Private nonprofit · University

William Carey University

Hattiesburg, Mississippi · Small city

#3 graduation rate in Mississippi
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.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,201 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 60% admitNAIA Division I

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

Selectivity60.3%

More selective than 76% · #7 most selective of 15 in Mississippi

SAT average1122

Higher than 38%

Graduation rate60%

Higher than 60% · #3 of 16 in Mississippi

First-year retention78%

Higher than 56%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$43,087

Higher than 19% · #8 of 16 in Mississippi

Average net price$14,258

Cheaper than 76% · #7 cheapest of 15 in Mississippi

Median debt at graduation$20,832

Lower than 70%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment2,201

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

4,470students
  • Undergraduate2,20149%
  • Graduate2,26951%

Undergraduates by gender

2,201undergrads
  • 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)

All students
45%
Low-income (Pell)
38%
First-generation
35%

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)

Soccer74
Track and Field (Indoor)55
Track and Field (Outdoor)55
Basketball42
Baseball33
Archery29
Volleyball23
Golf19
Softball18
Cross Country18
Tennis16
Beach Volleyball15
Swimming14

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.

0.7reported offenses a year
0.3 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
0.3
Burglary
0.3

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.

< $30k
$12,224
$30–48k
$12,411
$48–75k
$15,320
$75–110k
$18,436
$110k+
$19,701

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.

Est. total to a degree
$66,865

$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.

95%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$11,034
average award, among those who get one

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.

Solid value

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.

Women
$41,761
Men
$46,520

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

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.95.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hattiesburg Chain Muni AP, MS US station (2.8 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near William Carey University

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.