Mississippi State expands housing for upperclassmen

Upperclassmen at Mississippi State University will have more on-campus housing options after state higher education officials approved a $63.9 million dormitory expansion that would add 527 beds in two years.  

The expansion would increase the College View housing capacity from 656 beds to 1,183 beds, reviving plans for the second phase of the project that was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees unanimously approved the project expansion plans on Monday. 

A private developer will finance the project through a partnership with the university, IHL spokesperson John Sewell said. The estimated construction completion date is August 2028. 

The university needs more modern housing for upperclassmen that is close to campus and connected to campus life, MSU spokesman Sid Salter said. 

The university also plans to take older residence halls out of service or repurpose them to better serve students’ needs, Salter said. He did not specify when those changes would begin. 

Mississippi State has 18 residence halls on its main campus in Starkville and requires freshmen to live on campus. The university enrollment has also increased from 22,649 students in fall 2022 to 23,563 last year.

Mississippi State Fall Enrollment 2022-2025

• Fall 2022: 22,649 
• Fall 2023: 22,657 
• Fall 2024: 23,150 
• Fall 2025: 23,563  

Under the approved agreement, Mississippi State will lease 16 acres to Education Realty Trust, a private college housing management and developer, for the expansion. The lease will run for 40 years with options to extend it up for 25 additional years.