Best Legal Studies Schools Near Meridian, MS (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Meridian, Mississippi has 1 accredited school offering legal studies programs. Meridian has a population of about 34,466. Median household income is $34,657 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Mississippi, the top-earning legal studies-related role is Lawyer at a median $91,690 annually (BLS, May 2025).

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer legal studies programs near Meridian, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Meridian 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:

  • 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 Meridian. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Holmes Community College

Goodman, MS 82.0 miles from Meridian
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,922
Avg net price $5,643/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Perkinston, MS 114.0 miles from Meridian
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,017
Avg net price $6,962/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 86

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Mississippi Valley State University

Itta Bena, MS 123.5 miles from Meridian
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,919
Avg net price $9,686/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Mississippi

University, MS 145.3 miles from Meridian
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,994
Avg net price $13,314/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 124

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Mississippi schools on the Mississippi legal studies page.

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Mississippi, statewide)
Paralegal and Legal Assistant$46,180
Lawyer$91,690
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$45,140

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.

Meridian at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population34,466Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$34,657Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Frequently Asked Questions

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering legal studies programs near Meridian. The closest is Holmes Community College in Goodman, MS (82.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Holmes Community College (82.0 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying legal studies-related roles in Mississippi are: Lawyer ($91,690), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($46,180), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($45,140). Wages for Meridian workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Laurel instead of Meridian?

Laurel, MS is 54.6 miles from Meridian and has its own set of local legal studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Meridian’s median household income of $34,657 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Meridian 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.

Other Programs Available in Meridian

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Meridian:

Data verified: August 31, 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.

Back to Best Legal Studies Schools in Mississippi (2026)