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University of Southern Mississippi (USM) vs University of Central Arkansas (UCA)

When it comes to choosing the right university, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) are two distinct universities with unique offerings. USM, located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, boasts a higher acceptance rate (86%) compared to UCA's 79%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors like Business, Education, and Nursing. However, USM has a slightly larger student body, with over 14,000 students enrolled compared to UCA's 12,000. While UCA has a higher graduation rate (58%) than USM's 52%, both universities provide ample opportunities for students to succeed. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between USM and UCA. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic
University of Central Arkansas logo

University of Central Arkansas

 		University of Southern Mississippi logo

University of Southern Mississippi

Overview

Location Conway, Arkansas Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Campus setting City: Small 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 71.0% 70.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 92.4% 95.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $25
Graduate: $45
Undergraduate: $40
Graduate: $60
SAT range 980 - 1160 N/A
ACT range 19 - 26 19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 3.0%
Students submitting ACT score 94.0% 99.0%
Total number of applicants 6,057 9,314
Total number of admissions given out 5,595 8,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,854 1,587
Yield rate 33.1% 17.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not 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: $25,219
Out of state: $32,089
In state: $25,100
Out of state: $27,100
Average net price $14,042 $13,651
Tuition
In state: $6,870
Out of state: $13,740
In state: $9,094
Out of state: $11,094
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,326
Meal plan: $3,570
$10,950
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

 92.0%
Average amount $7,693 		91.0%
Average amount $9,072
Students receiving federal student loan 51.0%
Average amount $5,106 		54.0%
Average amount $5,327
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $10,426 		4.0%
Average amount $12,298

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students 8,244
Men 39.0% Women 61.0% 		10,693
Men 35.3% Women 64.7%
Graduate students 1,861
Men 26.6% Women 73.4% 		3,453
Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 7.9% 25.7%
International students 3.8% 2.8%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 3,675 3,592
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Arkansas Texas Oklahoma Tennessee Alabama Mississippi Louisiana Alabama Florida Tennessee

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 49.4% 51.8%
Dropout rate 19.1% 46.0%
Transferred out 29.7% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,284
  • Year 2: $92,358
  • Year 3: $96,070
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,491
  • Year 2: $70,736
  • Year 3: $76,640
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,696
  • Year 2: $67,548
  • Year 3: $65,753
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,174
  • Year 2: $58,842
  • Year 3: $59,396
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,787
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $57,030
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,827
  • Year 2: $52,107
  • Year 3: $55,240
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,080
  • Year 2: $45,305
  • Year 3: $52,677
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,462
  • Year 2: $47,729
  • Year 3: $52,542
Library Science, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,140
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $49,838
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,755
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $49,837
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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