Mississippi Valley State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Itta Bena, Mississippi. It enrolls 1,439 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
61/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes10
Value69
Affordability91
Selectivity8
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Mississippi Valley State University admits 92.4% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
92.4%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
13 – 17
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Mississippi Valley State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
13.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $9,686 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$7,692
Room & Board (on-campus)
$8,956
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,956
Books & Supplies
$2,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,800
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,800
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,154
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,073
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,076
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,627
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,440
Over $110,000
$17,479
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,50010%percentile
$8,50025%percentile
$28,413Medianpercentile
$32,04275%percentile
$45,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,760
↓ $8,653
No Pell $13,000
↓ $15,413
Dependent students $18,000
↓ $10,413
Independent students $25,000
↓ $3,413
Female students $21,500
↓ $6,913
Male students $16,028
↓ $12,385
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $14,250, less than completers ($28,413), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
20% of students who start here finish within six years, and 65% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
20%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
65%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $31,919 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$31,919
Earning > $25K
54%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$24,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$31,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $6,500, about 21% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
9.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 53% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,439 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 43% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,439
Part-Time
28%
First-Generation
43%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 91.4%1,315
White 3.3%47
Hispanic 1.8%26
Asian 0.7%10
Other 0.3%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Mississippi Valley State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Mississippi Valley State University offers
a varied set of programs:
28 distinct programs across
17 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,438
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$3.7M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$60,083
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
91 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
18
20%
$72,215
Associate Professors
16
18%
$60,851
Assistant Professors
41
45%
$58,667
Instructors
16
18%
$49,295
Pros & Cons of Mississippi Valley State University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Mississippi Valley State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Below-average post-graduation earnings
Higher than typical student debt at graduation
Best for:
Based on the data, Mississippi Valley State University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mississippi Valley State University
The questions families ask most about Mississippi Valley State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Mississippi Valley State University hard to get into?
Not especially. Mississippi Valley State University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 92.4%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Mississippi Valley State University?
92.4% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Mississippi Valley State University?
Aim for 17 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 13 and 17 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Mississippi Valley State University cost?
Budget around $9,686 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Mississippi Valley State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $31,919 a year against a net price of $9,686, about 3.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Mississippi Valley State University known for?
Mostly Teacher Education (K-12), Liberal Arts, Teacher Education (K-12). Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Mississippi Valley State University graduates earn?
About $31,919 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Mississippi Valley State University accredited?
Yes. Mississippi Valley State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Mississippi Valley State University?
1,439 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Mississippi Valley State University?
20% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Mississippi Valley State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Mississippi Valley State University located?
Mississippi Valley State University is located in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
What programs does Mississippi Valley State University offer?
28 different programs, most commonly Teacher Education (K-12), Liberal Arts, Teacher Education (K-12). If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Mississippi Valley State University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Mississippi
Other colleges in Mississippi share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Teacher Education (K-12)
Business Administration
Nursing
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