Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for University of Southern Mississippi, Middle Tennessee State University, Central Michigan University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS | Middle TennesseeMurfreesboro, TN | Central MichiganMount Pleasant, MI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 99.1% | 69.1% | 89.8% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedUniversity of Southern Mississippi did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class. | 1010–1230 | 960–1200 |
| Average net price | $21,70846.3% on Pell grants | $13,35931.8% on Pell grants | $17,59731.4% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $9,998 in-state · $11,998 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,266 in-state · $31,574 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $14,760 in-state · $14,760 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 49.1% | 53.7% | 58.7% |
| First-year retention | 72.1% | 79.5% | 75.4% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 46.3% | 31.8% | 31.4% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $44,140 | $48,541 | $55,874 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,500 | $20,000 | $27,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 15:1 | 17:1 | 16:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 10,075 | 16,301 | 10,035 |
| Consensus percentile | 59Lower is better | 64Lower is better | 59Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 84 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 73 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 71 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Southern Mississippi | Middle Tennessee | Central Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #318 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #257 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #283 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #467 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #807 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #471 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #425 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #287 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #278 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #529 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #599 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #1419 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing University of Southern Mississippi on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Middle Tennessee State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Central Michigan University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profile