Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a public historically black university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is one of the largest HBCUs in the United States and the fourth largest university in Mississippi. The university is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". Jackson State University's athletic teams, the Tigers, participate in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The university is also the home of the Sonic Boom of the South, a marching band founded in the 1940s. Their accompanying danceline, the Prancing J-Settes, are well known for their unique style of dance, known as J-Setting.

Jackson State University is a public institution that was founded in 1877. It has a Urban setting, and the campus size is 220 acres.