Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a public, historically black university in Jackson, Mississippi. The university is one of the largest HBCUs in the United States and the fourth largest university in Mississippi.

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The university is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, Jackson State University is classified as a research university with high research activity.

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Jackson State University's athletic teams, the Tigers, participate in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the SWAC. The university is 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.