🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students. Affordable on average — net price runs around $9,686/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$7,692 — major value play)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: ACT below 14 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M3: Master's - Smaller Programs
Total enrollment
1,439
1,000 - 4,999
In-state tuition
$7,692
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$7,692
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
51.2%
Moderately selective
ACT middle 50%
14–18
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$31,919
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$25,817
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$31,919
4-year completion
27%
Median debt (completers)
$28,413
Cost of attendance
$21,154
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
56%

💰 True ROI

8.2× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$38,744
$9,686/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$45,872
vs sticker $84,616
10-yr earnings total
$319,190
$31,919/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.2 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Mississippi Valley State University, the average net price is $9,686/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$9,073/yr
Family income $30-48k
$9,076/yr
Family income $48-75k
$9,627/yr
Family income $75-110k
$12,440/yr
Family income $110k+
$17,479/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Mississippi Valley State University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Mississippi Valley State University →

Opens on Mississippi Valley State University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Mississippi Valley State University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Mississippi Valley State University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Liberal Arts, Humanities, & General Studies
34 degrees · 24.3%
Typical career outcomes
Management Analyst $99k Marketing Specialist $75k HR Specialist $68k
Flexible degree → many paths. Real outcomes depend on the second skill (data, coding, teaching cert).
2. Education
31 degrees · 22.1%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
28 degrees · 20.0%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
4. Business, Management, & Marketing
27 degrees · 19.3%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
5. Public Administration & Social Services
20 degrees · 14.3%
Typical career outcomes
Social Worker $58k Social / Community Service Mgr $77k Urban / Regional Planner $82k
Government, nonprofit, social work. Mission-driven; lower wages than private sector but stable.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Mississippi Valley State University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 19 $53,691

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Mississippi Valley State University

CS degrees (annual)
8
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Mississippi Valley State University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Mississippi Valley State University into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →