Hattiesburg is the home of the main campus, founded in 1906. On 120 acres, the University is conveniently located on the south side of the city.

Hattiesburg is known as the "Hub City" because it is located at the intersections of Interstate 59 and U.S. Highways 49, 98 and 11. The city is centrally located less than 100 miles from the state capital of  Jackson, as well as the Gulf Coast, New Orleans and Mobile.

With a population of 50,000, Hattiesburg is the educational, retail and medical center for the southeast Mississippi region.