Head-to-head comparison
University of Southern Mississippi vs Coahoma Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Hattiesburg, MS
University of Southern Mississippi
- Net price / year
- $21,708
- Earnings, 10 years
- $44,140
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Clarksdale, MS
Coahoma Community College
- Net price / year
- -$274
- Earnings, 10 years
- $24,289
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but University of Southern Mississippi comes closer — median earnings $44,140 against a $86,832 total, vs $24,289 at Coahoma Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | University of Southern Mississippi | Coahoma Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $21,708 | -$274 |
| Total net cost | $86,832 | -$1,096 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $44,140 | $24,289 |
| Median debt | $22,500 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$171,232 | -$480,324 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, University of Southern Mississippi or Coahoma Community College?
Coahoma Community College, at -$274 a year after aid versus $21,708 — a gap of $21,982 a year, or $87,928 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do University of Southern Mississippi or Coahoma Community College graduates earn more?
University of Southern Mississippi graduates report a median $44,140 ten years after entry, $19,851 more than the $24,289 at Coahoma Community College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
49% of students finish at University of Southern Mississippi, against 41% at Coahoma Community College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.