Mississippi State University - Starkville Main Campus

Founded: 1878   Total Students: 23,086+

Int. Students: 1,000+

Overview

At Mississippi State University, we believe in getting personal. Our university provides the academic, leadership, and social opportunities to help each person excel. Your success—in whatever field of study or career goal—is our success. We take that mission seriously. Here, faculty, staff and students share a common goal: to make the Mississippi State University experience a lifetime opportunity.

As the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi—one of the national land-grant entities created by Congress through the 1862 Morrill Act—it was established February 28, 1878. In doing so, the Mississippi Legislature gave it a mission to provide training in "agriculture, horticulture and the mechanical arts . . . without excluding other scientific and classical studies, including military tactics."

The new college received its first students in the fall of 1880 during the presidency of former Civil War general Stephen D. Lee, a United States Military Academy graduate. In 1887, Congress passed the Hatch Act to provide for the establishment of the Agricultural Experiment Station in 1888. Two other pieces of federal legislation provided funds to extend the college’s mission: the 1914 Smith-Lever Act called for "instruction in practical agriculture and home economics to persons not attendant or resident," creating a statewide effort that led to extension offices in every county; and the 1917 Smith-Hughes Act that supported the training of teachers in vocational education.

About Starkville

The community and the university are always working together to create a home away from home for our students. The delicious local restaurants and great shopping spots along with the fun festivals, sporting action, and friendly residents make Starkville: Mississippi’s College Town!

Programs Offered in Mississippi State University - Starkville Main Campus

  • 4-Year Bachelor's Degree
  • Master's Degree
  • Highlights

    • The National Science Foundation ranks Mississippi State among the nation’s Top 100 research institutions and the Magnolia State’s leading research university.
    • MSU is on the cutting edge of research and integration into the nation’s airspace, serving as the national lead university for the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and as the FAA’s UAS Safety Research Facility.
    • MSU is among only 2.7% of universities in the U.S. that hold the Carnegie Foundation R1-Very High Research Activity designation.
    • Solutions to world hunger and poverty are within reach at Mississippi State, where globally diversified teams are combining forces with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to eliminate starvation in developing countries.
    • MSU ranks as the 4th largest academic supercomputing site in the country. 
    • The National Science Foundation ranks MSU in the nation’s top 5% for agriculture and natural resources – a position it has held for over two decades.
    • One in three of today’s on-air broadcast meteorologists in the U.S. is a graduate of MSU’s nationally recognized meteorology program.
    • Among a select group of universities in the nation housing a presidential library, MSU is proud to be the home of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library.
    • MSU archaeologists are hailed around the world for their discovery of six official clay seals in Israel, offering supporting evidence of the existence of biblical kings David and Solomon.
    • Mississippi State stands as a Carnegie Foundation National Community Engagement Designee. 
    • MSU is home to one of the world’s largest on-campus dairy processing plants, annually  producing 369,000 gallons of milk, 25,000 gallons of ice cream, and 300,000 pounds of cheese – all sold exclusively on the MSU campus.
    • Housed in the College of Business, MSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach provides access to unrivaled expertise, funding, mentorships and resources to help young entrepreneurs pursue their dreams.  Start-up companies led by MSU students and faculty are valued at a combined $65 million. 
    • Recognized nationally for its leadership in cybersecurity, MSU is one of only a few schools in the U.S. to hold all three of the National Security Agency’s centers of academic excellence credentials: CAE Cyber Defense, CAE Cyber Research, and CAE Cyber Operations. 
    • As the state’s only public institution offering a Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, MSU-Meridian positions students for what U.S. News & World Report ranks as a Top-5 career.
    • As the largest among North American universities, MSU’s high voltage laboratory supports industry and utility needs while providing a state-of-the-art learning facility for students.
    • MSU’s National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision is the nation’s only federally funded center focused on employment outcomes for people with blindness or low vision.
    • As home of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish funded by USAID, Mississippi State is leveraging its proven expertise to improve nutrition, food security and livelihoods in developing countries by supporting the sustainable development of aquaculture and fisheries.  

     

    Campus Detail

    Main Campus Address

    75 B. S. Hood Rd, Mississippi State, MS 39762, United States