JSU · Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment

Freshman Admission Requirements

For first-time college students preparing to apply to Jackson State University. High school course units required for admission are listed in JSU’s College Preparatory Curriculum PDF — the primary resource on this page.

See Course Requirements How To Apply

Welcome to JSU

What you need to prepare

Our Commitment

Jackson State University® maintains specific high school course requirements for first-time college students. This page directs you to the official College Preparatory Curriculum that lists all required high school course units.

Looking for the application process? This page covers requirements only. For the full step-by-step application and enrollment process, visit How To Apply as a Freshman.

Test-Optional Policy Notice

The published policy statement reads: “Jackson State University is test optional for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 academic years.”

Note: This is the most recent test-optional statement among JSU admissions pages — only about 1 year out of date. Most other main admissions pages show 2023-2024/2024-2025 (2 years stale), and the Requirements landing and Other Students pages show 2021-2022/2022-2023 (4-5 years stale). Please contact Undergraduate Admissions at 1-866-843-3578 to confirm the current policy.

Primary Requirement

High school course requirements

The following high school course units are required and must be listed on the transcript. The complete list of required units is published in JSU’s official College Preparatory Curriculum PDF.

Official Resource

College Preparatory Curriculum

The complete list of required high school course units for JSU freshman admission is published in this PDF. Review the curriculum with your high school counselor to ensure your transcript meets JSU’s requirements.

View High School Course Requirements PDF

Beginning With: This PDF is titled “HIGH SCHOOL COURSE REQUIREMENTS BEGINNING WITH STUDENTS ENTERING IN FALL 2022” — indicating these are the current requirements for students who began their college journey Fall 2022 or later.

Note on PDF Age

The linked PDF is dated May 2022 (approximately 4 years old). It may still be the current policy since college prep course requirements typically don’t change frequently, but please contact Undergraduate Admissions to confirm the current course requirements before finalizing your high school course plan.

Next Steps

Ready to apply?

Application Process

How To Apply as a Freshman

See the full 12-step application and enrollment process for first-time college students.

For Families

Parents and Families

Guide for parents helping students prepare for and apply to JSU.

Application Deadlines

Priority deadlines

Deadlines

Two schedules — Traditional and JSUOnline

Traditional Students

Priority Deadlines

Fall Semester August 21st
Spring Semester January 15th
First Summer Session May 27th
Second Summer Session June 26th

JSUOnline Students

Priority Deadlines

Spring – 1st 8 Weeks January 7th
Spring – 2nd 8 Weeks March 4th
Summer May 15th
Fall – 1st 8 Weeks August 20th
Fall – 2nd 8 Weeks October 11th

Get Started

Explore all student types

Not sure if you’re a freshman? Compare all six main admission pathways below to find where you fit.

Student Type

Freshman

You have never attended a college or university, or you attended a college or university for the first time in the prior summer term.

Student Type

Transfer

You are entering JSU for the first time, but previously attended another postsecondary institution.

Student Type

Readmit

You previously attended JSU, but did not attend during the previous fall or spring semester.

Student Type

International

You are a non-US Citizen seeking an undergraduate degree. This excludes students graduating (or transferring) from a college or high school in the US.

Student Type

JSUOnline

You are interested in online degree programs and general education courses which allow students to conveniently earn a quality education and work toward achieving long-term career goals.

Student Type

Other Student Types

Learn about admissions for transient, non-degree seeking, dually enrolled, homeschooled, GED, and post-baccalaureate students.

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