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Jackson State University
Jackson, MSpublicjsums.edu
Acceptance
93%
SAT 25–75
820–1070
Avg net price
$23,836
Earnings (10 yr)
$39,060
Graduation rate
51%
Admit rate has ranged 62%–91% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Jackson State University, a historically Black public university in Mississippi's capital, combines accessible admissions with standout programs in business, STEM, and health administration. Known for its tight-knit 'family' campus culture and robust Greek life, JSU delivers an affordable education with nearly all students receiving financial aid—though graduation rates lag behind national averages.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
- High school transcript
- Grade point average
- College-prep program
- TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
- Class rank
- Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
- Undergrad enrollment
- 4,600
- In-state tuition
- $8,965
- Out-of-state tuition
- $11,965
- HBCU Ranking
- #26 (U.S. News)
- Acceptance Rate
- 48-93% (varies by source)
- 6-Year Grad Rate
- 39-51%
- Student-Faculty Ratio
- N/A (most classes 10-19 students)
- Avg Alumni Salary (1yr)
- $31,357
- Financial Aid Recipients
- 99%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $39,060
- Value (earnings ÷ net price)
- 1.6×
- Median debt at graduation
- $30,470
- Graduation rate
- 51%
- First-year retention
- 62%
- Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
- 39%
- Pell (lower-income) share
- 85%
- First-generation share
- 32%
- Endowment / student
- $13,256
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
- Computer Engineering$63,005
- Civil Engineering$55,338
- Computer Science$47,260
- Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians$38,289
- Criminal Justice and Corrections$34,793
- Accounting and Related Services$31,670
Campus & location
Campus safety
- On-campus violent crimes (2024)
- 4
- Per 1,000 students
- 0.87
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
- Pleasant days / yr
- 93
- Summer high
- 90°F
- Winter low
- 41°F
- Annual rain
- 62.5"
- Annual snow
- 1.4"
- Natural-hazard risk
- Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility
Research output
- Institutional h-index
- 259
- Scholarly works
- 8,136
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
- Mobility rate
- 3.0%
- Bottom → top quintile
- 10%
- From bottom quintile
- 31%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
- What is the acceptance rate at Jackson State University?
- Jackson State University's acceptance rate is approximately 93% (Jackson, MS), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
- What SAT score do you need for Jackson State University?
- Admitted students at Jackson State University typically score 820–1070 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
- How much does Jackson State University cost?
- At Jackson State University, the average net price (after aid) is about $23,836 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
- How many undergraduates attend Jackson State University?
- Jackson State University enrolls approximately 4,600 undergraduate students.
- Where is Jackson State University located?
- Jackson State University is located in Jackson, MS.
Admissions
Jackson State's admissions process is decidedly accessible, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. ranging from 48% to 93% across sources—likely reflecting rolling admissions and varying applicant pools. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 15-20 on the ACT or 850-1070 on the SAT, with only 7% of enrollees boasting GPAs above 3.75. Applications are accepted until late August, and while test scores are suggested (ACT code 2204, SAT code 1341), the university emphasizes flexibility in its Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone..
Academics
JSU awards over 1,500 bachelor's degrees annually across 45+ undergraduate programs, with particular strength in education, health administration, and interdisciplinary studies. The College of Business and STEM fields like computer engineering (where graduates average $68,863 salaries) draw attention, though class sizes skew intimate—most courses have 10-19 students. The university holds a #26 HBCU ranking from U.S. News and touts 'fully integrated learning' through its seven academic colleges, including doctoral programs in 13 areas.
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See colleges similar to Jackson State University →Sources
- Common Data Set - Institutional Research - Jackson State University
- [PDF] Common Data Set 2019-2020 - Jackson State University
- Institutional Research Info - Jackson State University
- About Us - Institutional Research | Jackson State University
- Common Data Set Repository - College Transitions
- Data Dictionary - Institutional Research | Jackson State University
- Jackson State University Admissions - BigFuture College Search
- Jackson State University SAT Scores and GPA - PrepScholar
- Jackson State University Admissions & Acceptance - Niche
- Freshman - Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment
