Financial Aid
Mississippi State University Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid
Mississippi State University gave merit aid averaging $6,544 to 579 first-year students who had no financial need, about 54% of the freshmen without need.
Merit aid
Scholarships Mississippi State University gave to first-year students who had no financial need.
Average merit award
$6,544
Freshmen who got one
579
of 3,596 in the class
Share of those without need
54%
who received merit aid
Need-based aid
For first-year students the college found to have financial need.
Average need-based grant
$9,855
Average percent of need met
52%
Freshmen with need
70%
2,526 students
The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $17,926.
How to read these numbers
- Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
- The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
- A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi State University give merit scholarships?
Mississippi State University gave merit aid averaging $6,544 to 579 first-year students who had no financial need, about 54% of the freshmen without need.
How much is the average merit scholarship at Mississippi State University?
$6,544 for first-year students without financial need, according to Mississippi State University's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.
Does Mississippi State University meet full financial need?
Mississippi State University reports meeting 52% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.
What share of Mississippi State University freshmen have financial need?
2,526 of 3,596 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 70%, were found to have financial need.
Source: Mississippi State University’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.