1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Jacksonville State University](/school/jacksonville-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Jacksonville State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/jacksonville-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/jacksonville-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/jacksonville-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/jacksonville-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/jacksonville-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Jacksonville State University graduates earn? The reported median is $55,318 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$1,983 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $55,318, in the 34th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $1,983 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the return pillar in the 41st percentile. Graduates earn about $1,171 less than the model expects for similar students. That result is at the 51st 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) adds $7,550. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,721. The earnings scenarios show a wide range: from $43,449 on the downside to $84,983 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians graduates earn $92,358 four years after completion, from 29 degrees awarded. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians follows at $90,850, with 21 degrees awarded. The largest program, Nursing, reports $83,984 from 295 degrees awarded. An estimated 26.0% 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** $55,318 **Rank for difference from expectations** 51st percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Jacksonville State University reported median** $55,318 **Peer schools comparable schools · $1,983 above Jacksonville State University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $1,171 above Jacksonville State University** $56,489 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 many Jacksonville State University students return and finish their degrees? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 67.0% **Completed within six years** 47.5% **Pell recipients completed within six years** 41.0% Source: Jacksonville State University Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention; B4–B11 six-year completion. Retention and completion follow different entering cohorts. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $43,449 to $84,983, around the reported median of $55,318. Compare the lower scenario with [Jacksonville State University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/jacksonville-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** $43,449 **Median · reported** $55,318 **Higher estimate** $84,983 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 Jacksonville 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). Jacksonville State University graduates’ reported earnings are $1,171 below that expectation, the 51st 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 Jacksonville 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.** +$7,550 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$8,721 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$1,171 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Jacksonville State University report the highest earnings? The earnings spread across programs at Jacksonville State University is wide, and the largest programs are not the highest-earning ones. Nursing awards 295 degrees a year, the most of any program, and graduates earn a median of $83,984 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #149 nationally in its field. The highest earnings belong to a much smaller program. Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians graduates earn $92,358, from 29 degrees awarded. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians follows at $90,850 with 21 degrees awarded. At the more moderate end, Liberal Arts and General Studies awards 106 degrees and posts median earnings of $42,864. Azimuth ranks it #178 nationally in its field. The largest program is Nursing, and the highest-earning program is Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians. Health Professions accounts for 27.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Business second at 13.5%. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 21 programs nationally. Nursing is the largest single program, at 295 degrees a year. Azimuth ranks it #149 within its field and #1 in Alabama. Graduates earn a median of $83,984 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, at $92,358, though it awards only 29 degrees a year. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians follows at $90,850 from 21 degrees awarded. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other** $92,358 **Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians** $90,850 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $83,984 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $79,129 **Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions** $71,420 **Finance and Financial Management Services** $70,025 **Accounting and Related Services** $62,589 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $56,874 [Explore Jacksonville State University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/jacksonville-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $43,449, a typical outcome of $55,318, and an upside of $84,983. The spread reflects the range of fields at the university. Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians reaches $92,358 four years after completion, while among the largest programs, Liberal Arts and General Studies sits at $42,864. Among 1,631 federally aided completers of Jacksonville State University who are working and not enrolled, the median earnings are $55,318 four years after completion. That figure currently falls at the 34th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median among comparable institutions (same type and size) is $57,301, which currently puts this university $1,983 below that benchmark. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from a downside of $43,449 to an upside of $84,983, with $55,318 as the typical estimate. That wide spread shows the variation tied to program choice. Based on the current program mix, an estimated 26.0% of graduates continue to graduate study. ## 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/).