Jackson State University

Overview

Rankings

• #8 Best HBCUs for Engineering
• #8 Best HBCUs for Mechanical Engineering
• #8 Best HBCUs for Electrical Engineering
• #8 Best HBCUs for Civil Engineering
• #9 Best Computer Science Colleges in Mississippi
• #9 Best Data Science Colleges in Mississippi
• #10 Best Psychology Colleges in Mississippi
• #11 Best Biology Colleges in Mississippi

Academics & Admissions

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

Based in Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson State University admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 93%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 965. The graduation rate is roughly 41%.

Acceptance Rate

93%

Retention Rate

62%

SAT Average

965

ACT Midpoint

18

SAT Range

820–1070

ACT Range

15–20

Full-Time Faculty

60%

Faculty Salary (mo)

$7,988

Student–Faculty Ratio

15:1

Diversity Index

0.11

First-Gen Students

32%

Applicants

12,583

Admitted

11,153

Cost & Financial Aid

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

Published tuition at Jackson State University is $11,965, 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 $23,836. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,869 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $30,470 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition

$8,965

Out-of-State

$11,965

Avg Net Price

$23,836

Median Debt

$30,470

Pell Grant Rate

72%

Federal Loan Rate

82%

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Jackson 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 Jackson State University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Jackson State University report median earnings of $39,060, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry

$30,530

8 Years

$34,769

10 Years

$39,060

Debt-to-Earnings

0.78x

Earning > $25K

47%

Social Mobility

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

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

Jackson 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 2.97%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 30.5% 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 9.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $37,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate

2.97%

Bottom 20% → Top 20%

Success Rate

9.7%

If bottom 20% get in

From Bottom 20%

30.5%

Share of students

Parent Median Income

$50,406

today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

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

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Jackson State University. Its economic connectedness score is 0.91, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.06), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness

0.91

Cross-class friendships

Friending Bias

-0.06

Lower = more inclusive

Volunteering Rate

2.7%

Support Ratio

0.99

Community support

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income

$-6,922,782

Top Programs

The fields Jackson 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.

• Business & Marketing 16% $52,694 early-career
• Education 14% $42,427 early-career
• Health Professions 10% $41,350 early-career
• Biology & Biomedical 8% $25,703 early-career
• Criminal Justice 7% $41,341 early-career
• Engineering 6% $74,862 early-career
• Social Sciences 4% $29,935 early-career
• Communications 4% $33,722 early-career

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.