Tennessee Wesleyan University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Athens, Tennessee. It enrolls 846 students (a small, tight-knit 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
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes25
Value64
Affordability71
Selectivity44
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Tennessee Wesleyan University admits 68.9% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
68.9%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
19 – 23
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 Tennessee Wesleyan University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
2.0 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 $14,836 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
$30,814
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,458
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,458
Books & Supplies
$1,400
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$39,440
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
$11,609
$30,001 – $48,000
$11,088
$48,001 – $75,000
$12,647
$75,001 – $110,000
$16,043
Over $110,000
$18,980
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.
$3,59110%percentile
$6,25025%percentile
$20,000Medianpercentile
$24,50075%percentile
$31,00090%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 $14,773
↓ $5,227
No Pell $12,500
↓ $7,500
Dependent students $13,000
↓ $7,000
Independent students $18,750
↓ $1,250
Female students $15,000
↓ $5,000
Male students $11,250
↓ $8,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,750, less than completers ($20,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
34% of students who start here finish within six years, and 68% 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
68%
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 $45,989 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)
$45,989
Earning > $25K
76%
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
$42,900
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$45,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$40,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$42,500
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$47,400
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 ↑
16.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 81% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 846 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 41% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
846
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
41%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 74.0%626
International 7.0%59
Hispanic 6.5%55
Black 4.9%41
Other 2.8%24
Asian 1.2%10
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Tennessee Wesleyan University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Tennessee Wesleyan University offers
a varied set of programs:
33 distinct programs across
17 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 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$22M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$50,189
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
67 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
15
22%
$55,498
Associate Professors
15
22%
$51,557
Assistant Professors
33
49%
$48,440
Instructors
1
1%
$38,625
No Rank
3
4%
$39,900
Pros & Cons of Tennessee Wesleyan University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Tennessee Wesleyan 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
Best for:
Based on the data, Tennessee Wesleyan University is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tennessee Wesleyan University
The questions families ask most about Tennessee Wesleyan University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Tennessee Wesleyan University hard to get into?
Admissions at Tennessee Wesleyan University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 68.9%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Tennessee Wesleyan University?
68.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Tennessee Wesleyan University?
Aim for 23 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 19 and 23 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Tennessee Wesleyan University cost?
Budget around $14,836 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 Wesleyan University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,989 a year against a net price of $14,836, about 3.1 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 Wesleyan University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Business Administration, Rehabilitation. 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 Wesleyan University graduates earn?
About $45,989 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 Wesleyan University accredited?
Yes. Tennessee Wesleyan University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Tennessee Wesleyan University?
846 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 Tennessee Wesleyan 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 Wesleyan 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 Tennessee Wesleyan University located?
Tennessee Wesleyan University is located in Athens, Tennessee.
What programs does Tennessee Wesleyan University offer?
33 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Business Administration, Rehabilitation. 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 Wesleyan University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. 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.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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