College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Jackson State University

Jackson, MS 4,600 Undergrads 40.2% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$43,352
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$34,119
After Aid
Median Earnings
$46,443
5yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$34,119
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$46,443
Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$42,075
Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate40.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average starting age (2015-17)23.3
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients73.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time90.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS52.7%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
93.2%
SAT Avg
965
SAT Reading
25th: 43047075th: 550
SAT Math
25th: 39045075th: 520
ACT Composite
25th: 151875th: 20

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$418k
-$52k
-$69k
Median Cost$34k/yr
+$295k
-$175k
-$192k
Full Cost$43k/yr
+$262k
-$208k
-$225k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$34k/yr
Never
-156%
Full Cost$43k/yr
Never
-144%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-164%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-101%

Program ROI Analysis

These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$24,125
Earnings (4yr)
$59,996
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,997
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$38,027
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$256k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,451
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,625
Earnings (4yr)
$50,246
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,383
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$25,425
Earnings (4yr)
$78,824
Natl Median: $86,517
Lifetime Value Added
+$76k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$46,472
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$184k
Median Debt
$22,584
Earnings (5yr)
$50,255
Natl Median: $58,928
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$89,702
Natl Median: $109,015
Lifetime Value Added
+$159k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$90,577
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
+$166k
Median Debt
$27,750
Earnings (4yr)
$46,799
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$181k
Education, Other
BachCIP: 1399
Median Debt
$33,500
Earnings (4yr)
$36,481
Natl Median: $49,113
Lifetime Value Added
-$270k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,647
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$21,508
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$394k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,707
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
-$190k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$37,959
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
-$257k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,308
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$193k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,901
Earnings (4yr)
$52,107
Natl Median: $80,890
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Median Debt
$28,310
Earnings (4yr)
$42,260
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,844
Earnings (4yr)
$49,299
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$160k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (4yr)
$44,881
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$197k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
-$360k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$24,625
Earnings (4yr)
$41,566
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$25,194
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$360k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,920
Earnings (4yr)
$56,747
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$97k
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (4yr)
$40,365
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$236k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$33,213
Natl Median: $41,688
Lifetime Value Added
-$298k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,254
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
-$183k
Biology, General
MastCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,504
Earnings (4yr)
$76,656
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Chemistry
MastCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,937
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,665
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,953
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$60,039
Natl Median: $67,030
Lifetime Value Added
-$175k
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Natl Median: $63,083
Lifetime Value Added
-$378k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$76,460
Natl Median: $120,215
Lifetime Value Added
-$626
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$31,974
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
-$437k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,208
Natl Median: $90,955
Lifetime Value Added
-$382k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,850
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$51,250
Earnings (4yr)
$57,970
Natl Median: $82,751
Lifetime Value Added
-$195k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,384
Natl Median: $71,416
Lifetime Value Added
-$296k
Social Work
MastCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,920
Natl Median: $65,123
Lifetime Value Added
-$282k
Sociology
MastCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,330
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,087
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$291k
Median Debt
$71,977
Earnings (4yr)
$58,096
Natl Median: $60,111
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Median Debt
$47,217
Earnings (4yr)
$46,522
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$305k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,499
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$276k

Graduate Certificates

Education, General
Gr-CertCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$51,856
Natl Median: $69,448
Lifetime Value Added
-$176k

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Chemistry
DocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $115,386
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,878
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$70,684
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
-$246k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $87,076
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $99,464
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
DocCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $108,962
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
DocCIP: 4407
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $98,285
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$55,964
Natl Median: $81,822
Lifetime Value Added
-$343k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.