Mississippi
WCU ranked No. 2 on the “Best Colleges in Mississippi” list
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – Community, opportunity, family; all words used to describe William Carey University.
In its annual review, Niche ranked WCU No. 2 on its “Best Colleges in Mississippi” list.
Niche used data from the United States Department of Education to rank the top four-year colleges and universities statewide.
Factors included cost, academics, campus life, dorms, dining and more.
“A lot of times, we’re separated out as a private institution only compared against private schools in Mississippi,” Carey President Dr. Ben Burnett said. “But this (Niche), lets us know where we stand among all of the universities.
“It’s really important to us to know how we stack up against everybody else.”
Niche is different from other ranking organizations because of its emphasis on current student as well as alumni opinions.
WCU students Kate Fletcher, Kendrick Davis and Kam Batty said they all have their own reasons for holding WCU high.
“The people here want to know your story, they want to know what you want to do, your career goals, your passions,” Fletcher said. “And I always say that Carey cares, truly.”
Davis agreed.
“That’s exactly what I get from coming to Carey,” said Davis. “I feel like I have a lot of opportunities to lead, a lot of opportunities to learn, and just perform, which is what I want to do.”
Batty said the school not only serves as an anchor, but as a launching pad as well.
“As I go through and start to get my bearings in a new spot, I can come back to the family that I built here at William Carey to really help me navigate through my own life,” said Batty.
Burnett said that the university is grateful for the recognition, but that it’s ready to be No. 1.
“We don’t want to be a hidden gem,” Burnett said. “We want our presence to be known.
“We’re a big part of this community, a big part of the state and I think it’s time that everybody recognizes that.”
WCU also received three national rankings in Niche’s annual review:
- No. 3 “Best Christian College in America”
- No. 9 “Best Colleges for Education in America”
- No. 30 “Best Colleges for Education in America”
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Mississippi
Mississippi lawmakers face pressure to counter looming federal cuts to health care after punting this session
Wicker: Mississippi powered Artemis II
Published 4:00 pm Monday, April 20, 2026
For nine days this month, space travel captivated the world. Families gathered around their screens as four astronauts strapped into the Integrity spacecraft docked at the Kennedy Space Center. As the launch countdown ended, four Mississippi-tested RS-45 engines ignited, and the ground shook. Seven seconds later, the Integrity had liftoff. For six intense minutes, the RS-45 engines rocketed the crew into high Earth orbit, sending them on their historic lunar flyby mission.
Mississippi should take a bow. The four RS-45 engines were tested at our very own Stennis Space Center, where Mississippians have been ensuring the quality of rocket engines since the Apollo program. For eight years, engineers, safety managers, and logistics specialists from the state have tested the engines that powered the Integrity and will power future Artemis launches. Their work paid off, and the launch was a marvel of engineering. NASA leadership made special mention of the rocket engine burn, calling it “flawless.”
One Mississippian in particular helped make the mission a success. Hernando native Matthew Ramsey handled a great deal of responsibility as the mission manager for Artemis II. The Mississippi State University graduate helped set the focus for the mission and equip the astronauts and staff for the job. Matthew also served as the deputy of the Mission Management Team, the group of NASA staff that comes together just days before a launch. The team assumes the risks of the mission ahead, and they make tough calls during flight if challenges arise.
As the Artemis II journey progressed, the world could not stop watching. Our social media feeds were full of photos and videos beamed down from the heavens. They captured humorous situations, such as the astronauts adjusting to life without gravity or testing their plumbing skills.
We also witnessed moments of majesty. On the fifth day, the Integrity began using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot our astronauts back home. That trajectory led the crew around the Moon, farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone. As the explorers looked upon outer space, they captured stunning images. Among the most remarkable is Earthset, in which Commander Reid Wiseman photographed Earth as it appeared to fall below the horizon of the moon.
When their spacecraft returned to Earth’s atmosphere, the crew was traveling nearly 35 times faster than the speed of sound. Ten minutes later, a series of parachutes began opening. Eventually, the spacecraft’s speed fell to 20 miles per hour, and the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.
Mississippi was once again there to assist. The astronauts were greeted by the USS John P. Murtha, a U.S. military vessel built in the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. The ship’s amphibious design was suited to welcome the space travelers home—equipped with a helicopter pad, medical facilities, and the communications system needed to locate and recover the astronauts safely. Crucially, the USS Murtha was built with a well deck, a sea-based garage that stored the Integrity on the journey to shore.
Artemis II was a resounding success, paving the way for planned future flights. When the Artemis program returns humans to the moon, Mississippi will be there every step of the way.
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