Tennessee State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Nashville, Tennessee. It enrolls 4,848 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
57/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes7
Value50
Affordability78
Selectivity35
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Tennessee State University admits 70.1% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
70.1%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
880 – 1050
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
16 – 21
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyRequiredSAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.
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 $15,796 a year on average, it sits below what public 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 (in-state)
$8,616
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$22,416
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,150
Room & Board (off-campus)
$18,456
Books & Supplies
$1,600
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,811
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,494
Total Cost of Attendance
$25,637
Application fee: $25 (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
$15,005
$30,001 – $48,000
$15,840
$48,001 – $75,000
$15,579
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,624
Over $110,000
$20,099
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.
$3,50010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$30,31975%percentile
$44,78390%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 $18,750
↓ $8,250
No Pell $13,000
↓ $14,000
Dependent students $17,500
↓ $9,500
Independent students $17,250
↓ $9,750
Female students $18,327
↓ $8,673
Male students $15,750
↓ $11,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
34% of students who start here finish within six years, and 52% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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
34%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
52%
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 $42,730 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)
$42,730
Earning > $25K
70%
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
$38,800
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$41,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$36,000
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$42,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$42,900
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
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 ↑
21.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 59% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 4,848 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 37% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
4,848
Part-Time
8%
First-Generation
37%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Black 85.1%4,123
White 4.4%212
Hispanic 3.1%148
Other 2.8%135
International 2.3%109
Asian 0.6%28
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Tennessee State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Tennessee State University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
70 distinct programs across
22 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 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$15,538
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$100M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$77,338
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
374 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
100
27%
$96,326
Associate Professors
106
28%
$79,421
Assistant Professors
130
35%
$71,218
Instructors
34
9%
$41,910
No Rank
4
1%
$47,414
Pros & Cons of Tennessee State University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Tennessee State 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 Tennessee State University
The questions families ask most about Tennessee State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Tennessee State University hard to get into?
Admissions at Tennessee State University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 70.1%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Tennessee State University?
70.1% 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 Tennessee State University?
Aim for 1050 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 880 and 1050 (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 Tennessee State University?
Aim for 21 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 16 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 Tennessee State University cost?
Budget around $15,796 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 Tennessee State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $42,730 a year against a net price of $15,796, about 2.7 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 Tennessee State University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Educational Administration, Communication & Media. 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 Tennessee State University graduates earn?
About $42,730 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 Tennessee State University accredited?
Yes. Tennessee State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Tennessee State University?
4,848 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Tennessee State University?
34% 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 Tennessee State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Tennessee State University located?
Tennessee State University is located in Nashville, Tennessee.
What programs does Tennessee State University offer?
70 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Educational Administration, Communication & Media. 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 Tennessee State University?
13 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.
Business Administration
Management Sciences
Experimental Psychology
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