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Best Data Science Schools Near Hattiesburg, MS (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Hattiesburg, Mississippi is home to about 48,507 residents. Median household income is $44,140 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Mississippi, the top-earning data science-related role is Actuaries at a median $106,210 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Data Science Schools to Hattiesburg
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer data science programs near Hattiesburg, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hattiesburg city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
Average net price (lower is better) 20%
Retention rate 15%
Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Hattiesburg.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Sort:
#1
Mississippi State University
📍
Mississippi State, MS
•
151.5 miles from Hattiesburg
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Mississippi schools on the Mississippi data science page.
Data Science Wages Near Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg is part of the Hattiesburg, MS metro area (BLS area code 25620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Mississippi statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Data Scientists
$72,930
Hattiesburg, MS
$83,253
Statisticians
$64,670
MS statewide
$73,824
Operations Research Analysts
$92,310
MS statewide
$105,377
Software Developers
$95,330
MS statewide
$108,824
Actuaries
$106,210
MS statewide
$121,244
Database Architects
$98,420
MS statewide
$112,352
Computer Systems Analysts
$59,880
Hattiesburg, MS
$68,356
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
$48,570
Hattiesburg, MS
$55,445
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Hattiesburg at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
48,507
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$44,140
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
35.0%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
87.6 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Hattiesburg-Area Cities With Data Science Programs
What are the highest-paying data science roles near Hattiesburg?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying data science-related roles near Hattiesburg are: Actuaries ($106,210), Database Architects ($98,420), Software Developers ($95,330). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Mississippi statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Laurel instead of Hattiesburg?
Laurel, MS is 28.7 miles from Hattiesburg and has its own set of local data science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Hattiesburg an affordable place to study data science?
Hattiesburg’s median household income of $44,140 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hattiesburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Mississippi public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Data verified: September 5, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
