History
Chartered by the Mississippi Legislature in 1844, The University of Mississippi opened its doors to 80 students in 1848.

Enrollment
Total enrollment on all of The University of Mississippi’s campuses, including The University of Mississippi Medical Center, is 17,323.  Sixty-nine percent of all students are from Mississippi, and 19 percent of students are minorities.

Campus
Ole Miss is located in the rolling hills of North Mississippi about 80 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The historic, wooded campus encompasses nearly 1,000 acres and includes 220 major buildings. The Lyceum, opened in 1848, is the institutional landmark and is the theme of the University’s logo. The University also operates campuses at the Desoto Center in Southaven, the Advanced Education Center in Tupelo, and The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

Finances

Alumni
Nearly 110,000 living Ole Miss alumni and friends represent every state in the nation and 80 foreign countries. The University awards approximately 2,724 degrees annually, and more than 128,000 degrees have been awarded since 1848.

Libraries
The University of Mississippi libraries house nearly 1.3 million volumes and more than 12,392 current periodicals and serial subscriptions. They also provide access to more than 140 electronic databases and more than 27,000 electronic journals.  The J.D. Williams (main) Library boasts several noteworthy features:  the Hall of Mississippi Writers, William Faulkner Room, James Meredith’s papers, world-renowned Music/Blues Archive and the national library of the accountancy profession.

TECHNOLOGY
Web-based services provide instant access to vital information that enables students to apply for admission, register for classes, check grades, pay bills and submit class assignments online. Students and faculty have access to millions of library materials via the Internet. Each residence hall room is connected to the university’s computer network, and many public areas on campus provide wireless connections.

RESEARCH
External funding for research, service and education projects on Oxford and Jackson campuses was $128 million last year. The Oxford campus is home to more than 30 research centers with exceptional strengths in acoustics, business, computer science, engineering, law, pharmacy and Southern studies. The university also is developing plans for phase one of a 100-acre research park adjacent to the main campus.

FACULTY AND STAFF
With 2,369 full-time employees on the Oxford campus, including 697 full-time faculty, Ole Miss is the largest employer in Lafayette County. More than 83 percent of full-time faculty hold the highest degrees in their fields. The student-to-faculty ratio is 19:1.

STUDENT HOUSING
Ole Miss has 12 traditional residence halls and two apartment complexes that house a total of 3,671 students. A limited number of apartments is available for upperclass and graduate students. Additional student housing is provided by the various sorority and fraternity organizations under the dean of students’ Office of Greek Life.            

ATHLETICS
With a long and storied history in intercollegiate athletics, the university competes at the highest level in 18 men’s and women’s sports. During the 2006-2007 season, ten teams reached postseason play. The men’s tennis team won its sixth consecutive SEC West title, and the women’s basketball team advanced to the NCAA’s Elite Eight before falling to eventual national champion Tennessee.

ALUMNI
Nearly 110,436 living Ole Miss alumni and friends represent every state in the nation and 80 foreign countries.  The University awards approximately 3,408 degrees annually; nearly 150,000 degrees have been awarded during its 160-year history.

MEDICAL CENTER
The health sciences campus in Jackson houses schools of Medicine, Nursing, Health Related Professions, Dentistry and Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences; the University Hospitals and Health System; and the Rowland Medical Library. The Medical Center employs 7,500 people, including 858 faculty. UMMC, where 100 percent of the faculty hold the highest degrees in their fields, is the second-largest employer in Hinds County.

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