University of Mississippi

No — Ole Miss is not a selective school. The University of Mississippi admitted about 96.6% of applicants in the most recent cycle, taking in roughly 33,363 applications and enrolling around 5,972 first-year students. It uses an open, accessible admission policy, so a solid college-preparatory record generally makes you competitive.

Enrolled first-year students at Ole Miss carry an average high school GPA of about 3.50 on a 4.0 scale. There is no published hard cutoff, and academic GPA is weighed as an important factor in admission, so a steady college-prep record with mostly A's and B's puts you in a competitive position.

The middle 50% of enrolled students scored between 1000 and 1200 on the SAT and 21 to 29 on the ACT. Ole Miss is test-optional, so scores are not required to apply, but if you submit them they are weighed as an important factor and can help with admission and scholarship review.

Yes. The University of Mississippi is test-optional, meaning you can apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores. If you do submit, the middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1000–1200 on the SAT and 21–29 on the ACT, and test scores are then considered as an important factor alongside your GPA.

Ole Miss admits nearly everyone regardless of where they live. In the most recent cycle, the in-state admit rate was 98.2% (4,230 admitted from 4,307 applicants) and the out-of-state admit rate was 97.3% (31,976 admitted from 32,875 applicants) — a gap of less than one percentage point. International applicants were admitted at 97.7%. Notably, about 70% of the applicant pool comes from outside Mississippi, so out-of-state students are the norm, not the exception. State residency is listed as 'not considered' in the university's review criteria.

Annual tuition and required fees are about $30,310 for out-of-state students, compared with roughly $10,150 for Mississippi residents. About 39% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, with an average need-based package near $15,661, and the university meets roughly 78% of demonstrated need on average.

Not for admission — Ole Miss rates the application essay, recommendations, and extracurriculars as 'not considered' in its largely formula-based review, which leans on GPA (important) and test scores if submitted (important). Essays can still matter for competitive scholarships, but they are not part of the standard admission decision.

Business is by far the most popular field at about 27% of bachelor's degrees, followed by the health professions at roughly 19%. The social sciences, communication and journalism, and the sciences and engineering round out the most common areas of study.