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SelectiveReviewed for the 2026-2027 cycle

Alcorn State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in

Alcorn State University, a public university in Mississippi, reports a 45% acceptance rate and sits in the selective band. In practice that means it admits a minority of applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.

Your odds at Alcorn State University
Three numbers, no account, the same published model the full calculator runs.

Use this page to see what Alcorn State University weighs, where it ranks among Mississippi schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1020, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.

Acceptance rate
45%
Selective
SAT middle 50%
670-998
of admitted students
Type
Public
Alcorn State, MS
Average net price
$13,265
per year after aid

What do students study at Alcorn State University?

Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.

Biological and Biomedical Sciences · 107 (23.3%)Health Professions and Related Programs · 65 (14.1%)Liberal Arts and General Studies · 55 (12%)Agriculture and Agricultural Operations · 43 (9.3%)Psychology · 36 (7.8%)Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting · 23 (5%)Business, Management and Marketing · 23 (5%)Public Administration and Social Service · 20 (4.3%)Military Technologies · 18 (3.9%)Family and Consumer Sciences · 17 (3.7%)Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies · 14 (3%)Computer and Information Sciences · 12 (2.6%)

Will I get into Alcorn State University?

Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Alcorn State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.

What are my chances of getting into Alcorn State University?

Your odds at Alcorn State University are not the same as its 45% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Alcorn State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.

Is Alcorn State University hard to get into?

Alcorn State University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 45% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.

What GPA do you need to get into Alcorn State University?

There is no hard GPA cutoff at Alcorn State University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. Alcorn State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.

Calculate your chances at Alcorn State University →

Your chances at Alcorn State University by GPA and SAT

Estimated chance of admission at Alcorn State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).

What are my chances at Alcorn State University with a 3.5 GPA and a 830 SAT?

About 50% (Likely), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 830 SAT, the middle of Alcorn State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1000 SAT comes out near 82%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.

Estimated admission chance at Alcorn State University by unweighted GPA (rows) and SAT score (columns)
GPASAT 67025th pctSAT 830middleSAT 100075th pctNo testtest-optional
2.917%Reach22%Reach41%Target29%Target
3.228%Target34%Target56%Likely47%Likely
3.542%Target50%Likely71%Safety66%Likely
3.857%Likely64%Likely82%Safety80%Safety

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/alcorn-state-university.

How to get into Alcorn State University

Built from Alcorn State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.

There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Alcorn State University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.

Step 1
Match the typical admit on the transcript

CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Alcorn State University carries about a 3.51 core GPA and a 948 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.

Step 2
Decide on scores with the real range

The admitted middle 50% is 670 to 998 SAT (15 to 19 ACT). Scores are required, so schedule a retake if you are below the midpoint.

Step 3
Build the file around what Alcorn State University weighs

Alcorn State University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.

Step 4
Apply in the round that helps

Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Alcorn State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.alcorn.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.

See your odds and your top moves at Alcorn State University →Add it to your college list →Official site: www.alcorn.edu ↗

How many students apply to Alcorn State University, and how many get in?

Alcorn State University admitted 1,852 of the 7,511 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 24.7%. 505 enrolled. Only about 27% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Alcorn State University enrolls about 2,363 undergraduates in total, 67% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 to 1.

Applied
7,511
fall 2023
Admitted
1,852
24.7% of applicants
Enrolled
505
27% yield
Undergraduates
2,363
Alcorn State, remote rural

Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.

What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Alcorn State University?

Admitted students at Alcorn State University post SAT scores of 670 to 998 in the middle 50%, with an average of 904. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 15 to 19. A score above 998 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 670 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Alcorn State University requires test scores, so plan a test date that leaves time for one retake.

SAT middle 50%
670-998
average 904
ACT middle 50%
15-19
of admitted students
Test scores
Required
admissions policy

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.

What Alcorn State University looks for

What Alcorn State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.

The factors that carry the most weight at Alcorn State University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Alcorn State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.

Rigor of secondary school record
Very important
Academic GPA
Very important
Class rank
Important
Standardized test scores
Very important

SAT score positioning at Alcorn State University

How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.

SATWhere it sits at Alcorn State University
1600Above the admitted 75th percentile
1500Above the admitted 75th percentile
1400Above the admitted 75th percentile
1300Above the admitted 75th percentile
1200Above the admitted 75th percentile
1100Above the admitted 75th percentile
Colleges for a 1020 SAT →Colleges for a 19 ACT →See colleges by GPA →

How much does Alcorn State University cost after financial aid?

The full sticker price at Alcorn State University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $23,751 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $8,785. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,265 a year, and it ranges from $12,613 for families earning under $30,000 to $17,620 for families earning over $110,000. 70% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.

Sticker price
$23,751
per year, before aid
Average net price
$13,265
after grants and scholarships
In-state tuition
$8,785
$8,785 out of state
Pell recipients
70%
of undergraduates
Family incomeAverage net price per year
$0 to $30k$12,613
$30k to $48k$12,344
$48k to $75k$16,296
$75k to $110k$18,244
Over $110k$17,620

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.

What do Alcorn State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?

Median earnings for Alcorn State University students ten years after entry are $36,421 ($27,752 at the six-year mark). 57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $27,000; 67% of undergraduates take federal loans.

Median earnings
$36,421
10 years after entry
Graduation rate
57%
within six years
Retention
77%
return for year two
Median debt
$27,000
at graduation, borrowers

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.

How Alcorn State University compares in Mississippi

Alcorn State University ranks #3 most selective of 14 schools in Mississippi in our database.

Among the 14 Mississippi schools we track, Alcorn State University ranks #3 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Mississippi College (29%) and Millsaps College (43%) sit nearby, which makes Mississippi a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.

Mississippi College
29%acceptance · MS
Millsaps College
43%acceptance · MS
Rust College
49%acceptance · MS
Belhaven University
50%acceptance · MS
Tougaloo College
60%acceptance · MS
William Carey University
60%acceptance · MS
Mississippi State University
78%acceptance · MS
Blue Mountain Christian University
89%acceptance · MS
See all Mississippi schools →

Similar to Alcorn State University

Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.

Applicants targeting Alcorn State University often weigh Grambling State University, University of Maryland, and University of Wisconsin, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.

Grambling State University
45%acceptance · LA
University of Maryland
45%acceptance · MD
University of Wisconsin
45%acceptance · WI
Auburn University
46%acceptance · AL
Cal State Long Beach
46%acceptance · CA
Coppin State University
46%acceptance · MD

Frequently asked questions

What is Alcorn State University's acceptance rate?

Alcorn State University admitted 1,852 of 7,511 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 24.7% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 27% of admitted students enrolled.

What SAT score do you need for Alcorn State University?

The middle 50% of admitted students scored 670 to 998 on the SAT and 15 to 19 on the ACT. A score above 998 is in the top quarter of admits.

Is Alcorn State University test-optional?

No. Alcorn State University reports that test scores are required for admission.

How much does Alcorn State University cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Alcorn State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $13,265 a year against a sticker price of about $23,751. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $12,613 on average.

What do Alcorn State University graduates earn?

Median earnings ten years after entering Alcorn State University are $36,421 a year among students who received federal aid, and 57% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).

What does Alcorn State University value most in applicants?

Based on its admissions profile, Alcorn State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.

Does Alcorn State University favor in-state applicants?

As a public university, Alcorn State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.

How can I improve my chances at Alcorn State University?

Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Alcorn State University specifically.

Is Alcorn State University a target or a reach for an average applicant?

For an applicant whose GPA and scores sit near Alcorn State University's admitted range, it generally reads as a target rather than a reach. Run your exact profile through the free calculator to see your personal verdict.

Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.