ESU vs. University of Southern Mississippi

Deciding between Emporia State University and University of Southern Mississippi? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Emporia State University
University of Southern Mississippi

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • ESU Emporia, KS
  • University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
  • Setting
  • ESU Remote Town
  • University of Southern Mississippi Small City
  • Total enrollment
  • ESU 4,557
  • University of Southern Mississippi 13,170
  • Type
  • ESU Public 4 Year
  • University of Southern Mississippi Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • ESU
  • University of Southern Mississippi #901
  • Religious Affiliation
  • ESU -
  • University of Southern Mississippi -
  • Status
  • ESU Non-profit
  • University of Southern Mississippi Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • ESU
  • University of Southern Mississippi

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • ESU $7,106
  • University of Southern Mississippi $9,998
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • ESU $15,419
  • University of Southern Mississippi $11,998
  • Room & Board
  • ESU $10,950
  • University of Southern Mississippi $11,920
  • Average Net Price
  • ESU $16,094
  • University of Southern Mississippi $15,095
  • Average Grant Aid
  • ESU $5,951
  • University of Southern Mississippi $10,900
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • ESU 92%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 95%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • ESU 1,918
  • University of Southern Mississippi 7,048
  • Admitted
  • ESU 1,874
  • University of Southern Mississippi 6,986
  • Acceptance Rate
  • ESU 97.7%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 99.1%
  • Enrolled
  • ESU 22.9%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 25%
  • Typical SAT score
  • ESU
  • University of Southern Mississippi
  • Typical ACT score
  • ESU
  • University of Southern Mississippi 22
  • Average High School GPA
  • ESU 3.41
  • University of Southern Mississippi 3.5
  • Typical High School Grades
  • ESU B+
  • University of Southern Mississippi A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • ESU Unavailable
  • University of Southern Mississippi Moderate
  • Applicant Competition
  • ESU
  • University of Southern Mississippi
  • ACT Range
  • ESU
  • University of Southern Mississippi 19/26
  • SAT Range
  • ESU
  • University of Southern Mississippi
  • Submit Test Scores
  • ESU Test optional
  • University of Southern Mississippi Required
  • Application Deadline
  • ESU
  • University of Southern Mississippi

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • ESU 16:1
  • University of Southern Mississippi 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • ESU
    • Education (27%)
    • Business (16%)
    • Social Sciences (11%)
    • Health Professions (9%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • University of Southern Mississippi
    • Business (22%)
    • Health Professions (13%)
    • Education (13%)
    • Psychology (5%)
    • Communication (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • ESU 43%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 47%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • ESU $39,000
  • University of Southern Mississippi $41,700
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • ESU 59%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 54%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • ESU $19,419
  • University of Southern Mississippi $25,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • ESU $200
  • University of Southern Mississippi $258

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • ESU 33%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 37%
  • % Women
  • ESU 67%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 63%
  • Racial Diversity
  • ESU Medium
  • University of Southern Mississippi Medium
  • HBCU
  • ESU No
  • University of Southern Mississippi No
  • % White
  • ESU 70%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 61%
  • % Asian
  • ESU 1%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 1%
  • % Black
  • ESU 5%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 30%
  • % Hispanic
  • ESU 7%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 3%
  • % Native American
  • ESU 1%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • ESU 0%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • ESU 7%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 2%
  • % International
  • ESU 8%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • ESU 1%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • ESU 82%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 66%
  • % Out-of-State
  • ESU 15%
  • University of Southern Mississippi 23%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • ESU Yes
  • University of Southern Mississippi Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • ESU No
  • University of Southern Mississippi No
  • Meal Plan
  • ESU Yes
  • University of Southern Mississippi Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • ESU No
  • University of Southern Mississippi Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • ESU Yes
  • University of Southern Mississippi No

Comparable Facts

Compare Emporia State University in Emporia, KS with University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Southern Mississippi is larger than ESU based on total student enrollment (13,170 students vs. 4,557 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Emporia State University is located in Emporia, KS (Remote Town setting); University of Southern Mississippi is in Hattiesburg, MS (Small City setting).
  • Emporia State University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Southern Mississippi is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Emporia State University 16:1; University of Southern Mississippi 18:1.

ESU vs. University of Southern Mississippi Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ESU or University of Southern Mississippi? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Southern Mississippi than ESU ($15,095 vs. $16,094).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Emporia State University are 8.1% lower than at University of Southern Mississippi ($10,950 vs. $11,920).
  • University of Southern Mississippi is 40.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than ESU (about $2,892 more per year; $9,998.00 vs. $7,106.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 28.5% higher at ESU than at University of Southern Mississippi (about $3,421 more per year; $15,419.00 vs. $11,998.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Southern Mississippi than at Emporia State University (95% vs. 92%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Southern Mississippi students is 83.2% larger than aid received by Emporia State University students ($10,900 vs. $5,951).

ESU vs. University of Southern Mississippi Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ESU or University of Southern Mississippi? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between University of Southern Mississippi and ESU .

  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsUniversity of Southern Mississippi 19/26.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: ESU - Test optional; University of Southern Mississippi - Required.
  • Accepted freshman University of Southern Mississippi students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at ESU (3.41).
  • University of Southern Mississippi has a higher acceptance rate (99.1%) than ESU (97.7%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 22.9% at ESU vs. 25% at University of Southern Mississippi.

ESU vs. University of Southern Mississippi Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ESU and University of Southern Mississippi? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • University of Southern Mississippi's six-year graduation rate (47%) is higher than Emporia State University's (43%).
  • Graduates from University of Southern Mississippi earn a median of about $2,700 more per year than ESU graduates about ten years after starting college ($41,700 vs. $39,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Emporia State University graduates have a $5,581 lower median loan debt than University of Southern Mississippi graduates ($19,419 vs. $25,000).
  • Among borrowers, ESU graduates have an estimated $58 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than University of Southern Mississippi graduates ($200 vs. $258).
  • More ESU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former University of Southern Mississippi students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 54%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.