Tuition for Mississippi residents attending Southwest Mississippi Community College rose by 6.5% in the 2022-23 school year, based on the latest figures, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Mississippi students paid $3,600 to attend the two-year public college this year, an increase of $220 from the $3,380 charged in the 2021-22 academic year.
Non-resident students faced tuition costs 75% higher than residents in 2022-23, paying $6,300. This represents a 3.6% rise from the $6,080 charged in the previous year.
Approximately 93% of the undergraduate student body at the college are Mississippi residents, while about 7% come from other states.
Data indicates that 94% of full-time undergraduates who enrolled in the 2022-23 school year received some form of financial aid. A total of 482 students were awarded grants or scholarships amounting to $3.4 million.
Across all undergraduate students, 1,386 received grants or scholarships totaling $9.4 million.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
The following data includes only full-time students who began an undergraduate program at the Southwest Mississippi Community College in the 2022-23 school year.
| Type of Aid | Number of students awarded aid | Percent awarded aid | Total amount of aid awarded | Average amount of aid per student |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal grants | 362 | 70% | $2.5 million | $6,782 |
| State / local grant or scholarship | 142 | 27% | $103,550 | $729 |
| Institutional grants or scholarships | 236 | 46% | $823,103 | $3,488 |
| Grant or scholarship aid total | 482 | 93% | $3.4 million | $7,016 |
| Federal student loans | 0 | 0% | $0 | $0 |
| Other student loans | 0 | 0% | $0 | $0 |
| Student loan aid | 0 | 0% | $0 | $0 |
| Total student aid | 487 | 94% | $3.4 million | $6,944 |
Information in this story was obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics. The source data can be found here.
