“Private Baptist Christian university in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.”
William Carey University is a private Christian university based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with a second campus in the Tradition community near the Gulf Coast between Gulfport and Biloxi. Founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and Mississippi Baptist Convention, WCU enrolls roughly 3,600 students — about half undergraduate and half graduate — across 33 undergraduate majors and more than 24 master's and doctoral programs. Its small size (student-faculty ratio 13:1) and Christian mission shape a close-mentored, values-centered academic experience named for the 18th-century 'Father of Modern Missions,' William Carey. For international students, WCU offers one of the most affordable private-university price points in the U.S. Southeast — around $26,350/year in total undergraduate attendance cost — and a straightforward application path with a single English-proficiency standard (TOEFL iBT 70, IELTS 5.5, Duolingo 130) applied to both undergraduate and graduate programs. Strong academic draws include the Joseph and Nancy Fail School of Nursing (the top-rated program on campus), the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine (opened in 2010, one of only a handful of DO schools in the Gulf South), and the Winters School of Music, accredited by NASM with a distinguished music-therapy track accredited by the American Music Therapy Association. Campus life at Carey is small-college-traditional: Welcome Week and Homecoming Week organized by the Student Government Association, a Crusader athletics program competing in NAIA's Southern States Athletic Conference across 18 varsity sports, Christian service organizations like Gamma Chi and Kappa Tau Xi, and creative outlets including the Crusader yearbook, The Cobbler newspaper, and the Indigo literary magazine. The Hattiesburg campus, nicknamed the 'Hub City,' sits between New Orleans and the Gulf Coast beaches, giving international students warm-weather living and easy weekend access to one of the South's best food and music regions.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceRolling admission
WCU uses rolling admissions; no fixed freshman deadlines published. Apply at least 3-4 months before intended term start for I-20 processing.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$15,480
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
4 years
William Carey's most popular major; ACEN-accredited and the top feeder of RNs to south Mississippi hospitals.
4 years
One of only a few DO programs in the Gulf South region; emphasizes rural-health training on the Hattiesburg campus.
4 years
AMTA-accredited — a rare combined NASM/AMTA credential that qualifies graduates for the MT-BC national board exam.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $15,480
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
