Education

Home to Newsweek’s Magazine # 1 Elementary School in rural America and a multiple national and state award winning school district, Grenada County offers outstanding educational opportunities. Post-secondary and professional education courses are offered to Grenada residents through Holmes Community College and 4 universities located within a 65-mile radius from Grenada. The University of Mississippi also has local programs in nursing and business at their Grenada Extension office located at Holmes Community College campus.

Grenada School District
Businessweek magazine named the Grenada County Elementary School as America’s #1 rural school. The Grenada School District has also been the recipient of multiple Governors’ Awards for a variety of programs that have become an example to follow in Mississippi. The "Kidzeum" received a 2002 Magna Award from the American School Board Journal and for nine years, Grenada has been selected to exhibit at the National School Board's "Education Excellence Fair," a display commending superior programs across the country. Grenada Middle School was honored For the "Walls That Teach" project with the School District Program Award by the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education. The American Association of School Administrators also presented the "Leadership for Learning Award for 2000" to Dr. Buddy Pender, one of only three superintendents selected nationwide for this honor.

Private Schools
Kirk academy is a K-3 through 12th grade private school that offers college preparatory education. Chartered as Grenada Educational Foundation in September 1966, Kirk Academy boasts 65 acres, which include preschool, elementary school, a high school, the A.R. Smithers Library, a gymnasium, two practice football fields, a football stadium, softball complex, baseball complex, and an outdoor classroom with nature trails.

Kirk Academy has been fully accredited for a number of years by both MPSA (Mississippi Private School Association) and SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools).

Holmes Community College (Grenada Campus)
The Grenada Campus of Holmes Community College offers credit and non-credit post secondary education courses in a variety of subjects from liberal arts to business and engineering. After two years at HCC students are ready to enter the workforce or continue their full-time college education in any 4-year degree institution. The college also offers college level programs in nursing and business from the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss.)

HCC works closely with industry to develop and implement technical and vocational programs that respond to current and future industry needs. Technical programs include Automotive, Business & Office Technology, CIS Technology, Electronics, Industrial Maintenance, Manufacturing Technology, Drafting & Design, Machine Tool Technology, and Welding. Holmes Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Colleges and Universities Serving Grenada

University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Located an hour away from Grenada, Ole Miss is a 4-year university and research center that holds more than 40 patents for inventions that have been licensed to new or multimillion-dollar companies. In 2008, Ole Miss ranked among the nation’s top 25 public universities on Forbes.com and hosted its first presidential debate. Ole Miss is also home to the Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME), a center unique in its educational focus on under-graduate manufacturing education. The CME brings together the schools of Engineering, Business and the College of Liberal Arts along with major input from manufacturing companies and industry experts, to give students the technical and professional skills needed for a successful career in the manufacturing sector.

Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University (MSU) is the state’s most important research university with more than 800 faculty members in ten colleges and schools. MSU is among the nation’s top 100 institutions in its external funding for research and development in science and engineering related fields. MSU also boasts the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) and the award winning Raspet Flight Research Laboratory.

Mississippi Valley State University
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) is a 4-year liberal arts university located 44 miles from Grenada. Named by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s best colleges in the southern region MVSU provides quality academic and public services programs to over 3,000 students.

Delta State University
Delta State University (DSU) is a 4-year university  located 53 miles from Grenada. Approximately 2,000 students enroll annually in Delta State's undergraduate degree programs, with an additional 600 enrolled in post-graduate or professional-level courses.