July 14, 2026

East Mississippi Community College President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks announced pay raises for eligible employees that took effect July 1. The wage increase is part of an ongoing effort to make salaries competitive with earnings offered at colleges in surrounding states.

Eligible faculty at EMCC received a $2,000 annual raise, while eligible staff members’ pay increased 3 percent. The pay increase took effect July 1, which is the start of the college’s 2026-27 fiscal year. EMCC's Board of Trustees approved the pay raise, which is being funded through increased appropriations from the Mississippi Legislature, as well as EMCC's general funds.

The latest pay increase isn’t the first. EMCC’s eligible faculty and staff have received annual pay raises each July dating back for several years.

“I believe our faculty and staff are among the best in the nation, and we are committed to recognizing and rewarding their dedication and hard work,” Alsobrooks said. “I want to thank our EMCC Board of Trustees and their continued investment in our faculty and staff. I also want to thank our Mississippi legislators for their steadfast support of community colleges and their continued investment in higher education. Their partnership helps make opportunities like these possible.”

Increasing pay, especially among faculty, has been a priority at EMCC. Mississippi, along with Arkansas and Louisiana, consistently ranks among the lowest paying states for community college faculty, according to the National Education Association. According to the NEA’s “Educator Pay Data 2025,” faculty at Mississippi’s public two-year college earned an average of $56,725 last year, $24,619 below the $81,344 national average.

Conversely, in metrics ranking educational quality, Mississippi’s community colleges have fared better, with EMCC garnering national recognition for academic excellence in recent findings. Earlier this year, EMCC ranked 29th in the country in Niche’s “2026 Top Community Colleges in America.”  Last November, EMCC was named among “America’s Top Vocational Schools” for 2025 by USA and Statista, earning a five-star rating, the highest achievable score. EMCC was also ranked in the top half of the colleges in the nation in SmartAsset’s “Best Community Colleges – 2025 Study.”

“We are very proud of the fact that the quality of education at EMCC consistently ranks high in national comparisons,” Alsobrooks said. “Our accomplishments are a direct reflection of our employees’ professionalism, hard work, and unwavering commitment to student success. Because of their efforts, EMCC continues to lead in providing high-quality educational opportunities, workforce training, and meaningful community engagement throughout our service area and beyond.”

Last year, eligible employees at EMCC received a pay increase of 1.5 percent, which was preceded by a 3.5 percent pay increase in 2024, and a 3 percent boost in 2023. In 2022, eligible employees received the largest wage increase in the college’s recent history, with a pay raise of between 8 percent and 9.5 percent for faculty and an increase of about 5 percent for staff. In 2021, there was an across-the-board wage increase of about 3 percent.

“We were able to cut expenses in areas that did not impact the quality of education we offer to help fund the raises, and some of the cost was offset by our successful efforts to boost enrollment,” Alsobrooks said.

As of the spring 2026 term, EMCC had experienced nine consecutive semesters of growth in enrollment, with increased head counts at both the college’s Scooba and Golden Triangle campuses.