| Location: | Southeast |
| Setting: | Rural Setting |
| Type: | Public |
| Size: | Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad) |
Mission Statement
Pearl River Community College is a public institution committed to providing quality educational and service opportunities for all who seek them.
Pearl River Community College http://www.prcc.edu is a public community college in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA. It was founded as Pearl River County Agricultural High School in 1909, then became the first junior college in Mississippi in 1921.
Pearl River County Agricultural High School (PRCAHS) was the result of the Mississippi Agricultural High School Law of 1908, making it the nation's first state-funded system of agricultural high schools. The law was found to be in violation of the separate but equal clause in the state's constitution by the state's Supreme Court late in 1909 when no equal opportunity was offered for the state's African-American children. The overturned law caused all but three of the twenty original agricultural high schools in the state to close, since state funding was no longer available. Pearl River County citizens came to the school's rescue, however, when private citizens secured a loan from a local bank to fund the school until the Mississippi Legislature could pass a new law which made opportunity for both races.
Classes began on September 8, 1909 under the direction of Professor T.M. Kelly. The entire boarding high school was located in one three-story building erected on 20 acres of land on the edge of the county's seat, Poplarville. Classrooms and the cafeteria was located on the building's first floor, while the girls' dormitory occupied the second floor and the boys' dormitory occupied the third floor.
PRCAHS, under the supervision of James Andrew Huff, added freshman college classes to the curriculum to the school in 1921-22, making Pearl River College the first 2-year public institution in Mississippi. Pearl River College continued to lead the way by the addition of sophomore classes in 1925-26.
Pearl River College has since expanded to include four locations, the main campus in Poplarville, the Forrest County Center and Lowery Woodall Advanced Technology Center in Hattiesburg, MS, and the Hancock Center in Waveland, MS.
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| Percent of Students International: | 0% |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | In-State | Out-of-State | |
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 1,620 | $ 4,018 | |
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 50 | $ 50 | |
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 3,218 | 43% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 1,458 | 36% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 2,675 | 18% | |
Any Aid: |
62% |
