Mississippi Colleges & Universities
Top college and university libraries in Mississippi
These college and university libraries stand out for their collections, special collections and archives. Public access varies, so each entry says how visitors can use the library.
J.D. Williams LibraryUniversity of Mississippi
The John Davis Williams Library is the general library of the University of Mississippi, housing books, periodicals, microforms, manuscripts, government publications, audiovisual materials and maps. The Williams and Science Libraries are open to the public, with public computers and free wireless access. William Faulkner's Nobel Prize medallion is displayed in the university library.
Mitchell Memorial LibraryMississippi State University
Mitchell Memorial Library is the central branch of the Mississippi State University Libraries and the largest building on the Drill Field. Mississippi State is home to the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Collection, making it one of the few universities to house presidential papers.
University of Southern Mississippi LibrariesUniversity of Southern Mississippi
Cook Library on the Hattiesburg campus holds the principal collections of the University of Southern Mississippi. The McCain Library and Archives houses Special Collections and University Archives, including the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection, founded in 1966 by Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond and one of North America's leading research centers in children's literature.
The most beautiful college library in Mississippi
Mitchell Memorial LibraryMississippi State University
Mitchell Memorial Library sits in the heart of the Mississippi State campus, on the eastern side of the Drill Field, and is the largest building on it. The library holds a collection of 2,124,341 volumes and 70,331 journals, along with the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Collection.
Last verified: November 2, 2026. Visitor rules, hours and borrowing policies change, so check the library's website before you go.
About colleges and universities in Mississippi
The state of Mississippi is home to eight different public universities, some of which have several campuses. Also within the state there are dozens of two-year colleges, community colleges and technical schools, as well as four private liberal arts colleges and eight private universities. This affords students who wish to attend school in Mississippi the opportunity to choose the type of education they want to get at a facility that works for them.
Mississippi State University is the largest college in the state, located in Oktibbehah County with an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. It is public university and a land-grant college with a focus on agriculture. The school is ranked across the country as one of the top universities, and it consistently produces a high amount of research throughout the academic year. While the university has a focus on agriculture, it also has many other top-ranked programs including its veterinary programs as well as its engineering program. It is considered to be a college where students can get a great education for a good price. Mississippi State is known for producing professional athletes, including nearly 40 NFL players, 12 MLB players and a handful of tennis and basketball players as well.
Mississippi College is noteworthy because it is the oldest college in the state, and at the same time it is one of the best colleges to attend in the state. It was founded in 1826 and is located in Clinton, Mississippi. The university is private Christian school. In addition to being the oldest college in the state of Mississippi, the school is also the second-oldest Baptist university in the United States. The school has the first indoor pool in the United States on its premises, and it was also the first coeducational facility to award a degree to a woman in the United States. It is known for its education program, which produces some of the best teachers in the country, but it is also known for its character building programs. In addition to a traditional academic curriculum, students at Mississippi College also have a curriculum that helps make them good, well-rounded people. Many students who graduate from Mississippi College go on to pursue higher level degrees such as doctoral degrees. Olympic medalist Larry Myricks attended school at Mississippi College as did MLB player and manager Harry Craft. The school has also produced several state governors.