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Is Alcorn State University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Alcorn State, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Alcorn State sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $40,721 helps, but median debt of $27,500 plus yearly net price of $14,791 creates a tighter path. For context, Alcorn State's net price is about 0% above the typical 4-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$13,155
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $1 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $0 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$14,791
Median earnings 10 years out
$40,721
Median debt at graduation
$27,500
Graduation rate
53%
At Alcorn State, a typical graduate carries about $27,500 in student debt and earns roughly $40,721 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $313 per month, or 9% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $13,359 more than the typical working high school graduate in Mississippi ($27,362) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
59% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in Mississippi ($27,362).
Psychology, General
Bachelor's degree · 28 working graduates counted
$35,015
$7,653 above the benchmark
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Bachelor's degree · 41 working graduates counted
$39,841
$12,479 above the benchmark
Biology, General
Bachelor's degree · 81 working graduates counted
$40,379
$13,017 above the benchmark
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor's degree · 16 working graduates counted
$41,403
$14,041 above the benchmark
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor's degree · 32 working graduates counted
$41,908
$14,546 above the benchmark
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor's degree · 50 working graduates counted
$42,321
$14,959 above the benchmark
Social Work
Bachelor's degree · 27 working graduates counted
$46,157
$18,795 above the benchmark
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
Bachelor's degree · 23 working graduates counted
$59,214
$31,852 above the benchmark
Agricultural Business and Management
Bachelor's degree · 27 working graduates counted
$62,499
$35,137 above the benchmark
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Bachelor's degree · 46 working graduates counted
$93,159
$65,797 above the benchmark
21 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent Alcorn State University and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
Alcorn State is a public four year school in Alcorn State, MS. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
University of Mississippi
University, MS
Worth-It Score: 76/100
Median net price: $13,752
Public 4-year
Delta State
Cleveland, MS
Worth-It Score: 61/100
Median net price: $12,677
Public 4-year
Mississippi State
Mississippi State, MS
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $18,781
Public 4-year
Mississippi Valley State
Itta Bena, MS
Worth-It Score: 50/100
Median net price: $11,844
Public 4-year
Mississippi University for Women
Columbus, MS
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $11,452
Common questions about Alcorn State
The median net price at Alcorn State is $14,791 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in Mississippi? See the most affordable public universities in Mississippi →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Alcorn State in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$14,791a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →