Higher Education

East Mississippi Community College

East Mississippi Community College serves over 4,000 students in Noxubee County and five other nearby counties. The main campus is in Scooba, Mississippi, 21 miles south of Macon, and the college also operates the Golden Triangle Campus in the Starkville-Columbus-West Point area. 

EMCC offers a comprehensive university transfer program designed for students who want to transfer to one of Mississippi’s four-year universities. In its Career and Technical Division, the college offers a wide range of programs designed to prepare learners for the workforce. 

Workforce Development Service Division

The EMCC Workforce Development Service Division is housed in the Center for Manufacturing Technology Excellence on the Golden Triangle Campus This division conducts training programs designed to meet the specific needs of business and industry.
These classes include manufacturing skills such as
  • sheet metal work and riveting
  • precision assembly
  • avionics and cabling
  • technical maintenance

There are classes for support skills such as

  • construction
  • HVAC systems
  • AutoCAD
  • industrial motor controls
  • welding
  • computer technology
  • medical career skills.

Customized workforce training programs are designed by the Center’s highly skilled and experienced professionals working with business and industry clientele.

Tuition Guarantee Program

EMCC offers a tuition guarantee programfor residents of Noxubee County. 

Public Four-Year Universities

Mississippi’s eight public universities provide a wide range of academic programs, many nationally or internationally recognized for excellence. Two are very close to Noxubee County: 

Mississippi State University

  • a doctoral-degree-granting institution
  • internationally recognized for the excellence of its many academic programs
  • strengths in engineering, business, the life sciences, agriculture, and forestry
  • over 25,000 students enrolled on the college’s two campuses
  • main campus in Starkville is about 35 miles northwest of Macon
  • Meridian campus is about 60 miles south of Macon

As a land-grant institution, MSU has a strong commitment to industrial outreach programs that make faculty expertise and research facilities available to the state’s businesses and industries. For information, visit MSU Outreach and Public Service. 

Mississippi University for Women

  • ranked among the top southern public master’s degree universities by U.S. News and World Report
  • 89th in the nation in Washington Monthly’s 2010 college rankings
  • located in Columbus, Mississippi, 32 miles north of Macon
  • enrollment of about 2,500 students
  • offers programs through the master’s degree level in 50 majors and concentrations, including paraprofessional programs
  • four colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and Nursing and Speech Language Pathology
  • also offers programs tailored to the needs of lifelong learners. 

MUW’s Center for Creative Entrepreneurshipoffers training, support, counseling, and resources for business start-ups and existing businesses. Although the Center focuses on women and other underserved entrepreneurs, it is a valuable resource for any entrepreneurial venture or young business. 

Continuing Education – Extension Service

The MSU Extension Noxubee County officeis located on the grounds of the Noxubee County Court House. The Mississippi State University Extension Service provides research-based information, educational programs, and technology transfer focused on issues and needs of the people of Mississippi, enabling them to make informed decisions about their economic, social, and cultural well-being.