Mississippi Public Universities will award 12,004 bachelor’s, master’s, specialists and doctoral degrees during Spring Commencement Exercises. The system total for Spring 2021 represents an increase of 1,224 graduates from Spring 2020, when the total number of degrees awarded was 10,780. “I congratulate the students who have worked so hard to earn degrees during such challenging times,” said Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education. “These graduates have made a wise investment in themselves by earning a degree and this investment will pay dividends over the course of their careers and lifetimes. I would also like to congratulate the family members and university and faculty and staff that have helped them along the way.” According to the College Board’s Education Pays 2019 report, published in January 2020, “individuals with higher levels of education earn more, pay more taxes, and are more likely than others to be employed:
“In 2018, the median earnings of bachelor’s degree recipients with no advanced degree working full time were $24,900 higher than those of high school graduates. Bachelor’s degree recipients paid an estimated $7,100 more in taxes and took home $17,800 more in after-tax income than high school graduates. (Figure 2.1)
“The typical 4-year college graduate who enrolls at age 18 and graduates in 4 years can expect to earn enough relative to a high school graduate by age 33 to compensate for being out of the labor force for 4 years and for borrowing the full tuition and fees and books and supplies without any grant aid.” (Figure 2.2A)
Figure 2.1: Median Earnings and Tax Payments of Full-Time Year-Round Workers Age 25 and Older, by Education Level, 2018
Figure 2.2A: Estimated Cumulative Full-Time Earnings (in 2017 Dollars) Net of Forgone Earnings and Payment for Tuition and Fees and Books and Supplies, by Education Level
Source: Jennifer Ma, Matea Pender and Meredith Welch, “Education Pays 2019: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society,” The College Board, January 14, 2020. 2021 SPRING COMMENCEMENT SCHEDULES Alcorn State University Time/Date: 9:00 a.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021 Location: Jack Spinks and Marino Casem Stadium/Dwight Fisher Field Speaker: Colonel Timothy “Tim” Holman, U.S. Army – MR&A, Equity & Inclusion Chief, Army Diversity Delta State University Graduate Time/Date: 10:00 a.m., Friday, April 30, 2021 Location: Walter Sillers Coliseum Speaker: President William LaForge, Delta State University Undergraduate Time/Date: 1:00 p.m., Friday, April 30, 2021 Location: Walter Siller Coliseum Speaker: President William LaForge, Delta State University Undergraduate—College of Business & Aviation and College of Education & Human Sciences Time/Date: 3:30 p.m., Friday, April 30, 2021 Location: Walter Siller Coliseum Speaker: President William LaForge, Delta State University Jackson State University Graduate, Class of 2021 Time/Date: 9:00 a.m., Friday, May 7, 2021 Location: Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center Speaker: Dr. Erik Greene, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools Undergraduate, Class of 2021 Time/Date: 9:00 a.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021 Location: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Speaker: The Honorable Bennie Thompson, U.S. House of Representatives Graduate and Undergraduate, Class of 2020 Time/Date: 6:00 p.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021 Location: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Speaker: Mr. Jordan Jefferson, Student Government Association President 2019-2020, Graduate Class of 2020 Mississippi State University Starkville Campus College of Arts & Sciences (Undergraduate) Time/Date: 8:30 a.m., Thursday, April 29, 2021 Location: Humphrey Coliseum Speaker: Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President, Mississippi State University College of Education and College of Business (Undergraduates) and ACCESS Program Time/Date: 1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 29, 2021 Location: Humphrey Coliseum Speaker: Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President, Mississippi State University All graduate students (master’s, doctoral, specialist) & the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Time/Date: 8:30 a.m., Friday, April 30, 2021 Location: Humphrey Coliseum Speaker: Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President, Mississippi State University Bagley College of Engineering; College of Architecture, Art & Design; College of Veterinary Medicine; College of Forest Resources; Academic Affairs (Undergraduates) Time/Date: 1:30 p.m., Friday, April 30, 2021 Location: Humphrey Coliseum Speaker: Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President, Mississippi State University Meridian Campus Time/Date: 11:00 a.m., Monday, May 3, 2021 Location: MSU Riley Center Speaker: No speaker Mississippi University for Women Mississippi University for Women Commencement Ceremonies were held April 23-23, 2021. Mississippi Valley State University Time/Date: 8:00 a.m., Saturday, May 1, 2021 Location: (Outside) Quadrangle between H.G. Carpenter Building and James H. White Library Speaker: No speaker The University of Mississippi Commencement 2020 Time/Date: 8:00 a.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021 Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field Speaker: Mr. Patrick Willis, former Ole Miss Scholar-Athlete and NFL Player Commencement 2021 Time/Date: 8:00 a.m., Saturday, May 1, 2021 Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field Speaker: Mr. Jonathan Reckford, Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity The University of Mississippi Medical Center There will not be a speaker for the Commencement Ceremonies. School of Nursing Time/Date: 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 26, 2021 Location: Mississippi Trade Mart School of Health Related Professions Time/Date: 2:00 p.m., Thursday, May 26, 2021 Location: Mississippi Trade Mart School of Dentistry, School of Population Health, School of Medicine, and School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences Time/Date: 10:00 a.m., Friday, May 27, 2021 Location: Mississippi Trade Mart The University of Southern Mississippi All ceremonies are open to graduates from Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 semesters. There will not be a speaker for the commencement ceremonies. Undergraduates—School of Nursing & Health Related Professions Time/Date: 7:00 p.m., Monday, May 3, 2021 Location: Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg Undergraduate—College of Education & Human Sciences Time/Date: 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 4, 2021 Location: Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg Graduates Earning Doctoral and Master of Fine Arts Degree—All Colleges Time/Date: 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 5, 2021 Location: Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg Graduates Earning Specialist and Master’s Degree—All Colleges Time/Date: 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 5, 2021 Location: Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg Undergraduates—College of Business & Economic Developement Time/Date: 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 6, 2021 Location: Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg Undergraduates – College of Arts and Sciences – Schools of Communication; Humanities; Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Development; Music; Performing and Visual Arts; and Social Science and Global Studies Time/Date: 9:00 a.m., Friday, May 7, 2021 Location: Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg Undergraduates – College of Arts and Sciences – Schools of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences; Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering; Construction and Design; Criminal Justice, Forensic Science and Security; Mathematics and Natural Sciences; Ocean Science and Engineering; and Polymer Science and Engineering Time/Date: 3:00 p.m., Friday, May 7, 2021 Location: Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg Coast – Undergraduates and Graduate Students – All Colleges Time/Date: 3:00 p.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021 Location: Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi