MSU Bulldogs vs Old Dominion University (ODU)

Mississippi State University and Old Dominion University, located in the heart of the South and the vibrant coastal region of Virginia, respectively, offer distinct educational experiences. Mississippi State, a public land-grant research university, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while Old Dominion, a public research university, offers a more diverse student population and a higher graduation rate. Both universities excel in various academic disciplines, with Mississippi State renowned for its engineering, agriculture, and business programs, and Old Dominion recognized for its engineering, nursing, and health professions programs. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique strengths, admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, and student life, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Mississippi State University	Old Dominion University
Overview
Location	Mississippi State, Mississippi	Norfolk, Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Midsize
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	81.0%	72.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	76.1%	96.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1030 - 1280	1020 - 1220
ACT range	21 - 30	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%	83.0%
Students submitting ACT score	91.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	17,707	13,586
Total number of admissions given out	13,478	13,074
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,388	2,899
Yield rate	25.1%	22.2%
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: $26,460 Out of state: $42,140	In state: $28,088 Out of state: $48,248
Average net price	$16,175	$17,254
Tuition	In state: $9,110 Out of state: $24,790	In state: $7,029 Out of state: $26,664
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,612 Meal plan: $4,200	Room/dormitory: $7,690 Meal plan: $5,398
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $12,948	91.0% Average amount $7,702
Students receiving federal student loan	42.0% Average amount $5,388	57.0% Average amount $5,222
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $14,099	7.0% Average amount $15,206

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,584 Men 49.6% Women 50.4%	18,678 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	4,502 Men 45.3% Women 54.7%	4,816 Men 39.4% Women 60.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	41.2%	10.2%
International students	3.4%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	5,333	4,361
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi Tennessee Alabama Georgia Louisiana	Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania North Carolina New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Education Business Agriculture Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Education Engineering Computer and Information Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	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	59.7%	48.7%
Dropout rate	38.5%	19.7%
Transferred out	N/A	28.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,348 Year 2: $88,527 Year 3: $99,184 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $84,211 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $90,129 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,757 Year 2: $74,307 Year 3: $82,587 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,632 Year 2: $73,852 Year 3: $79,309 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,768 Year 2: $74,405 Year 3: $78,161 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,878 Year 2: $69,710 Year 3: $76,651 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,741 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $69,725 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,809 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $68,041 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,551 Year 2: $58,334 Year 3: $66,010 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,870 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $64,799	Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,047 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $104,107 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,948 Year 2: $95,295 Year 3: $103,379 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,161 Year 2: $78,719 Year 3: $83,937 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,137 Year 2: $72,231 Year 3: $83,852 Education, Other (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $74,043 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $77,597 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,315 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $75,302 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,709 Year 2: $66,126 Year 3: $74,887 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,357 Year 2: $71,114 Year 3: $74,858 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,112 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $73,924 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,804 Year 2: $62,654 Year 3: $72,559

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