History, Affiliations, and Rankings
Established in 1862, Mississippi State University began its journey as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi. It was created by the Mississippi legislature in February 1878. In 1932, the Legislature renamed the university as Mississippi State College. In 1958 the Legislature renamed the university Mississippi State University in recognition of its academic development.
The University has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is affiliated with the National Sea Grant College Program, Space grant Colleges in the US, Southern Universities Research Association, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Athletically, Mississippi State University has been associated with NCAA Division I FBS - SEC. Times Higher Education Rankings have given MSU a Global Ranking in the range of #800-#1000, US News and World Report Best Global Universities rankings have placed MSU at #819. In 2014, MSU was ranked the 36th top college in the United States by the Social Mobility Index college rankings. In 2013, Forbes magazine's "America's Best College Buys" ranked MSU #279.
Infrastructure, Campuses, and Courses
Mississippi State University has 2 campuses, Starkville Campus and Meridian Campus. The main campus, Starkville Campus adjoins the city of Starkville, 25 miles west of Columbus and 120 miles northeast of Jackson and the Meridian is regional, upper-division, degree-granting campus.
Mississippi State University has a total of 12 schools offering programs in Agriculture & Life Sciences, Architecture, Art & Design, Arts & Sciences, Business, Accountancy, Education, Engineering, Forest Sciences, Veterinary, Health Sciences, and a Graduate School. Mississippi State University has a total of 16 buildings on campus with a total campus size of 4,200 acres. MSU also owns an additional land of 80,000 acres across the country. The University offers more than 175 programs in a wide array of disciplines at the Bachelor's, Master's, and the Doctoral levels. In addition, distance learning options and continuing education programs are also offered at MSU.
Accomplishments and Alumni
Since the 144 years of its founding, Mississippi State University has had a long trajectory of accomplishments. It is among only 2.7% of universities in the United States that hold the Carnegie Foundation R1-Very High Research Activity designation. The National Science Foundation ranks Mississippi State among the nation’s Top 100 research institutions and the Magnolia State’s leading research university. Mississippi State's intercollegiate sports teams, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, participate in NCAA Division I athletics as members of the Southeastern Conference's western division. Mississippi State Bulldogs have won 21 individual national championships, 30 regular season conference championships, and 1 national championship title in their 120 years of history with Southeastern Conference.
Many notable alumni like Will Clark Baseball player (6-time MLB All-Star), John Grisham (Author of popular legal thrillers), and Amy Tuck (Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi) have graduated from Mississippi State University and paved their way to success.
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
Over 3% of the student body of Mississippi State University comprises international students. More than 1000 students from over 75 countries attend the University every year. It is from a total of more than 20,000 students. The Career Service Center of Mississippi State University offers many resources to the students and alumni for connecting with potential employers and creating a better CV and Resume. The University hosts many career fairs for students to interact with employers. United States Air Force, US Army, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Amazon, Entergy, C Spire and several other companies popularly recruit graduates from Mississippi State University.
