🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $14,279/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$12,894 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Health Professions or Education (the two biggest majors)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 970, or ACT below 17 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
7,036
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$12,894
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$23,334
+$10,440 vs in-state
Admit rate
76.2%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
970–1260
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
17–24
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$45,235
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$40,158
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,235
4-year completion
55%
Median debt (completers)
$22,189
Cost of attendance
$24,257
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
43%

💰 True ROI

7.9× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$57,116
$14,279/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$39,912
vs sticker $97,028
10-yr earnings total
$452,350
$45,235/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.3 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Jacksonville State University, the average net price is $14,279/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$12,472/yr
Family income $30-48k
$12,622/yr
Family income $48-75k
$15,343/yr
Family income $75-110k
$17,480/yr
Family income $110k+
$18,183/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Jacksonville State University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Jacksonville State University →

Opens on Jacksonville State University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Jacksonville State University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Jacksonville State University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Health Professions
320 degrees · 34.6%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
2. Education
214 degrees · 23.1%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
3. Business, Management, & Marketing
173 degrees · 18.7%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
4. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
114 degrees · 12.3%
Typical career outcomes
Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k
Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.
5. Liberal Arts, Humanities, & General Studies
104 degrees · 11.2%
Typical career outcomes
Management Analyst $99k Marketing Specialist $75k HR Specialist $68k
Flexible degree → many paths. Real outcomes depend on the second skill (data, coding, teaching cert).

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Jacksonville State University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other. Bachelor's Degree 29 $57,351 $92,358
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians. Bachelor's Degree 21 $57,466 $90,850
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 295 $68,896 $83,984
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 24 $62,795 $79,129
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions. Bachelor's Degree 31 $55,867 $71,420
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 25 $39,457 $70,025
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 35 $40,541 $62,589
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other. Bachelor's Degree $44,778 $57,191
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 77 $39,729 $56,874
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 5 $52,365

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Jacksonville State University

CS degrees (annual)
45
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Jacksonville State University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Jacksonville State University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Jacksonville State University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Louisville
KY · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Jacksonville State University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($12,340 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($11,238 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($9,015 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($8,187 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($7,757 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Alabama State University
AL · Public
96% admit rate (vs 76% here)
Auburn University at Montgomery
AL · Public
93% admit rate (vs 76% here)
Troy University
AL · Public
93% admit rate (vs 76% here)
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
88% admit rate (vs 76% here)

Building a college list?

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