Private nonprofit · University
William Carey University
Hattiesburg, Mississippi · Small city
- 60.3%
- Admit rate
- $14,258
- Avg net price
- 60%
- Graduation rate
- $43,087
- Median earnings
William Carey University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (small city setting), enrolling 2,201 undergraduates. It has a Baptist religious affiliation.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against William Carey University's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 60.3%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1040–1290
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.27
Enter a test score to see where you land against William Carey University's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and William Carey University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County. Between 1763 and 1783 the area that is currently Hattiesburg fell under the jurisdiction of the colony of British West Florida. After the United States gained its independence, Great Britain ceded this and other areas after 1783. The Saenger Theatre was one of the seven built and operated by the Saenger brothers. It hosts an annual Mississippi Miss Hospitality Competition, along with other productions. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 85 miles to Mobile, AL
- To the ocean
- 63 miles
- Nearest airport
- 11 miles to Hattiesburg Laurel (PIB)
How William Carey University compares
More selective than 76% · #7 most selective of 15 in Mississippi
Higher than 38%
Higher than 60% · #3 of 16 in Mississippi
Higher than 56%
Higher than 19% · #8 of 16 in Mississippi
Cheaper than 76% · #7 cheapest of 15 in Mississippi
Lower than 70%
Lower than 42%
Larger than 60%
Percentiles compare William Carey University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Mississippi.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate2,20149%
- Graduate2,26951%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,45966%
- Men74234%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White56%
- Black31%
- Hispanic2.9%
- Asian1.0%
- Other or multiracial8.7%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,201
- Graduate enrollment
- 2,269
- Student–faculty ratio
- 14 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 27%
- First-generation students
- 36%
- Students over 25
- 23%
- Median family income
- $24,691
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $73,107
- Endowment
- $42,262,357
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 204 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Mississippi70%
- Other U.S. states30%
Most first-years stay in state — William Carey University draws overwhelmingly from Mississippi.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 60.3%
- Test scores
- Required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1040–1290
- SAT average
- 1122
- SAT reading
- 540–690
- SAT math
- 500–600
- ACT composite
- 19–25
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.27
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $15,480
- Room & board
- $8,094
- Books & supplies
- $600
- Total cost of attendance
- $29,651
- Average net price
- $14,258
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 60%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 45%
- First-year retention
- 78%
- Transferred to another college
- 34%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $37,639
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $43,087
- Median debt at graduation
- $20,832
- Students with federal loans
- 25%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 54%
About 15% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 876
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 40%
- Housing charge (year)
- $3,450
- Meal plan (year)
- $3,810
- Application fee
- $40
- Athletics
- NAIA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 411 (221 men · 190 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (13)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (5,321 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$15,320/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
A meaningful share of freshmen — 95% — get grant money from William Carey University itself, averaging $11,034, which softens the sticker price.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 173 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $43,087
- Typical debt at graduation
- $20,832
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 48%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 58%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $4,759 (11%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 92°F
- Winter low
- 38°F
- Annual rain
- 58.9″
- Annual snow
- 0.9″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hattiesburg Chain Muni AP, MS US station (2.8 mi from campus).
What William Carey University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to William Carey University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare William Carey University side by side →
Belhaven University
Jackson, Mississippi · Midsize city · 2 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 1,471
- Admission
- 50%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1124
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $46k
Lee University
Cleveland, Tennessee · Small city · 26 mi to Chattanooga
- Students
- 2,617
- Admission
- 71%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1145
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $43k
North Greenville University
Tigerville, South Carolina · Fringe rural · 15 mi to Greenville
- Students
- 1,819
- Admission
- 67%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1156
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $43k
University of the Ozarks
Clarksville, Arkansas · Remote town · 56 mi to Fayetteville
- Students
- 767
- Admission
- 60%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1105
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $44k
Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, Tennessee · Large city · 2 mi to Nashville
- Students
- 1,737
- Admission
- 69%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1091
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $49k
Tennessee Wesleyan University
Athens, Tennessee · Distant town · 49 mi to Chattanooga
- Students
- 846
- Admission
- 69%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near William Carey University
Unlimited Cosmetology School
Hattiesburg, MS · Private for-profit · Certificate · 29 students
The Academy of Hair Design Six
Hattiesburg, MS · Private for-profit · Certificate · 37 students
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS · Public · Bachelor's · 10,075 students
Jones County Junior College
Ellisville, MS · Public · Associate · 3,535 students
Hatfield's Mississippi College of Beauty Culture
Laurel, MS · Private for-profit · Certificate · 57 students
Southeastern Baptist College
Laurel, MS · Private nonprofit · Associate · 93 students
Pearl River Community College
Poplarville, MS · Public · Associate · 4,903 students
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Perkinston, MS · Public · Associate · 6,353 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













