Top Public Southern Regional Universities

2025 – #15
Previous years: 2024, 2023; 2022; 2021; 2020; 2019; 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015; 2014

Best Regional Universities in the South

2025 – #33 overall, #15 public universities
Previous years: 2024, 2023; 2022; 2021; 2020; 2019; 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015; 2014

Best Value Schools in the South

2025 – #9 overall
Previous years: 2024, 2023; 2022; 2021; 2020; 2019; 2018

Best Colleges for Veterans in Regional Universities (South)

2025 – #16 overall
Previous years: 2024, 2023; 2022; 2021; 2020; 2015

Least Debt in Regional Universities (South)

2024 – #1
Previous years: 2023, 2022; 2021

Top Performers on Social Mobility in Regional Universities (South)

2025 – #8 overall
Previous years: 2024, 2023; 2022; 2021; 2020

Economic Diversity in Regional Universities (South)

2023 – #44 overall
Previous years: 2022, 2021; 2020

Campus Ethnic Diversity in Regional Universities (South)

2023 – #30 overall
Previous years: 2022, 2021; 2020

Best Undergraduate Teaching
Previous years: 2021

According to U.S. News & World Report, its overall rankings evaluate colleges and universities on 16 measures of academic quality. They allow individuals to compare at a glance the relative quality of U.S. institutions based on widely accepted indicators of excellence such as first-year student retention, graduation rates and the strength of the faculty.

U.S. News & World Report University Profile

Best Public Master’s Universities (National)

2025 – #31 overall
Previous years: 2024, 2023, 2022; 2021; 2020; 2019; 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012; 2010

Best Public Master’s Universities (South)

2022 – #15 overall; #21 public universities
Previous years: 2021; 2020; 2019; 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012; 2010

Best Bang for the Buck Universities (South)

2025 – #16 overall;
Previous years: 2024, 2023, 2022; 2021; 2020; 2019; 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015

Washington Monthly ranks four-year schools (national universities, liberal arts colleges, baccalaureate colleges and master’s universities) based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories. Those categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs) and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).

Washing Monthly’s College Guide and Rankings

Best Master’s in Creative Writing

2023 – #4 in the nation; Best Student-Faculty Ratio
Previous years: 2022

Best Online Master’s in Creative Writing

2023 – #9 in the nation, Best Scholarships
Previous years: 2022; 2021; 2020

Best RN to BSN Programs

2023 – #17 in the Nation; Best in the South
Previous years: 2022

Top Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Programs

2023 – #23

Best Online RN to BSN Programs
Previous years: 2022; 2021; 2020

For the fourth year in a row, The W’s MFA in Creative Writing and RN-to-BSN program received a top rankings in Intelligent.com’s Best Programs list.

The Creative Writing program ranked number four in the nation in master’s in creative writing degrees and number nine in the nation in in online MFA programs. The program was also recognized for Best Scholarships and Best Student-Faculty Ratio. The RN-to-BSN ranked No. 17 in the nation, and was awarded the Best in the South recognition. The Bachelor’s in Public Health Education ranked No. 23 in online programs. The list is produced by Intelligent.com. The website assessed 1,604 accredited colleges and university and selected Mississippi University for Women based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment.

Best Colleges to Work For

2025
Previous years: 2024, 2023; 2022*; 2021; 2020; 2019*; 2018*; 2017*; 2016*; 2015*; 2014*; 2013*
(*Honor Roll)

The W has been recognized for 13 consecutive years as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for and on the Honor Roll nine times. The W was recognized for professional development, mission and pride, supervisor/department chair effectiveness, faculty and staff well-being, shared governance and faculty experience.

Best College to Work For Honors

Top 4% of U.S. nursing schools.

The Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences is recognized among the top 4% of U.S. nursing schools.

Niche.com recently ranked The W among the top 10 public universities and colleges for nursing and No. 29 overall among all nursing schools in the United States. Niche.com also listed The W at No. 1 in its 2026 Best Colleges for Nursing in Mississippi ranking.

Military Friendly® Schools 21-22

Mississippi University for Women has earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School designation.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey with 750 earning the designation.