U.S. News & World Report Rates Mississippi College Among the South’s Best Values
Mississippi College ranks near the top of the list of Southern regional universities when it comes to measuring best values, says “U.S. News & World Report.”
In a new report released September 9, the magazine showcases MC as No. 4 in the category of “Great Schools, Great Prices,” as it evaluates affordability among the South’s regional institutions.
The magazine noted the percentage of Mississippi College students receiving grants based on need (54 percent). The survey also highlighted the average yearly cost of $16,864 after students were awarded grants at the Baptist-affiliated university. In addition, the magazine pointed out that MC students received a 37 percent discount from 2013 costs.
“This new ranking from U.S. News & World Report reiterates the message we share with university constituents that Mississippi College offers a stellar Christian education at an affordable price during tough times for the USA’s economy,” President Lee Royce says.
“At MC, we’ve managed to keep tuition and other costs as low as possible for students and their families,” Royce said.
The latest national survey comes on the heels of MC’s strong rankings from Christian Colleges Online in late July. The survey rates Mississippi College in Clinton No. 8 among the nation’s 50 most affordable Christian colleges.
The new “U.S. News & World Report” guide to colleges also lists MC in 29th place among the South’s best regional universities. That puts Mississippi College in a higher ranking than such schools as Western Kentucky, Radford University in Virginia, Arkansas State, North Florida, Lee University in Tennessee, the University of North Georgia, Morehead State in Kentucky and North Alabama, among others.
MC freshman Gannon Gager, 19, said it would have been cheaper for him to stay in his hometown and attend the University of Texas at San Antonio. But paying a little bit more was well worth it for him to take classes this fall on the Clinton campus.
“I like it being a small community,” Gager said during lunch at the university cafeteria.
“We are awesome. We are in a great Christian environment,” added Mississippi College freshman Vashti Graham, 18, of Meridian. The psychology major believes her MC education is a bargain.
In naming MC the South’s 30 leading regional universities, “U.S. News & World Report” looked at such measuring sticks as the school’s average freshmen retention rate of 72 percent, the student/faculty ratio of 15 to 1, and the percentage of classes with 50 or more students (1 percent).
Graduate School Dean Debbie Norris is elated about MC’s superb evaluation in the national magazine.
“I am so glad we have been recognized as one of those Southern regional universities providing the best value,” Norris says.
A Mississippi College graduate, Norris isn’t surprised by the findings. “Our academic programs are excellent. That fact coupled with our personal attention makes for a viable combination.”
This fall, MC enrollment rose to 5,063 students, an increase from the 5,030 students here a year ago. Graduate enrollment increased slightly. MC welcomed a record 377 international students. Average ACT scores reached a record of 24.4 for incoming freshmen.
Freshman Mariah Walker, a communications major from Thomasville, Alabama, is happy with her college choice. “There are a lot of scholarships,” she said. A friend from her hometown, who’s now a sophomore here, told her about Mississippi College.
“I like the small classes,” says MC freshman Jocelyne Olguin, 18, of Horn Lake, Miss. “The professors care about the students and hold them accountable.”
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