Delta State University

Overview

Rankings

• #2 Colleges With the Highest Acceptance Rates
• #2 Best Education Colleges in Mississippi
• #2 Best Psychology Colleges in Mississippi
• #4 Best Business Colleges in Mississippi
• #5 Best Bachelor's Programs in Mississippi
• #5 Best Master's Programs in Mississippi
• #6 Best Biology Colleges in Mississippi
• #14 Best Colleges in Mississippi

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Delta State University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Delta State University, located in Cleveland, Mississippi, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 100%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,050. The graduation rate is roughly 47%.

Acceptance Rate

100%

Retention Rate

67%

SAT Average

1050

ACT Midpoint

19

SAT Range

925–1210

ACT Range

17–23

Full-Time Faculty

56%

Faculty Salary (mo)

$7,517

Student–Faculty Ratio

10:1

Diversity Index

0.61

First-Gen Students

32%

Applicants

936

Admitted

923

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Delta State University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Delta State University is $8,605, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $13,540. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,223 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $20,390 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition

$8,605

Out-of-State

$8,605

Avg Net Price

$13,540

Median Debt

$20,390

Pell Grant Rate

42%

Federal Loan Rate

44%

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Delta State University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Graduate Outcomes

Is Delta State University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Delta State University report median earnings of $41,991, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry

$36,265

8 Years

$38,771

10 Years

$41,991

Debt-to-Earnings

0.49x

Earning > $25K

58%

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Delta State University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Delta State University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.25%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 16.3% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.8% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $71,000, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate

2.25%

Bottom 20% → Top 20%

Success Rate

13.8%

If bottom 20% get in

From Bottom 20%

16.3%

Share of students

Parent Median Income

$96,464

today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Delta State University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Delta State University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.08, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.10). Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness

1.08

Cross-class friendships

Friending Bias

0.10

Lower = more inclusive

Volunteering Rate

4.0%

Support Ratio

1.00

Community support

Innovation & Knowledge Creation

Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education

Delta State University produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 21 patents tied to its graduates.

Inventor Rate

0.10%

Top 97% nationally

Patents Produced

21

Linked to graduates

Patent Citations

20

Downstream influence

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Federal Grants

$7,293,941

Investment Income

$62,340

Top Programs

The fields Delta State University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

• Education 21% $40,578 early-career
• Business & Marketing 20% $66,496 early-career
• Health Professions 12% $67,706 early-career
• Visual & Performing Arts 9%
• Transportation 6%
• Biology & Biomedical 5% $28,197 early-career
• Psychology 4%
• Social Sciences 4%

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.