The vision of Mississippi State University is to be the most respected land-grant institution in the region.

The mission of Mississippi State University is to educate the workforce and leaders of the future, produce robust research for our state and nation, and provide expert services to our citizens, communities and businesses.

Enhancing its historic strengths in agriculture, natural resources, science, and engineering, Mississippi State entered the twenty-first century with additional strengths in a comprehensive range of graduate and undergraduate programs. These include architecture, the arts, business, education, the humanities, the social and behavioral sciences, and veterinary medicine. The Meridian Campus focuses on meeting the needs of place-bound students and working adults through upper division and graduate programs in education, business, liberal arts, and social work.

The university's educational programs emphasize the exploration of ideas and the discovery, application, and dissemination of knowledge. The university embraces its role as a major contributor to the economic development of the state through targeted research and the transfer of ideas to the marketplace, aided by faculty-industry relationships and by interdisciplinary initiatives. Building on its land-grant tradition, MSU extends its resources and expertise throughout the entire state for the benefit of Mississippi's citizens. Through integration of its programs in learning, research, and service, through traditional scholarship, through statewide extension and outreach, and through engagement with business, industry, government, communities and organizations, the university is committed to maintaining its tradition as the People's University.