About Ole Miss
About Ole Miss
Overview
The University of Mississippi is the state’s flagship institution and home to top-ranked programs and thought leaders.
Known affectionately as Ole Miss, the university has a legacy of producing driven, business-savvy leaders and innovators. With almost 22,000 students, its 16 academic divisions include a major academic medical center in Jackson; a regional network of satellite campuses across North Mississippi; nationally recognized schools of accountancy, law and pharmacy; and an undergraduate experience acclaimed for a blend of academic rigor, experiential learning and opportunities for community engagement.
With groundbreaking research, the University of Mississippi is recognized as an R1 research university — a designation only 2.5% of universities earn — per the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Ole Miss reaches well beyond Mississippi, with strong student networks and alumni communities in many economic centers across the country, including Memphis, Jackson, Birmingham, Nashville, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas.
Oxford
Ole Miss is based in historic Oxford, a North Mississippi town of about 23,000 people. A friendly, welcoming community, Oxford is prosperous, forward-thinking and culture-rich. Thanks in part to a partnership with Ole Miss, the town has been recognized as one of the best “micropolitans” in the nation for up-and-coming entrepreneurial businesses.
The Ole Miss campus is conveniently located between Memphis (75 minutes to the north) and the capital city of Jackson (2.5 hours to the south). Oxford is also within a day’s drive of commercial hubs across the Southeast, such as Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas, and Houston.
Diversity and Inclusion
As a vibrant community of scholars, Ole Miss is committed to a culture of inclusivity. About 40 percent of students are from states other than Mississippi, and 24.3 percent are from underrepresented populations.
The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement supports Ole Miss in fostering a more equitable, engaged and self-transforming university, community and world. In 2021, the university published its first-ever strategic plan that articulated its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion: ‘By honoring the values of mutual respect, equity, access, opportunity, and responsibility, we will become a more diverse institution. We are a living library of stories waiting to be told. And it’s those stories — of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members – that will chart and forge a path to our future.’
Economic Impact
With a nearly $3 billion annual economic impact, the University of Mississippi contributes to the state’s economic growth and improves quality of life. Its strong relationships with industry, economic development agencies, community organizations, and government partners support these efforts.
- Workforce development: training people for in-demand careers
- Community empowerment: shrinking equity gaps and advancing communities across Mississippi
- Innovation: solving challenges and driving positive change
One in every 37 Mississippi jobs — more than 43,000 total — is enabled by Ole Miss.
Now & Ever the Campaign for Ole Miss
The university is leading a $1.5 billion fundraising initiative powered by decades of outstanding teaching, research, health care, service and innovation. The Now & Ever campaign lays out four areas of concentration that will define Ole Miss today and tomorrow: building leaders, empowering academic excellence, fueling research and innovation, and creating economic opportunity.
Now and Ever’s impact goes beyond campus and will strengthen the university’s position as a resource for industry. Industry has an opportunity to lead in this initiative by investing in programs and solutions that address critical challenges businesses face.