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Jackson State University: Rankings, Admissions, Cost & Majors

Fair Price Value for Your Money
93% Acceptance Rate
12% Student Loan Default Rate

Jackson State University is a public institution in Jackson, Mississippi enrolling 4,600 undergraduates. It accepts 93% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 51%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #2,642 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 51%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.

Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.

How Is Jackson State University Ranked?

Jackson State University ranks #2,642 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 51%.

#2,642 Best Colleges in Nation
#25 Best Colleges in MS
Jackson State University ranking badge

2027 Rankings

In its yearly rankings, College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities to determine which ones are the best in a variety of categories, such as overall value, quality, diversity, which schools are the best for each major, and much more.

Overall Quality

College Factual ranked Jackson State as #2,642 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list.

Jackson State also holds the #25 spot on the Best Colleges in Mississippi ranking.

See all of the rankings for Jackson State University.

Is It Hard to Get Into Jackson State University?

93% Acceptance Rate
94% Of Accepted Are Women
10% Submit SAT Scores

Acceptance Rate

Jackson State University has an acceptance rate of 93%, so it is easier to gain admission to this school than some others. Still, the admissions staff will examine your application closely to make sure you’re a good fit for Jackson State.

Average Test Scores

About 10% of students accepted to Jackson State submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 430 and 550. Math scores were between 390 and 520.

SAT Reading and Writing Scores for Jackson State University  ( 430 to 550 )
200
800
SAT Math Scores for Jackson State University  ( 390 to 520 )
200
800

Jackson State received ACT scores from 29% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 15 and 20.

ACT Composite Scores for Jackson State University  ( 15 to 20 )
1
36

Learn more about Jackson State University admissions.

What Is the Student-to-Faculty Ratio at Jackson State University?

14 to 1 Student to Faculty
60% Full Time Teachers

Student to Faculty Ratio

The student to faculty ratio at Jackson State University is about average at 14 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.

Percent of Full-Time Faculty

In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.

The full-time faculty percentage at Jackson State University is 60%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.

Full-Time Faculty Percent  60 out of 100
0
100

What Are the Graduation and Retention Rates at Jackson State University?

62% Freshmen Retention
51% On-Time Graduation Rate

Freshmen Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate is a sign of how many full-time students like a college or university well enough to come back for their sophomore year. At Jackson State University this rate is 62%, which is a bit lower than the national average of 68%.

Freshmen Retention Rate  62 out of 100
0
100

Graduation Rate

Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At Jackson State the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 51%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.

On-Time Graduation Rate  51 out of 100
0
100

Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Jackson State University.

How Diverse Is Jackson State University?

4,600 Undergraduate Students
95.5% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
63.0% Percent Women

In the current academic year, there are 4,600 undergraduates at Jackson State.

Get more detailed information on the diversity at Jackson State University.

How Much Does Jackson State University Cost?

$17,140 Net Price
82% Take Out Loans
$37,756 Total Student Loans

The average net price of Jackson State is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.

Net Price by Income Group for Jackson State

$0-30 K $30K-48K $48-75 $75-110K $110K +
$22,869 $22,516 $26,236 $26,388 $27,576

The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Jackson State, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.

Student Loan Debt

Almost 66% of college students who graduated with the class of 2018 took out student loans, but that percentage varies from school to school. At Jackson State, approximately 82% of students took out student loans averaging $9,439 a year. That adds up to $37,756 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 11.7%. This is higher than the national default rate of 10.1% so you should proceed with caution when taking out student loans. Get more details about paying for Jackson State University.

How Much Do Jackson State University Graduates Earn?

$39,060 Avg Salary of Grads
Low Earnings Boost

Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Jackson State University make around $39,060 per year during the early years of their employment. This is about 21% less than the average pay for college graduates overall. However, graduates with your major may make more. Average Salary for Jackson State University Graduates

See which majors at Jackson State University make the most money.

Where Is Jackson State University Located?

Mississippi State
4,600 Undergraduate Students
Midsize City Campus Setting

Jackson State University is an public institution situated in Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson is a great location for students who prefer city over country life. Get more details about the location of Jackson State University.

Location of Jackson State University

Contact information for Jackson State University are given below.

Contact Details
Address: 1400 John R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS 39217
Phone: 6019792121
Website: www.jsums.edu
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_State_University
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JacksonState
Twitter: twitter.com/jacksonstateU

What Majors Does Jackson State University Offer?

24 Majors With Completions
2,678 Undergraduate Degrees

In the most recent reporting year, students from 24 majors graduated from Jackson State University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.

Most Popular Majors Completions Average Salary of Graduates
Multi-Disciplinary Studies 1,339 NA
Social Work 133 $30,643
Business Administration & Management 115 $36,156
Teacher Education Grade Specific 113 $35,224
Other Interdisciplinary Studies 82 NA
General Biology 69 $23,341
Health/Medical Admin Services 67 $28,195
Criminal Justice & Corrections 63 $26,066
Educational Administration 49 $55,403
Teacher Education Subject Specific 49 $29,760

Learn more about the majors offered at Jackson State University along with which ones have the highest average starting salaries.

Does Jackson State Offer Online Classes?

91% Take At Least One Class Online
26% Take All Classes Online

4,176 students took at least one online class at Jackson State University.

Online courses are a great option for busy, working students as well as for those who have scheduling conflicts and want to study on their own time. As time goes by, expect to see more and more online learning options become available.

Learn more about online learning at Jackson State University.

Interested in comparing Jackson State? Pit them head to head with College Combat, a free interactive tool for comparing colleges on the features you care about.

Notes and References

Footnotes

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

References

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