Fort Valley State University vs. University of Southern Mississippi

Should I go to Fort Valley State University or University of Southern Mississippi? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Fort Valley State University or University of Southern Mississippi is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Fort Valley State University vs. University of Southern Mississippi comparison
Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi College 3 College 4
Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
Location Fort Valley, GA Hattiesburg, MS
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,605 13,526
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1018 #874
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fvsu.edu usm.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
Tuition (In State) $4,064 $9,340
Tuition (Out of State) $14,786 $11,340
Room & Board $8,372 $11,338
Avg Net Price $13,016 $14,427
Avg Grant Aid $9,499 $9,296
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 91%

Admission

Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 6,247 9,051
Admitted 2,692 8,946
Acceptance Rate 43.1% 98.8%
Enrolled % 20.5% 18.2%
Avg High School GPA 2.87 3.5
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 16/19 19/26
SAT Range 810/950
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Jun 15, 2025

Academics

Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Communication (5%)

Outcomes

Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
Graduation Rate 33% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $32,000 $41,700
Making Student Loan Payments 19% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $36,500 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $377 $258

Diversity

Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
% Men 35% 35%
% Women 65% 65%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Medium
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 61%
% Black 94% 30%
% Hispanic 0% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
% In-State 93% 70%
% Out-of-State 7% 27%

Campus

Fort Valley State University University of Southern Mississippi
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Southern Mississippi is larger than than Fort Valley State University based on total student enrollment (13,526 students vs. 2,605 students)

Fort Valley State University vs. University of Southern Mississippi Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Fort Valley State University or University of Southern Mississippi?

  • University of Southern Mississippi is 129.8% more expensive to attend than Fort Valley State University for in-state tuition ($9,340.00 vs. $4,064.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 30.4% higher at Fort Valley State University than University of Southern Mississippi ($14,786.00 vs. $11,340.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fort Valley State University than University of Southern Mississippi ($13,016 vs. $14,427)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Fort Valley State University are 35.4% lower than costs at University of Southern Mississippi ($8,372 vs. $11,338)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Fort Valley State University than University of Southern Mississippi (94% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Fort Valley State University students is 2.2% larger than aid received University of Southern Mississippi ($9,499 vs. $9,296)

Fort Valley State University vs. University of Southern Mississippi Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Fort Valley State University or University of Southern Mississippi? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between University of Southern Mississippi or Fort Valley State University .

  • The average SAT score at University of Southern Mississippi (1049) is 184 points higher than at Fort Valley State University (865)
  • Incoming University of Southern Mississippi students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Fort Valley State University (18)
  • Accepted freshman University of Southern Mississippi students have a 0.63 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Fort Valley State University (2.87)
  • University of Southern Mississippi has a higher acceptance rate (98.8%) than Fort Valley State University (43.1%)

Fort Valley State University vs. University of Southern Mississippi Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Fort Valley State University or University of Southern Mississippi? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between University of Southern Mississippi and Fort Valley State University.

  • The graduation rate at University of Southern Mississippi is higher than Fort Valley State University (47% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from University of Southern Mississippi earn on average $9,700 more per year than Fort Valley State University graduates after ten years. ($41,700 vs. $32,000)
  • University of Southern Mississippi students graduate with a $11,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Fort Valley State University graduates. ($25,000 vs. $36,500)
  • University of Southern Mississippi graduates are paying $119 less per month on federal student loans than Fort Valley State University graduates. ($258 vs. $377)
  • More University of Southern Mississippi graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fort Valley State University students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 19%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/