Founded in 1848, The University of Mississippi, affectionately known as Ole Miss, is the flagship university for the state of Mississippi and caters to a diverse community of students and scholars from the United States and around the world with over 23,000 students, including over 1,000 international students from over 90 countries. The University of Mississippi (UM) is an R-1 research institution with over 50 research centers and institutes on campus, and its main campus is situated in Oxford, a cultural center of Mississippi.

The University of Mississippi is home to twelve academic schools and colleges, a thriving Honors College, special programs such as the Lott Leadership Institute, Croft Institute for International Studies, Chinese and Arabic Language Flagship programs, and the Center for Manufacturing Excellence, among many others. The Patterson School of Accountancy is ranked fourth in the United States, the School of Pharmacy is ranked fifth in extramural funding, and UM is consistently ranked most beautiful and safest campuses in the United States. Additionally, Ole Miss is well-situated in NCAA Division I Athletics in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, and the college experience at Ole Miss is unparalleled in its social engagement.

With more than 400 student organizations, Ole Miss provides a wide range of opportunities for students to get involved on campus. There are academic, cultural, religious, special interest, professional, and social organizations. The recreation centers offer state-of-the-art equipment for the university community to enhance lifelong well-being, including rock climbing, a swimming pool, intramural sport competitions, basketball courts, gyms, and group fitness classes.

Using public and private support and allocating significant resources of its own, UM has established a strong international studies program, created an intelligence and security studies program, and built ambitious programs of intensive foreign-language learning and study abroad. Mutually reinforcing, these developments have created an exciting international dynamic on campus. UM is also home to the largest Blues Archive and the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. As such, UM brings the world to Mississippi and Mississippi to the world.