Is East Mississippi Community or Mississippi Gulf Coast Community cheaper?

On published price, East Mississippi Community is cheaper — about $12,290 a year out of state in tuition and housing, against $12,750 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community. That is sticker price; athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off it, so ask both coaches what an actual offer would look like.

Which school graduates more of its students, East Mississippi Community or Mississippi Gulf Coast Community?

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community, at 47% against 42% at East Mississippi Community (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.

How do I contact the coaches at East Mississippi Community and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community?

Both programs run a recruiting questionnaire, and that is the right first move — it is exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit it at any age. Fill out both, then follow with an email to each staff.

East Mississippi Community vs Mississippi Gulf Coast Community: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs in the MACCC. East Mississippi Community runs $460 less per year out of state; Mississippi Gulf Coast Community graduates 5 points more of its students.

JUCO

East Mississippi Community

MACCC

Scooba, MS

JUCO

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community

MACCC

Perkinston, MS

Which one is right for you?

Neither school is better in the abstract — they are better for different athletes. These are the differences big enough to actually decide on.

Lean East Mississippi Community if…

You are an out-of-state recruit and the number on the bill matters: East Mississippi Community lists $460 less per year in tuition and housing than Mississippi Gulf Coast Community.
You want to leave with less owed: median debt at East Mississippi Community is $994 lower than at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community.

Lean Mississippi Gulf Coast Community if…

Finishing the degree is the priority: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community graduates 5 percentage points more of its students than East Mississippi Community.

What it costs to go there

Published sticker price from IPEDS. Almost nobody pays it — athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off the top — but the gap between two schools is a fair read on the gap between two offers.

What it costs to go there: East Mississippi Community compared with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Measure	East Mississippi Community	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
In-state tuition & fees	$3,950	$3,950
Out-of-state tuition & fees	$6,950 — East Mississippi Community leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition	$7,250
Room & board	$5,340	$5,500
Est. in-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.	$9,290	$9,450
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.	$12,290 — East Mississippi Community leads on this measure: lower total out-of-state cost	$12,750

What you leave with

Federal College Scorecard figures for all students at the institution, not softball players specifically. Read them as a signal about the degree, not about the program.

What you leave with: East Mississippi Community compared with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Measure	East Mississippi Community	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Graduation rate	42%	47% — Mississippi Gulf Coast Community leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree
Median earnings, 10 years after entry	$33,772/yr	$33,017/yr
Median debt at graduation	$9,006 — East Mississippi Community leads on this measure: less debt carried out the door	$10,000
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.	27% — East Mississippi Community leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn	30%

Getting in, and what you'd walk into

Admissions and size. A coach can support your file, but at most schools they cannot admit you — the academic profile below is the bar you still have to clear.

Getting in, and what you'd walk into: East Mississippi Community compared with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Measure	East Mississippi Community	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.	3,642	8,091
Where it is	Scooba, MS	Perkinston, MS

The softball program itself

Division and conference set the ceiling; the postseason record and staff tell you what the program has actually done with it.

The softball program itself: East Mississippi Community compared with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Measure	East Mississippi Community	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Head coach	Mackenzie Byrd	Izzy Werdann

How you actually get in front of them

Camps and questionnaires are the two channels a recruit controls. Where a program runs its own camp, that camp is usually the shortest path to being evaluated by the staff that would recruit you.

How you actually get in front of them: East Mississippi Community compared with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Measure	East Mississippi Community	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
Recruiting questionnaire	Yes	Yes

Scholarship money, honestly

Both programs sit at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges), so the scholarship rules are identical: varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.

How JUCO softball scholarships actually work →

What to do about it this week

Questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit one at any age. Do both, then follow with a short email to each staff.

East Mississippi Community

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

East Mississippi Community vs Mississippi Gulf Coast Community: common questions

Is East Mississippi Community or Mississippi Gulf Coast Community cheaper?: On published price, East Mississippi Community is cheaper — about $12,290 a year out of state in tuition and housing, against $12,750 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community. That is sticker price; athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off it, so ask both coaches what an actual offer would look like.
Which school graduates more of its students, East Mississippi Community or Mississippi Gulf Coast Community?: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community, at 47% against 42% at East Mississippi Community (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do East Mississippi Community and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community offer softball scholarships?: Both play at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges): varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.
How do I contact the coaches at East Mississippi Community and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community?: Both programs run a recruiting questionnaire, and that is the right first move — it is exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit it at any age. Fill out both, then follow with an email to each staff.

Cost, graduation and enrollment figures from IPEDS (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2023-24). Earnings, debt and admission rates from the federal College Scorecard. Postseason results from the NCAA Division I softball tournament records, 2021-2026. Rankings from NCAA.com and U.S. News & World Report. Figures describe the institution, not the softball roster.

We work hard to keep all data for East Mississippi Community and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

Still deciding between them?

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