More selective than 21% of Mississippi colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $32,415. College Scorecard.
Higher than 50% of Mississippi colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 29% of Mississippi colleges we cover and 11% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Jackson State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 14,141 applicants, Jackson State University admitted 12,873 and 978 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 820–1070 on the SAT or 15–20 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Jackson State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Mississippi residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Jackson State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Jackson State University took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Mississippi. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,869 | $101,996 | 12.0 years |
| $30–48k | $22,516 | $100,421 | 11.8 years |
| $48–75k | $26,236 | $117,013 | 13.8 years |
| $75–110k | $26,388 | $117,690 | 13.8 years |
| $110k+ | $27,576 | $122,989 | 14.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (19% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($39,060) minus $30,550 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,510 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Jackson State University majors, earnings & careers
Jackson State University offers 42 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Science & Math · 7
- Business & Finance · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Engineering · 5
- Education · 4
- Arts & Design · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Jackson State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $90,577 | $28,001 |
| Computer Engineering | $89,702 | $27,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $78,824 | $31,000 |
| Accounting | $59,996 | $29,500 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $56,747 | $31,000 |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $52,107 | $30,242 |
| Business Administration | $50,246 | $35,000 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | $49,299 | $42,752 |
Quick list of all 42 majors
- Accounting$59,996
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biology$38,027
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Business Administration$50,246
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$78,824
- Communications$46,472
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$89,702
- Computer Science$90,577
- Criminal Justice$46,799
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$56,747
- Education (Subject Teaching)$40,365
- Education, Other$36,481
- Electrical Engineering—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship$45,707
- Finance$37,959
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Health Administration$45,308
- History—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$52,107
- Interdisciplinary Studies$49,299
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$42,260
- Linguistics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$44,881
- Social Work$41,566
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Statistics—
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
- Visual and Performing Arts$33,213
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Social Work → Social worker
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 4.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Jackson
Overall prices in the Jackson, MS area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,289. Housing costs 35% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 1 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Hinds County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Hinds County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Jackson State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Mississippi by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson State University | 93% | $23,836 | 51% | $39,060 | This school |
| Mississippi University for Women | 90% | $12,411 | 47% | $46,128 | |
| Delta State University | 100% | $13,540 | 48% | $41,991 | |
| Mississippi Valley State University | 92% | $9,686 | 27% | $31,919 | |
| University of Southern Mississippi | 99% | $21,708 | 49% | $44,140 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Jackson State University would cost you $11,425 more per year than Mississippi University for Women, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Jackson State University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$5,916).
- Mississippi University for Women gives aided families $1,235 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Mississippi resident | Jackson State University | MUW | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,965 | $8,492 | +$473 |
| Books & supplies | $1,400 | $1,600 | −$200 |
| Housing & meals | $11,782 | $8,387 | +$3,395 |
| Personal & travel | $10,716 | $4,800 | +$5,916 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$448 | −$1,054 | +$606 |
| Sticker price | $32,415 | $22,225 | +$10,190 |
| Average grants | −$8,579 | −$9,814 | +$1,235 |
| You pay | $23,836 | $12,411 | +$11,425 |
“+” means Jackson State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Jackson State University
What is the Jackson State University acceptance rate?
Jackson State University accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 12,873 of 14,141 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 820–1070 on the SAT or 15–20 on the ACT.
How much does Jackson State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $32,415 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,836 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,869 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,576.
How much do Jackson State University graduates earn?
Former Jackson State University students earn a median $39,060 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Jackson State University graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 62% return for their second year.
How long does a Jackson State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Jackson State University costs about $117,013 after grants ($26,236 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $39,060 ten years after starting, $8,510 more than high school graduates in Mississippi ($30,550), so the cost is repaid in 13.8 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Jackson State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/jackson-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).