US News and World Report Rankings 2025
- Thread starter 615dawg
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So this tells me we should focus on being a party school and sports school because academics ain't getting it done.
You’re thinking of the threads here about how MSU sucks academically.
I’m not a Keenum fan so don’t confuse this as supportive of where MSU is academically but USNWR is barely more legit at ranking schools than some rando ranking football teams on fansided
I believe a difference between State and Ole Miss is their out of state enrollment, which requires higher ACT scores vs MSU, which has a much higher percentage of in state students. The variable is the Ayers case and minimum standards for MS high school seniors being able to enroll. Just a theory.
This is why we will never be ranked high, and with that in the ranking, nor should we.
Your first sentence can be applied to LSU and Auburn. Agree on the last point especially.
We are clearly the best engineering and ag school in Mississippi.
Like you I graduated from 214 and have done quite well. Thank you 214!
Ladies and gentlemen…Mississippi State University has officially become the doormat of all academic and athletic programs in the nation!
What a 17’ing loser mentality? You fit in well on this board. Congrats!
Location Location Location
and apparently the home builders think Starkville is the new Madison.
and apparently the home builders think Starkville is the new Madison.
It appears you are saying the only major colleges in America are part of the P4.
The term major college and the term P4 have a lot of overlap, but they are not the same.
Yep.
The Ivies and their brethren (Chicago, Washington STL, NYU, Rockefeller, MIT, Cal Tech, Case Western, etc.) would like a word but 615’s point is more towards the public universities.
I understand that. But look at the schools ranked under us. West Virginia is the only one I would consider major. All the Ivies, Chicago, Emory, etc. are ranked in the top 50.
Clemson is literally Starkville with a lake and they are #80.
Here are some non-SEC schools in our region and how they fare.
136. UAB
171. Samford
209. Union
214. Mississippi State
220. Belmont
244. Alabama-Huntsville
266. Memphis
273. Middle Tennessee
296. Louisiana Tech
329. William Carey
342. Southern Miss
342. Arkansas State
352. Louisiana-Monroe
359. Mississippi College
377. Louisiana-Lafayette
136. UAB
171. Samford
209. Union
214. Mississippi State
220. Belmont
244. Alabama-Huntsville
266. Memphis
273. Middle Tennessee
296. Louisiana Tech
329. William Carey
342. Southern Miss
342. Arkansas State
352. Louisiana-Monroe
359. Mississippi College
377. Louisiana-Lafayette
Having been to both places, I’d rank them like so:
Clemson University >> Mississippi State University
Starkville the Town > Clemson the Town
Clemson does have the advantage of being much closer to an interstate and a metropolitan city (Greenville).
Clemson is within 2 hours of 10 million (at minimum) and boatloads of jobs and well to do/educated familes in one of the fastest growing regions in the country.
I know it just doesn't matter to many of you, but there is no excuse for us to be this low.
Here is a ranking of the similar schools (land grant without medical/law schools, FBS athletics)
46. Purdue
51. Texas A&M
58. North Carolina State
63. Michigan State
80. Clemson
105. Auburn
144. Oregon State
148. Colorado State
165. Kansas State
189. Washington State
196. Oklahoma State
214. Mississippi State
244. New Mexico State
259. Utah State
Just moving to the median of this peer group would be amazing!
Here is a ranking of the similar schools (land grant without medical/law schools, FBS athletics)
46. Purdue
51. Texas A&M
58. North Carolina State
63. Michigan State
80. Clemson
105. Auburn
144. Oregon State
148. Colorado State
165. Kansas State
189. Washington State
196. Oklahoma State
214. Mississippi State
244. New Mexico State
259. Utah State
Just moving to the median of this peer group would be amazing!
Yeah. Both are in a triangle between their state capitol and 2 neighboring states biggest cities. The difference is:
Memphis-Jackson-Birmingham
Charlotte-Columbia-Atlanta
Three are booming and the other three are holding on at best.
I would argue that the entire difference between Auburn, Clemson, and Texas A&M (puke) vs Mississippi State in academics and resources could be attributed to the states/geographic regions they are in...
This is better context. I'd love to be median here but do we even have a legit opportunity to get there? Maybe we'd have a shot against KSU or Okie State factoring in primary education systems, population size, and economies. The other places seem like we have too many inherent disadvantages outside of MSU's direct leadership.
Top 150 should be the goal by our 150th birthday in 2028.
Here are things I would consider to help us get there.
1. Continue to focus on raising faculty pay and resources.
2. A renewed focus on First Year Experience to help retain students
3. Pressure Starkville school leaders to better the public schools in Starkville. SOSD needs to be a 'A' district year in and year out.
4. Match the middle 50% of Ole Miss' scholarship matrix.
5. Create a top tier center for First Generation college students to retain, and support them in graduating.
6. Consider copying Clemson's IPTAY model for better alumni engagement.
7. Increase research spending outside USDA contracts. We lost Carnegie R1 for a year in the last decade. Make sure we don't ever do that again.
8. Create a direct marketing plan to leaders of our peer institutions that highlights our successes.
Here are things I would consider to help us get there.
1. Continue to focus on raising faculty pay and resources.
2. A renewed focus on First Year Experience to help retain students
3. Pressure Starkville school leaders to better the public schools in Starkville. SOSD needs to be a 'A' district year in and year out.
4. Match the middle 50% of Ole Miss' scholarship matrix.
5. Create a top tier center for First Generation college students to retain, and support them in graduating.
6. Consider copying Clemson's IPTAY model for better alumni engagement.
7. Increase research spending outside USDA contracts. We lost Carnegie R1 for a year in the last decade. Make sure we don't ever do that again.
8. Create a direct marketing plan to leaders of our peer institutions that highlights our successes.
The two least remote major threats to our university are 1. Population drain in MS and 2. The failure of our FB program as CFB marches forward (I’m not an apocalyptic about that kind of thing but again it’s less remote than other things)
So our focus should be pretty narrow- enrollment/scholarships and NIL. These rankings are just for raising blood pressure on message boards. Don’t take your eye off the ball.
So our focus should be pretty narrow- enrollment/scholarships and NIL. These rankings are just for raising blood pressure on message boards. Don’t take your eye off the ball.
My pushback on your use of P4 colleges as synonymous with 'major' colleges is not me excusing MSU's ranking. I just want to make sure that is clear.
There are 436 colleges listed in the 'National Universities' category, of which we are 214th.
Illinois State, UNT, University of Wyoming, WVU, Kent State, NDSU, University of New Mexico, UT Arlington, UTSA, NMSU, UMKC, UNLV, UND, Portland State, University of Maine, and Utah State are all in the next 45 schools after us. Those are 16 very well known national universities that are major universities.
Illinois State? UNLV? Univeristy of New Mexico? You really dont view those as major universities?
On a related note, its tough to read these sort of rankings and agree with a lot of em.
- UC Merced is the 58th best national university in the country?- I cant agree or disagree because I know 0 about it, other than it was founded less than 20 years ago. I am confident that if you ask 100 people from the MW or SE where 'Merced' is, over half who say California will be guessing. I am guessing that its just tough for many to view that school and similar unknown schools as a higher ranked university than Tulane, Iowa, Oregon, etc because of that lack of even knowing anything about em.
- Mercer in Georgia is the 165th best national university in the country? Mercer? 17ing Mercer? Its an R2 research school that graduates 65% of students in 4 years and reports a $50,000 median salary 6 years after graduation. Why the 17 is that a 165th ranking?
- Drake University is 179? I was on Drake's campus just yesterday. I am friends with 2 full time professors, 2 Admin, multiple graduates, my wife graduated from law school, and my work partners with Drake on multiple community projects. I am very familiar with Drake. Drake is not 35 spots better than MSU. It just isnt. It may be that much better than MSU when using the metrics used for these rankings, but as an actual institution of higher education, Drake is not 35 spots better.
ETA- I recognize that MSU's stats show that 43% graduate in 4 years and the median income 6 years after graduation is $43,487.
that median income is atrocious. In current terms, if $43k is the median income when a person is 28, their college degree isn't doing them any good. You could just work right out of high school and the median income should be over that at 28.
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I think you’ve touched on what makes these rankings a bit wonky. I don’t doubt schools manipulate the metrics to look better when in all likelihood many of these schools are roughly the same.
US News&WR couldn't locate Mississippi State. When you don't have anyone, and I mean anyone tooting your horn, this will be the result every time.
This is a talk from a former Dean at Stanford University. It is a great talk for any parent that has young children. It is well worth a listen. I wish I had heard it when mine were young.
It is relevant to this discussion as she gives her thoughts on rankings such as mentioned here. If you don't want to listen to the entire thing, at least listen to the last 3 minutes starting at the 11:00 mark. She touches on school rankings. It's short, but you will get her complete thoughts on the subject.
You gotta be 17ing kidding me POS. Loser mentality? I support this school, and have for the last 50 years! I didn’t put the rankings out for the academics. I didn’t rank the football team, but I damn sure still buy my season tickets, just like I have for 30 years. And I donate my share to the initiative. Right now, regardless of how much I support my school and team, we are at the bottom of the SEC and worse! Spin it any way you want!
Who has to
No one has to spin a moronic statement. You did that all by yourself. Congrats. At least you showed some passion in your reply.
Now you’re calling me a moron. Lol! You really offer nothing to the conversation. You’re just here to be douche. Move on!
You were the one who posted we have the worst athletic department in the country. In an era of what have you done for me lately, I wouldn’t expect someone over 50 to be so impatient. Our football program,who went to 13 consecutive bowl games lost their head coach at the end of the season, when he had 16 returning starters in a system that only Mike Leach could run. With no AD in place, our president made a haste decision to hire an inexperienced coach, who turned out to be a disaster. Fortunately, our new A.D, fired the coach and hired another, when the recruiting season was pretty much over and done with. I’m just as disappointed as anyone with the results, but I’m not gonna crap on a guy who’s in a fight with one arm and leg tied up. I realize football is king, but if memory serves me correctly, just about every other sport state fielded last year made it to postseason. Now explain to me how we have the worst athletic department? Your comment, not mine. Is that adding something for you? I live in facts, not drama, by making outlandish comments.
You have no idea what you’re talking about, guy. My original post said we were now the doormat of academics and athletics. Referring to the latest polls in football, and rankings of U.S. News in academics. You can’t understand the post? You rambling on about my patience in football has absolutely nothing to do with our rankings. I never once badmouthed our school or team. My post was a jab at those rankings. Grow up and don’t be so ready to jump on a damn post trying to make an issue out of something not there.
Where is the confusion? Your exact post was “Mississippi State has officially become the doormat of academics and athletics in the nation.” How can you possibly argue something you posted? I’m 17’ing tired of the chicken little syndrome certain posters on this board exhibit and I will call out all the message board insiders and those who post outlandish crap. It’s pointless and just feeds the narrative. Keep digging yourself a deeper hole. You’re good at it.
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