Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Former names
The Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi (1878–1932)
Mississippi State College (1932–1958)
Motto"Learning, Service, Research"
TypePublic land-grant research university
EstablishedFebruary 28, 1878 (February 28, 1878)
Parent institution
Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning
AccreditationSACS
Academic affiliation
Endowment$894.5 million (2024)
PresidentMark E. Keenum
Academic staff
1,359
Administrative staff
3,361
Students23,150 (fall 2024)
Location, ,
United States

33°27′14″N 88°47′20″W / 33.454°N 88.789°W / 33.454; -88.789
CampusRemote town, 4,200 acres (17 km2)
Other campuses
NewspaperThe Reflector
ColorsMaroon and white
   
NicknameBulldogs
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division I FBSSEC
MascotBully the Bulldog
Websitemsstate.edu

Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity" and has a total research and development budget of $239.4 million, the largest in Mississippi.

The university was chartered as Mississippi Agricultural & Mechanical College on February 28, 1878, and admitted its first students in 1880. Organized into 12 colleges and schools, the university offers over 180 baccalaureate, graduate, and professional degree programs, and is home to Mississippi's only accredited programs in architecture and veterinary medicine. Mississippi State participates in the National Sea Grant College Program and National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The university's main campus in Starkville is supplemented by auxiliary campuses in Meridian, Gautier, and Biloxi.

Mississippi State's intercollegiate sports teams, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, compete in NCAA Division I athletics as members of the Southeastern Conference's western division. Mississippi State was a founding member of the SEC in 1932. In their more-than 120-year history, the Bulldogs have won 21 individual national championships, 30 regular season conference championships, and 1 national championship title. The school is noted for a pervasive baseball fan culture, with Dudy Noble Field holding 22 of the top 25 all-time NCAA attendance records and the school's Left Field Lounge being described as an epicenter of college baseball.