SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville is a private for-profit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Nashville, Tennessee. It enrolls 1,712 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.
AccreditorAccrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
Academic CalendarOther Academic Year
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 Open / Online), 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.
Fair
55/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes43
Value18
Affordability49
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
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 $24,700 a year on average, it sits in line with what private for-profit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. 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
$17,514
Room & Board (off-campus)
$26,886
Books & Supplies
$1,399
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,240
Total Cost of Attendance
$29,991
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
$23,154
$30,001 – $48,000
$24,394
$48,001 – $75,000
$25,089
$75,001 – $110,000
$27,006
Over $110,000
$27,402
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.
$3,16710%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$9,500Medianpercentile
$19,85075%percentile
$20,00090%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 $9,487
—
No Pell $8,750
↓ $750
Dependent students $5,500
↓ $4,000
Independent students $9,500
—
Female students $9,500
—
Male students $7,500
↓ $2,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $4,750, less than completers ($9,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
55% of students who start here finish within six years, and 50% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
55%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
50%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $39,544 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)
$39,544
Earning > $25K
63%
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.
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 ↑
13.3 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 64% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,712 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 34% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,712
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
34%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 59.5%1,018
Hispanic 15.7%269
White 13.6%232
Other 7.5%128
Asian 1.3%23
International 0.1%2
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville offers
a focused set of programs:
6 distinct programs across
2 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 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$40,442
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
13 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors
13
100%
$40,442
Pros & Cons of SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville
No college is right for everyone. Here is where SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions about SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville
The questions families ask most about SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
How much does SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville cost?
Budget around $24,700 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 SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $39,544 a year against a net price of $24,700, about 1.6 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 SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville known for?
Mostly Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Arts Therapy. 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 SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville graduates earn?
About $39,544 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 SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville accredited?
Yes. SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
How many students attend SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville?
1,712 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 SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville?
55% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville located?
SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville is located in Nashville, Tennessee.
What programs does SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville offer?
6 different programs, most commonly Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Arts Therapy. 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 SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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