MSU Bulldogs vs The University of Alabama (UA)

Mississippi State University and The University of Alabama, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in the Southeastern United States, offer prospective students a wealth of opportunities. Mississippi State, nestled in the vibrant city of Starkville, boasts a welcoming atmosphere and a strong focus on research and innovation. The University of Alabama, situated in the heart of Tuscaloosa, exudes a rich history and tradition, along with a vibrant college town experience. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Mississippi State University	The University of Alabama
Overview
Location	Mississippi State, Mississippi	Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	81.0%	89.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	76.1%	78.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $65
SAT range	1030 - 1280	1070 - 1370
ACT range	21 - 30	21 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%	17.0%
Students submitting ACT score	91.0%	63.0%
Total number of applicants	17,707	42,421
Total number of admissions given out	13,478	33,472
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,388	7,593
Yield rate	25.1%	22.7%
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: $31,024 Out of state: $50,494
Average net price	$16,175	$21,263
Tuition	In state: $9,110 Out of state: $24,790	In state: $10,780 Out of state: $30,250
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,612 Meal plan: $4,200	Room/dormitory: $5,900 Meal plan: $4,234
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $12,948	76.0% Average amount $16,363
Students receiving federal student loan	42.0% Average amount $5,388	37.0% Average amount $5,221
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $14,099	9.0% Average amount $23,617

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,584 Men 49.6% Women 50.4%	31,685 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%
Graduate students	4,502 Men 45.3% Women 54.7%	6,631 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	41.2%	62.2%
International students	3.4%	3.0%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,333	9,385
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	Alabama Georgia Illinois Texas Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Education Business Agriculture Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Business Engineering Family and Consumer Sciences Education
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	19:1
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%	72.2%
Dropout rate	38.5%	7.7%
Transferred out	N/A	18.8%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $104,741 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $121,674 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,175 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $101,082 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,913 Year 2: $80,004 Year 3: $96,574 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,715 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $89,742 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,858 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $83,044 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,725 Year 2: $75,832 Year 3: $82,831 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,975 Year 2: $75,921 Year 3: $82,382 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,535 Year 2: $90,412 Year 3: $81,427 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,760 Year 2: $65,281 Year 3: $76,647 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $62,913 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $76,479

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MSU Bulldogs vs The University of Alabama (UA)

Mississippi State University

The University of Alabama

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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