1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Alcorn State University](/school/alcorn-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Alcorn State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/alcorn-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/alcorn-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/alcorn-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/alcorn-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/alcorn-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Alcorn State University graduates earn? The reported median is $45,495 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$11,806 per year. At Alcorn State University, the median earnings for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled are $45,495 four years after completion. That places the university in the 10th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those earnings fall $11,806 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The return pillar sits in the 9th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,391 less than the model expects for similar students. The gap is in the 18th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $485. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,906. The earnings scenarios show a wide range, from $39,118 on the downside to $81,076 on the upside. That spread reflects lower- and higher-earning program clusters. Nursing graduates report the highest median earnings four years after completion, at $93,159. Agricultural Business and Management follows at $62,499, and Social Work at $46,157. An estimated 32.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $45,495 **Rank for difference from expectations** 18th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Alcorn State University reported median** $45,495 **Peer schools comparable schools · $11,806 above Alcorn State University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $10,391 above Alcorn State University** $55,886 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $39,118 to $81,076, around the reported median of $45,495. Compare the lower scenario with [Alcorn State University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/alcorn-state-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $39,118 **Median · reported** $45,495 **Higher estimate** $81,076 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Alcorn State University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Alcorn State University graduates’ reported earnings are $10,391 below that expectation, the 18th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Alcorn State University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** \-$485 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$9,906 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$10,391 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Alcorn State University report the highest earnings? The earnings spread across Alcorn State University's largest programs is wide, and the highest-earning field is not the one awarding the most degrees. Biology is the largest program, with 113 degrees awarded and median earnings of $40,379 four years after completion. Nursing, by contrast, awards 39 degrees and its graduates earn $93,159. Agricultural Business and Management sits between the two, with 29 degrees awarded and median earnings of $62,499. Business Administration and Management awards 42 degrees and its graduates earn $39,841, a more moderate figure. Biological Sciences accounts for 18.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Business second at 10.5%. The university has 9 programs with published four-year earnings. The largest single program is Biology, at 113 degrees a year and median earnings of $40,379 four years after completion. Nursing is smaller at 39 degrees but posts the highest earnings among the largest programs, at $93,159. Liberal Arts and General Studies awards 60 degrees with median earnings of $42,321, and Business Administration and Management awards 42 degrees with median earnings of $39,841. The earnings spread between the largest program and the best-paid one is wide. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $93,159 **Agricultural Business and Management** $62,499 **Social Work** $46,157 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities** $42,321 **Criminal Justice and Corrections** $41,908 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness** $41,403 **Biology, General** $40,379 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $39,841 [Explore Alcorn State University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/alcorn-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Four years after completing a degree, the earnings cohort is 497 completers. Federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $45,495, which sits at the 10th percentile nationally. That is $11,806 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $10,391 less than the model expects for similar students, a gap that sits at the 18th percentile. An estimated 32.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings scenarios, estimated from Alcorn State University's program mix, put typical earnings at $45,495, with a downside of $39,118 and an upside of $81,076. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).