Bethel University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in McKenzie, Tennessee. It enrolls 1,547 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
62/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes8
Value80
Affordability66
Selectivity39
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Bethel University admits 60.2% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
60.2%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
830 – 1120
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
15 – 21
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Bethel University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
6.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $12,595 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$18,712
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,538
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,537
Books & Supplies
$1,295
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,920
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,920
Total Cost of Attendance
$31,203
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$11,871
$30,001 – $48,000
$17,356
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,713
$75,001 – $110,000
$10,473
Over $110,000
$15,163
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$27,249Medianpercentile
$30,58375%percentile
$44,27090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $17,250
↓ $9,999
No Pell $15,507
↓ $11,742
Dependent students $11,000
↓ $16,249
Independent students $20,894
↓ $6,355
Female students $18,524
↓ $8,725
Male students $15,250
↓ $11,999
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,952, less than completers ($27,249), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
19% of students who start here finish within six years, and 56% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
19%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
56%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $47,482 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$47,482
Earning > $25K
75%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$38,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$49,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$32,400
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$43,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$55,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,100, about 23% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
13.8 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 63% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,547 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 51% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,547
Part-Time
5%
First-Generation
51%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 50.5%781
Black 28.2%436
Hispanic 6.5%101
International 5.2%81
Other 4.3%67
Asian 0.9%14
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Bethel University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Bethel University offers
a varied set of programs:
28 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$40M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$27,499
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
154 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
24
16%
$44,612
Associate Professors
34
22%
$39,213
Assistant Professors
30
19%
$34,402
Instructors
5
3%
$17,700
Lecturers
61
40%
$11,646
Pros & Cons of Bethel University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Bethel University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Frequently Asked Questions about Bethel University
The questions families ask most about Bethel University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Bethel University hard to get into?
Admissions at Bethel University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 60.2%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Bethel University?
60.2% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Bethel University?
Aim for 1120 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 830 and 1120 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Bethel University?
Aim for 21 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 15 and 21 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Bethel University cost?
Budget around $12,595 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bethel University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $47,482 a year against a net price of $12,595, about 3.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Bethel University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Allied Health Diagnostic, Business. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Bethel University graduates earn?
About $47,482 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Bethel University accredited?
Yes. Bethel University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Bethel University?
1,547 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Bethel University?
19% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Bethel University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Bethel University located?
Bethel University is located in McKenzie, Tennessee.
What programs does Bethel University offer?
28 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Allied Health Diagnostic, Business. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Bethel University?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Tennessee
Other colleges in Tennessee share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Medicine
Allied Health Diagnostic
Veterinary Medicine
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