Every university in Mississippi raising tuition, except one. A look at next year’s costs

Every university in Mississippi is increasing tuition in the fall except for Delta State University.

The new rates were approved by the governing board of the eight universities, the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees, at its regular meeting Thursday.

The average cost of tuition in Mississippi is now $8,833 a year, a roughly 3% increase from last year. Students can expect to pay tuition ranging from $7,942 a year at Mississippi Valley State University to $10,052 a year at Mississippi State University.

In recent years, universities have cited inflation and rising insurance costs as reasons for the tuition increases. At Thursday’s meeting, the board heard a presentation on how property insurance is becoming more expensive for the eight universities as Mississippi sees more tornadoes and storms with severe wind and hail.

But it’s an ongoing trend. Mississippi’s public universities have steadily increased tuition since 2000, putting the cost of college increasingly out of reach for the average Mississippi family. More than half of Mississippi college students graduated with an average of $29,714 in student debt in 2020, according to the Institution for College Access and Success.

At Delta State University, the president, Daniel Ennis, announced that he will attempt to avoid tuition increases as the regional college in the Mississippi Delta undergoes drastic budget cuts in an effort to become more financially sustainable.

“We will resist tuition increases so that our most economically vulnerable students can continue to have access to the opportunities that a college degree can provide,” he wrote in a memo to faculty and staff on Monday. “We will move beyond basic survival and into a place where we have the capacity to take better advantage of our undeniable strengths.”

Delta State didn’t increase tuition last year, either. Officials have been concerned the university is becoming too pricey for the students it serves.

Tuition for the 2024-25 academic year, by school:

• Alcorn State University: $8,105

• Delta State University: $8,435

• Jackson State University: $8,690

• Mississippi State University: $10,052

• Mississippi University for Women: $8,392

• Mississippi Valley State University: $7,492

• University of Mississippi: $9,612

• University of Southern Mississippi: $9,888