Delta State University

Cleveland, Mississippi · Public · 4-year · Town

At a glance

Average net price: $13,540What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 100%
Graduation rate: 47%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 1,620
In-state tuition: $8,605Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $8,605
SAT midpoint: 1,070
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $41,991Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$13,540

3/5

Better than 59% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).

Completion

47%

2/5

Better than 37% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).

Earnings

$41,991

1/5

Better than 9% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).

Debt at graduation

$20,390

3/5

Better than 58% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$22,445

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$13,540

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Delta State University
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	47%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	67%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$20,390
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$41,991

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Delta State University by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$68,221	46
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$39,008	40
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$34,177	52
Air Transportation	$32,537	23
Business/Commerce, General	$30,953	24
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General	$28,918	25
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	$25,415	9
Visual and Performing Arts, General	$24,839	16
Biology, General	$20,823	34
Psychology, General	$18,767	21
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Not reported	20
Social Work	Not reported	15
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	Not reported	13
Marketing	Not reported	13
Criminal Justice and Corrections	Not reported	10
Business Administration, Management and Operations	Not reported	10
Geography and Cartography	Not reported	9
Biological and Physical Sciences	Not reported	8
Health and Medical Administrative Services	Not reported	7
Management Information Systems and Services	Not reported	6
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	Not reported	5
Accounting and Related Services	Not reported	5
Mathematics	Not reported	4
Music	Not reported	4
English Language and Literature, General	Not reported	3
Finance and Financial Management Services	Not reported	3
History	Not reported	3
Chemistry	Not reported	3
Political Science and Government	Not reported	Not reported
Science Technologies/Technicians, Other	Not reported	Not reported
Social Sciences, General	Not reported	Not reported
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	Not reported	Not reported

All 32 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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