University of Southern Mississippi (USM) vs Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU)

Envision yourself as a student, standing at the crossroads of two esteemed institutions: the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). Both universities offer a wealth of opportunities, yet they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your academic journey. USM, nestled in the heart of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from various backgrounds. FAMU, located in the vibrant city of Tallahassee, Florida, takes pride in its rich history as a historically black university, fostering a tight-knit community among its scholars. As you embark on this comparative exploration, delve into the intricacies of each university's acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, meticulously presented in the table below. Discover which institution aligns seamlessly with your aspirations and sets the stage for your academic success.

	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	University of Southern Mississippi
Overview
Location	Tallahassee, Florida	Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	89.0%	70.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	35.3%	95.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $30	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1010 - 1150	N/A
ACT range	17 - 23	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	80.0%
Students submitting ACT score	53.0%	99.0%
Total number of applicants	8,717	9,314
Total number of admissions given out	3,076	8,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,129	1,587
Yield rate	36.7%	17.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,345 Out of state: $35,285	In state: $25,100 Out of state: $27,100
Average net price	$12,539	$13,651
Tuition	In state: $3,152 Out of state: $14,524	In state: $9,094 Out of state: $11,094
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,528 Meal plan: $5,116	$10,950
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $11,310	91.0% Average amount $9,072
Students receiving federal student loan	42.0% Average amount $4,792	54.0% Average amount $5,327
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $15,311	4.0% Average amount $12,298

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	7,301 Men 34.4% Women 65.6%	10,693 Men 35.3% Women 64.7%
Graduate students	1,699 Men 33.4% Women 66.6%	3,453 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	32.4%	25.7%
International students	0.7%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,450	3,592
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Florida Georgia Illinois Texas Alabama	Mississippi Louisiana Alabama Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Legal Profession Psychology Social Sciences	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.4%	51.8%
Dropout rate	19.7%	46.0%
Transferred out	21.6%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $120,124 Year 3: $118,118 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $85,421 Year 2: $100,626 Year 3: $116,597 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,814 Year 3: $72,935 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,921 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $70,088 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,067 Year 2: $59,417 Year 3: $63,887 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,093 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $60,136 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,439 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $59,868 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,873 Year 2: $58,919 Year 3: $59,201 Architecture (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,136 Year 3: $57,230 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,824 Year 2: $53,608 Year 3: $56,027	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $157,573 Year 2: $156,846 Year 3: $164,002 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $95,073 Year 3: $99,130 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $71,295 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $67,024 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,957 Year 2: $56,254 Year 3: $57,464 Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,555 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,239 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,332 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $52,453 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,129 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $50,674 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,726 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $49,610 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,917 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $48,921

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