UL Lafayette vs. Mississippi State

Should I go to University of Louisiana at Lafayette or Mississippi State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UL Lafayette or Mississippi State 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.

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University of Louisiana at Lafayette vs. Mississippi State University comparison
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mississippi State University College 3 College 4
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mississippi State University
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Overview

UL Lafayette Mississippi State
Location Lafayette, LA Mississippi State, MS
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 15,219 22,649
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #784 #523
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website louisiana.edu msstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UL Lafayette Mississippi State
Tuition (In State) $5,407 $9,248
Tuition (Out of State) $19,135 $25,294
Room & Board $11,642 $10,964
Avg Net Price $13,036 $15,364
Avg Grant Aid $10,672 $14,252
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

UL Lafayette Mississippi State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,752 18,830
Admitted 8,762 14,158
Acceptance Rate 74.6% 75.2%
Enrolled % 32.9% 23.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.4 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/24 21/29
SAT Range 1023/1198 1070/1280
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

UL Lafayette Mississippi State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (15%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Engineering (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

UL Lafayette Mississippi State
Graduation Rate 41% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $45,000 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,500 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $201 $240

Diversity

UL Lafayette Mississippi State
% Men 43% 49%
% Women 57% 51%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 67% 72%
% Black 22% 20%
% Hispanic 4% 2%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

UL Lafayette Mississippi State
% In-State 96% 59%
% Out-of-State 3% 40%

Campus

UL Lafayette Mississippi State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Mississippi State University is larger than than UL Lafayette based on total student enrollment (22,649 students vs. 15,219 students)

UL Lafayette vs. Mississippi State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UL Lafayette or Mississippi State?

  • Mississippi State University is 71% more expensive to attend than UL Lafayette for in-state tuition ($9,248.00 vs. $5,407.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 32.2% higher at Mississippi State than University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($25,294.00 vs. $19,135.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Louisiana at Lafayette than Mississippi State ($13,036 vs. $15,364)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Mississippi State University are 6.2% lower than costs at University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($10,964 vs. $11,642)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Louisiana at Lafayette than Mississippi State University (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mississippi State University students is 33.5% larger than aid received University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($14,252 vs. $10,672)

UL Lafayette vs. Mississippi State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Mississippi State University (1140) is 71 points higher than at UL Lafayette (1069)
  • Incoming Mississippi State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at UL Lafayette (23)
  • Accepted freshman Mississippi State students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at UL Lafayette (3.4)
  • Mississippi State has a higher acceptance rate (75.2%) than UL Lafayette (74.6%)

UL Lafayette vs. Mississippi State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UL Lafayette or Mississippi State? 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 Mississippi State and UL Lafayette.

  • The graduation rate at Mississippi State is higher than University of Louisiana at Lafayette (60% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from Mississippi State University earn on average $2,500 more per year than UL Lafayette graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $45,000)
  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Mississippi State graduates. ($19,500 vs. $23,250)
  • UL Lafayette graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than Mississippi State graduates. ($201 vs. $240)
  • More Mississippi State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UL Lafayette students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 55%)

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