$ 3,435	$ 3,108	$ 3,656

Financial aid 2006-2007

Financial aid to full-time, first-time undergraduate students

Type of Aid	Percentage of students receiving aid	Average amount of aid they received
Federal Grants (scholarship/fellowship)	25%	$ 3,344
State/Local grants (scholarship/fellowship)	59%	$ 2,092
Institutional grants (scholarship/fellowship)	80%	$ 3,467
Loans to students	38%	$ 4,097

End of file for Mississippi State University.