Contact: Madison Welzbacher

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State has been identified as the top “Best Value College” once again for providing students with the most value of any university in the state.

SmartAsset, a New York-based financial technology company, recently released its eighth annual “Best Value Colleges” study, an analysis of institutions across the nation using several different factors to determine which colleges provide the best return on investment for its students. In the study, MSU ranks No. 1, with MSU graduates earning higher salaries than any other college graduates in Mississippi.

According to the study, MSU graduates receive a $55,100 average starting salary, $2,700 above the next highest university in the rankings. The average starting salary for all Mississippi higher education graduates is $45,771.

SmartAsset’s evaluation also examines cost of tuition, student living costs, student retention rate, and average scholarships and grants awarded. These categories are weighted to determine each institution’s College Education Value Index. MSU’s is 45.98, 3.78 points higher than the University of Mississippi, the second school in the ranking. Mississippi University for Women is third.

MSU is a nationally recognized leader in academic and research ventures, and the 144-year-old land-grant university provides access and resources to students from every part of the Magnolia State, all 50 states and 86 countries throughout the world. With a wide range of academic disciplines and undergraduate and graduate programs, MSU also provides access for adult learners through its Meridian campus, Extension Service and distance learning programs.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.