Hattiesburg’s William Carey University topped the charts this week as Mississippi’s best value university, according to a study conducted by financial technology company SmartAsset.

The study ranked Mississippi colleges and universities based on tuition, living cost, scholarship opportunities, student retention and new graduate starting salaries.

Mississippi State University clocked in at second, followed by University of Mississippi, Rust College and Belhaven University.

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“A ranking like this helps get us in the public eye of Mississippi and lets people know what we’re doing, even as a private institution, to help with the workforce development of all Mississippians,” WCU President Ben Burnett said.

Burnett added that the ranking also shows that the university’s new “Making College Affordable” plan, which increases scholarships by 40% and provides free textbooks to undergraduate students, seems to be working.

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It’s been a good year for the university. Earlier this year, Niche ranked WCU second on its “2024 Best Colleges in Mississippi” list, awarding it an overall grade of “A” based on factors like academics, diversity, safety, student life and value.

“Our students are a priority, and we have administration or our campus who really care about the students and then the communities they serve,” said Teresa Poole, dean of WCU’s school of education. “Being ranked for that, for something that we do just because it’s the right thing to do – it really feels good.”

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: WCU Tops Best Value College Ranking List