Millsaps College

Private · Selective · MS

Photo: RebelNation1947 (CC BY-SA 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMS · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads549

Student:faculty9:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate54.3%

6-yr grad rate57.1%

Drop-out rate42%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$45k

Out-of-state tuition$45k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity41.7%

Gender diversity45.4%

International2.4%

IdentityUnited Methodist

Overview

Millsaps College is a Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college in Jackson, Mississippi, founded in 1890 and long regarded as one of the state's strongest academic institutions. Its capital-city location gives it a campus-bubble-meets-city character unusual among small Southern liberal arts colleges, and that setting has become a defining part of how the college positions itself against more rural liberal arts peers.

Academics

Premed and business are notable pathways, with the Else School of Management standing out as an unusually developed business program for a college of Millsaps' size. Class sizes are small, supporting close faculty mentorship typical of the liberal arts model, and the college has a genuine reputation for rigor within Mississippi and the broader Deep South.

Campus & student life

Jackson's setting supports internships and civic engagement well beyond what a small-town liberal arts college could typically offer, while the campus itself retains an intimate, tight-knit social feel with active Greek life and a strong sense of tradition. The juxtaposition of a leafy, self-contained campus against a capital city just outside its gates is part of what students often describe as distinctive about Millsaps.

Getting in

Admissions is holistic, with fit and academic seriousness weighed alongside grades and scores, consistent with Millsaps' reputation as one of Mississippi's more rigorous institutions. Essays and demonstrated interest matter more here than at a larger, less selective regional university.

After graduation

Premed graduates have a well-established track record into medical school, aided by the college's rigor and close faculty advising, and the Else School of Management gives business graduates connections into Jackson's corporate and civic community directly, with a number of alumni active in state government and law given Jackson's role as the state capital.

Worth knowing

The capital-city location is a real academic asset here, not just a backdrop, since it feeds internship and civic-engagement opportunities directly into the curriculum. Students should expect a college small enough that most people know each other, set inside a city large enough to offer genuine off-campus opportunity.

millsaps.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate43.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1025–1150 · ACT 21–28

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Own application.

Priority / scholarshipDec 11

Financial aid formsMar 1

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗