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Jackson State University: Rose Embly McCoy Auditorium @ JSU
Photo: 2C2K Photography, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

National university

Jackson State University

Jackson, MS · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $23,836 a year

Median debt at graduation: $30,470 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.51%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.62%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 965 · ACT 17.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,884

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$22,869
$30,001–$48,000$22,516
$48,001–$75,000$26,236
$75,001–$110,000$26,388
Over $110,000$27,576

Full cost of attendance before aid: $32,415 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
4,769
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 37% · Women 63%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
32%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
70%
Total students6,564
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$23,836
Cost of attendance (per year)$32,415
Median federal debt at graduation$30,470
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
51%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
37%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
36%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
39%
First-year retention62%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$39,060
Admission rate93%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$25
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,097 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants72%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 820–1070ACT 15–20
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT965
SAT reading & writing430–550
SAT math390–520
ACT composite15–20
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Solid (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computer science$90,577
Computer engineering$89,702
Civil engineering$78,824
Accounting$59,996
Teacher education$56,747
Industrial technology$52,107
Business administration$50,246
General studies$49,299
Criminal justice$46,799
Communication studies$46,472
Entrepreneurship$45,707
Health administration$45,308
Psychology$44,881
Liberal arts$42,260
Social work$41,566
Secondary education$40,365
Biology$38,027
Finance$37,959
Other education$36,481
Visual and performing arts$33,213

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Chemistry, Computing and information science, Electrical engineering, English, Geology and earth science, History, Interdisciplinary studies, Linguistics, Managerial economics, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Physics, Political science, Sociology, Special education, Speech-language pathology, Statistics, Urban Studies/Affairs, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Education15%
Business13%
Interdisciplinary studies10%
Criminal justice and security9%
Biology9%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates10%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older19%
On-campus room and board (per year)$14,341
SportsNCAA Division I · Southwestern Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 4%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time60%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$9,510IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 45% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceJackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN)About 8 miles away · about 20 minutes by car
Town population146,631Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreNew OrleansAbout 156 miles away · about 3 hours 45 minutes by car
Typical weather47°F in January · 83°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Jackson Hawkins Field, MS, about 3 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.060.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.060.04
Burglary0.160.08
Motor vehicle theft0.160.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Jackson State University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Jackson State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $23,836 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Jackson State University?
Jackson State University admitted 93% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Jackson State University’s graduates do?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $39,060; the median federal debt at graduation is $30,470.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 175856
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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