Mississippi State University

Starkville, MS · founded 1878 · 22,000 students · public research university · SEC

Known for: A leading land-grant university known for its strong programs in agriculture, engineering, and veterinary medicine, as well as its prominent research in aerospace through the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #194
QS World: #801
Times Higher Education: #601

Top programmes

Agriculture
Engineering
Veterinary Medicine
Business
Forest Resources
Aerospace

Notable alumni

John Grisham — Best-selling author of legal thrillers
Jerry Clower — Celebrated country comedian and storyteller
Rafael Palmeiro — Former MLB All-Star first baseman
Buck Showalter — MLB manager and former player
D.D. Lewis — Former NFL linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys
Jimmy Buffett — Singer-songwriter (attended, did not graduate)

Traditions

Cowbell ringing at football games
The 'Bully' mascot walk into Davis Wade Stadium
Super Bulldog Weekend (spring homecoming)
The 'Maroon and White' fight song

If Mississippi State University were…

As a food: chicken-fried steak with cream gravy — Unpretentious, deeply Southern, filling, and exactly what you expect—no surprises, just solid comfort that gets the job done and keeps you coming back.
As an athlete: Dak Prescott — MSU's own quarterback who went from overlooked recruit to NFL starter—hardworking, loyal to his roots, and embodying the blue-collar excellence Starkville produces.
As a person alive today: Jeff Foxworthy — Affable, Southern, proudly unpolished, and built a career on celebrating rural American life without apology—exactly MSU's brand of accessible, down-home authenticity.
As a historical figure: John C. Stennis — The Mississippi senator who spent 41 years in Washington championing defense and aerospace—MSU's engineering and military research legacy in human form.
As a movie or TV show: Friday Night Lights (TV series) — Small-town intensity, football as communal identity, genuine people navigating ambition within traditional structures—Starkville's ethos in every frame.
As a US president: Jimmy Carter — Earnest, agricultural roots, engineering background, unflashy competence, and a deep connection to Southern land-grant values over coastal elitism.
As a city: Boise, Idaho — Mid-sized, outdoorsy, unpretentious, with a strong state university culture and regional pride that punches above its weight without big-city pretensions.
As an element: Iron — Fundamental, strong, utilitarian, and the backbone of industry—MSU is the workhorse element that builds things and doesn't need to be flashy.
As a car: 2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch — A no-nonsense, cowbell-ringing workhorse draped in just enough leather to signal land-grant pride and SEC tailgates. Starkville's agricultural roots meet modern engineering research in a truck that's equally at home haul

Campus life

Mississippi State has a classic Southern college town vibe in Starkville, with a strong sense of community and school spirit centered around SEC athletics. The campus is active with over 300 student organizations, and game days in the fall are major social events that draw large crowds.