Public
Accredited · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
University, Mississippi
97.8% Acceptance Rate
University of Mississippi — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
97.8%Acceptance Rate
3.6Avg GPA
1187Avg SAT
25Avg ACT
$27,692Annual Cost
$50,994Grad Salary
22.4%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
97.8%
Avg GPA
3.6
Avg SAT
1187
Avg ACT
25
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
1020–1210
ACT Middle 50%
21–29
Avg Net Price
$13,164
Need-Based Aid
22.4% receive Pell
University of Mississippi is a major, public research university that emphasizes academic excellence, professional development, and community impact. Admissions focus on the strength of a student's high school record and their readiness for a large, diverse campus environment. The university seeks intellectually ambitious students who are ready to contribute to its vibrant campus community and take advantage of its extensive array of research and professional opportunities.
Successful applicants should highlight their success in rigorous coursework and their initiative in school or community projects. Demonstrating a proactive approach to learning such as participating in research or relevant extracurricular fields can significantly strengthen an application. A strong personal statement reflects a clear understanding of how the university's research-intensive environment will prepare the student for their specific career aspirations, as the admissions team prioritizes students with a focused, ambitious vision for their professional future.
University of Mississippi Acceptance Rate
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) runs an open-access admission policy. With a 97.8% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 97.8% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.60 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.40 – 3.59
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.15
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
University of Mississippi Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for University of Mississippi is December 15 for Spring applicants, with additional plans listed below.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 129 days left — Spring
Spring
December 15
Fall Priority
April 1
Fall Final
August 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (December 15, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Ole Miss GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Ole Miss is 3.6. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.30 and 3.6? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.80–4.00.Ole Miss GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective; solid academic performance is expected.
Recommended Strategy: Focus on a Strong 'Spike' in extracurriculars or research.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.60 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.40 – 3.59
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.20 – 3.39
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.19
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Automatic admission uses separate GPA/test tables for residents vs. nonresidents tied to completion of the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC); Mississippi residents who don't meet the standard thresholds can enter a campus-based comprehensive screening/testing process instead of being denied outright
- Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Croft Institute (International Studies, ~50 admits/year), and the Chinese/Arabic Language Flagship Programs all apply through one shared Competitive Academic Programs Application (CAPApp), separate from general UM admission, with their own essays and deadlines (Honors EA: Nov. 1; final: Jan. 10)
- Fewer than 5% of entering freshmen receive an Honors College scholarship; recent Honors cohort averaged a 30.3 ACT and 3.92 unweighted GPA, far above the general applicant pool
- Croft Scholars and Honors College Scholarships are each worth $8,000/year ($32,000 over four years) and are stackable with most other university aid; Croft requires at least one semester studying abroad and a senior thesis defense
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Ole Miss
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on University of Mississippi's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Ole Miss is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Ole Miss Without SAT or ACT?
Ole Miss considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
University of Mississippi Average SAT Score: 1187
The average SAT score of admitted students at University of Mississippi is 1187 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1187 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1210 SAT or 29 ACT) to stand out. Below average? University of Mississippi allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1020, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Ole Miss. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 555 | 510 | 600 |
| SAT Reading | 560 | 510 | 610 |
| SAT Composite | 1187 | 1020 | 1210 |
Below 1020, you're behind most admitted students; at 1210 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1200
Can I get into University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) with a 1200 SAT?
A 1200 SAT puts you ahead of most of Ole Miss's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Ole Miss is 25.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 25 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average ACT score.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 24 | 20 | 27 |
| ACT English | 26 | 21 | 30 |
| ACT Composite | 25 | 21 | 29 |
Can I get into University of Mississippi with a 29 ACT?
A 29 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Ole Miss's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Ole Miss.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Ole Miss
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Getting into Ole Miss is the easy part. What matters next is using placement testing, advising, and available resources to set up a strong first year.
Run Ole Miss's automatic-admission formula for the student's specific residency status - Mississippi residents and nonresidents use different tables entirely
Mississippi residents qualify automatically through one of several GPA/test-score combinations tied to completion of the College Preparatory Curriculum (e.g., a 3.2 CPC GPA alone, or a 2.5 CPC GPA plus a 16 ACT/760 SAT, or top-half class rank plus a 16 ACT/760 SAT); nonresidents instead need a 2.5-2.75 CPC GPA (the higher figure applying to graduating classes of 2016 and later) combined with a 21 ACT/980 SAT. Because these are genuinely different tables, don't assume a nonresident family's numbers translate directly from what an in-state neighbor needed - run the right table for the student's actual residency.
If the student wants the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, know that fewer than 5% of incoming freshmen receive an Honors scholarship - so write to both audiences in the same application
The Honors College application is submitted through the same portal as the university's Special Programs & Scholarship Application, with an Early-Action deadline of November 1 (decision by December 20) and a final deadline of January 10 - and that single application also functions as the scholarship application, since fewer than 5% of entering freshmen receive an Honors-specific scholarship. The essay prompts require choosing from several options (e.g., describing a problem solved or one the student wants to solve, 500-700 words, evaluated on style, grammar, imagination, and substance) - and the admissions committee can see both the Honors essay and the separate scholarship-application essay, so the two must be genuinely different pieces of writing, not variations on the same idea.
For International Studies-track students, treat the Croft Institute as a parallel application with its own bar - roughly 50 students admitted per year
Croft applicants typically rank near the top of their class with a 28+ ACT (1250 SAT critical reading/math, or 1310+ SATR) and a 3.50+ unweighted GPA, or hold valedictorian/salutatorian status - but Croft explicitly tells well-rounded students or those with strong foreign-language skills to apply even if test scores fall short. The Croft application is submitted through the same Competitive Academic Programs Application (CAPApp) portal used for the Honors College, the Arabic and Chinese Language Flagship Programs, and the Trent Lott Leadership Institute - a student can and should apply to several of these simultaneously rather than picking just one, since admission decisions are made independently for each.
Use the Chinese Language Flagship Program as a genuine differentiator if the student has any Chinese-language background or serious interest
Ole Miss is one of only twelve universities nationally with a federally supported Chinese Language Flagship Program, and it's frequently cited as the strongest of the twelve - a meaningfully rare offering for a public flagship with a ~97% overall acceptance rate. A student with any prior Mandarin exposure, heritage-language background, or strong interest in U.S.-China relations should apply to the Flagship program through the same CAPApp portal as Croft and Honors, since this kind of specific, checkable distinctive feature is exactly the sort of detail that separates a generic "Ole Miss is a fun SEC school" narrative from a genuinely differentiated one.
Expert Insight:
Because Ole Miss's overall acceptance rate sits near 97-98% with no required general-admission essay, families can wrongly assume the entire Ole Miss experience is low-stakes - but the Honors College, Croft Institute, and Flagship programs run admit rates and academic profiles (the most recent Honors cohort averaged roughly a 30.3 ACT and 3.92 unweighted GPA) that are dramatically more selective than the headline university number. Counselors should make sure a strong student doesn't skip the competitive-programs application simply because the general Ole Miss application felt easy.
Ole Miss Profile
Full Name
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
City
University
State
Mississippi
ZIP Code
38677-1848
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Is a Ole Miss Degree Worth It?
Ole Miss offers a rigorous academic environment, but 'worth it' is a personal calculation of cost, program fit, and outcomes. The figures below are a starting point.
The average household income among admitted students is $53,400, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.64%.
How much does a degree from Ole Miss Cost?
The sticker price is $27,692/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is closer to $13,164.
22.4% of students receive a Pell Grant and 32.9% take federal loans at Ole Miss. File your FAFSA early and list Ole Miss as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Ole Miss Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $50,994. That's about 26% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than University of Mississippi. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL | 1148 | 23 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | 1155 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | 1154 | 23 |
| University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL | 1137 | 24 |
| Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA | 1150 | 24 |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA | 1149 | 23 |
| Toccoa Falls College | Toccoa Falls, GA | 1155 | 23 |
| Chaminade University of Honolulu | Honolulu, HI | 1155 | NA |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as University of Mississippi. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
| University of New Haven | West Haven, CT | 1190 | NA |
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1182 | 25 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than University of Mississippi. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 1251 | 26 |
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
Degree Programs at Ole Miss
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Ole Miss Admissions
Median graduate earnings at University of Mississippi run about $50,994 a year.
At about $27,692 a year, University of Mississippi is on the more affordable end.
University of Mississippi's Pell Grant rate of 22.4% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 97.8%, University of Mississippi's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at University of Mississippi average a 3.6 GPA.
University of Mississippi doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.3 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.2, University of Mississippi becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at University of Mississippi — aim above 1187, ideally within the 1020–1210 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for University of Mississippi is December 15 for Spring applicants.
The application fee is 40. Fee waivers may be available. Check with admissions.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is December 15, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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