Rankings / By State
Best Psychology Colleges in Mississippi
- 13
- Schools
- $43,182
- Avg. Earnings
- 52%
- Avg. Graduation
- $17,838
- Avg. Net Price
- $22,706
- Avg. Debt
CollegeRanker Research
What Surprised Us Most
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Median graduate earnings across these 13 schools run from $31,241 to $53,848, a 1.7× gap. The category label alone says little about payoff.
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Copiah-Lincoln Community College delivers the most for the money: roughly $31,241 in median earnings against $3,894 a year in net price, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio on the list.
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Copiah-Lincoln Community College is the lowest-cost school here at $3,894 a year in net price.
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University of Mississippi graduates 70% of its students, versus a 52% average across the list. Completion, more than selectivity, signals whether a degree actually gets finished.
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Copiah-Lincoln Community College carries the healthiest debt load, with graduates owing just 0.24× their annual earnings.
Surprising Comparisons
- #1 Copiah-Lincoln Community College ($31,241 earnings) outranks the list's highest earner, Millsaps College ($53,848), because it does more on mobility and cost.
- Copiah-Lincoln Community College costs $3,894 a year and Mississippi Christian University costs $27,712. Yet their graduates earn $31,241 and $47,485, nowhere near the $23,818 price gap.
- On value, Copiah-Lincoln Community College beats Millsaps College: comparable career payoff at a fraction of the net price.
The Takeaway
A consistent pattern: the schools that finish at the top get there by delivering strong earnings, manageable debt, and real mobility rather than by charging more or rejecting more applicants. Those outcomes are what define educational value.
What This Means for Students
For students evaluating these schools, begin with Copiah-Lincoln Community College and University of Mississippi. Look past sticker price: pull each school's net price for your income level, compare it against projected earnings, and let the data guide the decision instead of the brand.
Why this ranking matters
These schools are ranked on outcomes that compound: graduate earnings, upward mobility, debt, and value, all drawn from federal tax records and Scorecard data rather than reputation surveys. The list rewards results over prestige, led by institutions whose graduates earn a median of about $43K ten years after enrollment.
How we measure this — full methodology →How we rank · 4 pillars
Federal-source data only. Build your own weighting →
Data Behind This Page Updated 2026-07-13
Source datasets
Methodology
Schools are scored on the CollegeRanker 4-Pillar Algorithm: Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25–35%), Academic Quality (15–20%), and Value (20–25%). Every weight is published and every figure traces to a public dataset.
See the full methodology and weights →Confidence notes
- Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
- Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
- Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.
Limitations
- Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
- Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
- An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
- Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.
At a Glance
How the Top Schools Compare
| School | Earnings | Net Price | Graduation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Copiah-Lincoln Community College #1 overall | $31,241 ▼ -28% vs avg | $3,894 | 51% | 68 |
| 2 Delta State University #2 overall | $41,991 ▼ -3% vs avg | $13,540 | 47% | 66 |
| 3 University of Mississippi #3 overall | $50,994 ▲ +18% vs avg | $13,314 | 70% | 64 |
| $51,513 ▲ +19% vs avg | $17,595 | 65% | 63 | |
| $43,087 ▲ +0% vs avg | $14,258 | 51% | 62 |
Score uses our 4-pillar methodology. Earnings % is vs. this list's average.
See full ranking →Executive Summary
Best Psychology Colleges in Mississippi
This analysis ranks 13 institutions on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost. Across the list, alumni earn a median of $43,182 ten years after enrolling, against an average graduation rate of 52% and an average net price of $17,838.
Key takeaways
- Strongest Earnings-to-Cost Ratio: Copiah-Lincoln Community College — Net Price: $3,894 | Graduation Rate: 51%
- Strongest Completion Outcomes: University of Mississippi — 70% completion rate
- Highest Earnings Generator: Millsaps College — Median alumni earnings: $53,848
Research Note
Private nonprofit colleges cost 110% more in net price than publics, while their graduates earn 21% more.
Human Services Workforce Analysis
What does this ranking tell us about the human-services and social-work workforce?
$43,087
Median earnings (10yr)
51%
Median graduation rate
$17,043
Median net price
2.3%
Avg. mobility rate
Psychology, social work, and counseling programs train a workforce in high and rising demand. Mental-health needs, child and family services, and an aging population all pull for licensed practitioners. The work is essential and licensure-gated. Pay is modest, which makes the economics of the degree unusually sensitive to cost.
Start with the medians across these 13 schools. Graduates earn a median of $43,087 ten years after enrollment. The median graduation rate is 51%, and the typical net price (what students pay after grants) runs $17,043 a year with about $22,500 in federal debt. Pell grants reach 43% of students on average, and the average mobility rate, the share of students lifted from the bottom income quintile to the top, is 2.3%.
What we’re seeing: demand is strong and growing, but the salary ceiling means affordability decides the return. With median earnings around $43,087 and a median net price of $17,043, the best value comes from programs that keep debt well below early-career pay.
The podium
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Full rankings
Why it ranks #1
Copiah-Lincoln Community College lands at #1 with a 68/100 composite, led by value per dollar (89/100) and pulled down by economic outcomes (61/100). Graduates earn a median $31,241 a decade after enrolling, 28% below this list's average, and net price runs $3,894 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #2
Delta State University lands at #2 with a 66/100 composite, led by social mobility (77/100) and pulled down by academic quality (59/100). Graduates earn a median $41,991 a decade after enrolling, 3% below this list's average, and net price runs $13,540 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #3
University of Mississippi lands at #3 with a 64/100 composite, led by social mobility (77/100) and pulled down by economic outcomes (66/100). Graduates earn a median $50,994 a decade after enrolling, 18% above this list's average, and net price runs $13,314 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #4
Mississippi State University lands at #4 with a 63/100 composite, led by social mobility (77/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (59/100). Graduates earn a median $51,513 a decade after enrolling, 19% above this list's average, and net price runs $17,595 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #5
William Carey University lands at #5 with a 62/100 composite, led by social mobility (78/100) and pulled down by economic outcomes (61/100). Graduates earn a median $43,087 a decade after enrolling, 0% above this list's average, and net price runs $14,258 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #6
Belhaven University lands at #6 with a 60/100 composite, led by social mobility (82/100) and pulled down by academic quality (52/100). Graduates earn a median $46,440 a decade after enrolling, 8% above this list's average, and net price runs $15,676 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #7
Millsaps College lands at #7 with a 60/100 composite, led by social mobility (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (40/100). Graduates earn a median $53,848 a decade after enrolling, 25% above this list's average, and net price runs $26,034 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #8
University of Southern Mississippi lands at #8 with a 59/100 composite, led by social mobility (80/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (50/100). Graduates earn a median $44,140 a decade after enrolling, 2% above this list's average, and net price runs $21,708 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #9
Tougaloo College lands at #9 with a 58/100 composite, led by academic quality (60/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (48/100). Graduates earn a median $34,724 a decade after enrolling, 20% below this list's average, and net price runs $17,043 a year. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #10
Jackson State University lands at #10 with a 50/100 composite, led by social mobility (82/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (35/100). Graduates earn a median $39,060 a decade after enrolling, 10% below this list's average, and net price runs $23,836 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Blue Mountain, MS · 89% accepted · $24,016 net
Why it ranks #11
Blue Mountain Christian University lands at #11 with a 50/100 composite, led by academic quality (64/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (47/100). Graduates earn a median $40,421 a decade after enrolling, 6% below this list's average, and net price runs $24,016 a year, above the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #12
Mississippi Christian University lands at #12 with a 49/100 composite, led by academic quality (64/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (44/100). Graduates earn a median $47,485 a decade after enrolling, 10% above this list's average, and net price runs $27,712 a year, above the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #13
Alcorn State University lands at #13 with a 45/100 composite, led by academic quality (54/100) and pulled down by social mobility (52/100). Graduates earn a median $36,421 a decade after enrolling, 16% below this list's average, and net price runs $13,265 a year, well under the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Cut it by what you care about
The same 13 schools, re-ranked by the outcome that matters to you.
Where the programs are
Choosing a psychology program in Mississippi involves considering a range of factors, from earnings potential to graduation rates. With 13 colleges in this list, students and families have a variety of options tailored to different needs and aspirations. The average earnings for psychology graduates in the state stand at $43,182, which gives a baseline for what to expect after graduation.
What sets the top schools apart is not just their program offerings but the outcomes that follow graduation. Key metrics include earnings, graduation rates, debt levels, and overall student mobility. For instance, schools like the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University lead the pack with impressive earnings but vary significantly in net price and graduation rates. This list helps navigate those nuances and highlights the trade-offs involved in selecting a program.
For example, the University of Mississippi boasts earnings of $50,994 and a graduation rate of 70%, while Copiah-Lincoln Community College shows a lower earning potential of $31,241 with only a 51% graduation rate. This contrast illustrates the trade-offs between potential earnings and the cost of education, prompting students to think carefully about what they value most in their education journey.
The story behind the ranking
A ranking gives you an order; these charts give you the shape. They show how this group of schools spreads across the four things that decide whether a degree pays off — what graduates earn, whether they finish, how far they move up, and what it costs. Look for the standouts, the outliers, and the trade-offs the list alone can't show.
Earnings Outcomes
What graduates earn 10 years after enrolling. Data from College Scorecard.
Distribution of Median Earnings
Earnings vs. Net Price
Top-left = best value. Top-ranked schools are highlighted.
Completion & Access
Graduation rates and who gets in. Data from College Scorecard & IPEDS.
Graduation Rates
Pell Grant Rate vs. Graduation Rate
Right = more low-income students. Higher = more graduate.
What the Mobility Data Says
The backbone of this ranking is social-mobility data from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, which draws on more than 30 million tax records. A school's mobility rate is the share of its students who move from the bottom income quintile to the top. Among the 9 schools on this list with available data, that rate averages 2.3%. Copiah-Lincoln Community College leads the group at 3.3%, with Belhaven University (3.2%) and Jackson State University (3%) close behind.
Who gets in matters as much as what happens after. Across these schools, an average of 15.3% of students start in the bottom income quintile. Copiah-Lincoln Community College leads at 31.8%, which signals an admissions door that is actually open to low-income students. Schools that pair high access with high mobility are the ones driving generational change.
Once low-income students enroll, their odds of reaching the top income quintile average 18.1% across this list. Millsaps College posts the highest success rate at 30.7%. Access without completion and career momentum is an incomplete picture, and this is the number that completes it.
Social capital, measured by economic connectedness, captures the degree of cross-class friendship on campus, another dimension Opportunity Insights ties to long-run outcomes. Across these schools it averages 1.22 against a national benchmark of 1.0. Millsaps College reaches 1.64, the highest on the list.
Mobility, access, and social-capital figures from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card & the Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas.
Cost & Debt
What families actually pay and what students owe. Data from College Scorecard.
Median Debt at Graduation
When we analyze the data, a clear pattern emerges between schools like the University of Mississippi and Delta State University. The University of Mississippi stands out with a graduation rate of 70% and earnings of $50,994, compared to Delta State's 47% graduation rate and earnings of $41,991. This performance gap suggests that while both institutions offer psychology programs, the University of Mississippi may provide a more supportive environment leading to higher student success.
As you sift through these 13 schools, it's important to weigh the data against your priorities. Consider factors like location, the specific psychology program you're interested in, campus culture, and your financial situation. For instance, if low debt is a priority, Copiah-Lincoln Community College might be appealing despite its lower earnings potential. Similarly, if earning potential is key, the University of Mississippi could be the better choice.
The implications of these metrics are significant. Choosing a college is not just about earning a degree—it's about setting a foundation for a stable life. A family's choice for a psychology program can shape future opportunities and financial stability. With the right information, we can make informed decisions that align with our long-term goals.
Data Sources
U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard
Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card
Social Capital Atlas
Times Higher Education World Rankings
NCES IPEDS
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Psychology Colleges in Mississippi: Your Questions, Answered
What is the #1 school in the Best Psychology Colleges in Mississippi ranking? +
Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, MS ranks #1 in our 2026 Best Psychology Colleges in Mississippi ranking. It earns the top spot on the strength of a median $31,241 in graduate earnings ten years after enrollment and a 51% graduation rate. Our score is built entirely from federal data on graduation rates, graduate earnings, debt, and social mobility. Reputation surveys play no part.
Which school has the highest graduate earnings? +
Millsaps College posts the highest median earnings on this list: $53,848 ten years after enrollment, well above the $43,182 average across the 13 ranked schools with earnings data. Earnings that outpace cost are what separate a degree that pays off from one that does not.
Which school offers the best value? +
On a pure return-on-cost basis, Copiah-Lincoln Community College leads: graduates earn a median $31,241 against net price of about $3,894 a year, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio in the ranking. Applicants should weigh that payback against sticker price rather than prestige.
Which school has the highest graduation rate? +
University of Mississippi has the highest graduation rate in this ranking at 70%, compared with a 52% average across the list. Completion matters because the students who finish are the ones who actually capture the earnings and mobility gains a degree promises.
How much does it cost to attend these schools? +
The average net price, meaning what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, is about $17,838 a year across the 13 ranked schools with cost data. Copiah-Lincoln Community College is among the most affordable at roughly $3,894. Net price is a far better guide to affordability than the published sticker price.
How is the Best Psychology Colleges in Mississippi ranking calculated? +
We score every school on a four-pillar algorithm: economic outcomes (graduate earnings and debt), social mobility (Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, built on more than 30 million anonymized tax records), academic quality (graduation and retention), and value (net price and loan burden). Social mobility carries the heaviest weight, so schools that lift low-income students into higher earnings rank above those that simply admit wealthy students. Every input comes from federal data, and schools that withhold their numbers are scored lower for it.
How many schools are ranked and where does the data come from? +
This ranking evaluates 13 institutions using the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, the Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card and Social Capital Atlas, Times Higher Education, and NCES IPEDS. There are no opinion surveys or paid placements. The order is determined by the data alone and refreshed as new federal figures are released.
Sources & Citations
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