The University of Tennessee Southern is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Pulaski, Tennessee. It enrolls 864 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
61/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes21
Value63
Affordability71
Selectivity26
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
The University of Tennessee Southern admits 86.7% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
86.7%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
905 – 1110
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
18 – 24
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyRequiredSAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether The University of Tennessee Southern is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
16.0 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 $12,798 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
$10,924
Room & Board (on-campus)
$8,300
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,500
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,595
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,595
Total Cost of Attendance
$24,750
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
$9,335
$30,001 – $48,000
$12,071
$48,001 – $75,000
$15,343
$75,001 – $110,000
$17,336
Over $110,000
$17,135
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
$21,500Medianpercentile
$24,77575%percentile
$34,24590%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 $11,000
↓ $10,500
No Pell $12,000
↓ $9,500
Dependent students $11,500
↓ $10,000
Independent students $9,500
↓ $12,000
Female students $14,000
↓ $7,500
Male students $8,250
↓ $13,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($21,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
35% of students who start here finish within six years, and 70% 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
35%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
70%
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 $38,924 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)
$38,924
Earning > $25K
64%
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
$31,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$44,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$30,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$37,600
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$44,000
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,900, about 29% 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 ↑
12.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 71% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 864 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 41% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
864
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
41%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 75.0%648
International 8.3%72
Hispanic 5.9%51
Black 5.3%46
Other 3.1%27
Asian 0.7%6
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at The University of Tennessee Southern. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
The University of Tennessee Southern offers
a varied set of programs:
19 distinct programs across
11 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
$7,140
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$699,686
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$59,976
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
54 instructional faculty across 4 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
10
19%
$65,568
Associate Professors
12
22%
$61,867
Assistant Professors
20
37%
$59,368
Instructors
12
22%
$54,439
Pros & Cons of The University of Tennessee Southern
No college is right for everyone. Here is where The University of Tennessee Southern 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
Modest first-year retention
Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for:
Based on the data, The University of Tennessee Southern is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about The University of Tennessee Southern
The questions families ask most about The University of Tennessee Southern, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is The University of Tennessee Southern hard to get into?
Not especially. The University of Tennessee Southern admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 86.7%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at The University of Tennessee Southern?
86.7% 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 The University of Tennessee Southern?
Aim for 1110 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 905 and 1110 (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 The University of Tennessee Southern?
Aim for 24 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 18 and 24 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does The University of Tennessee Southern cost?
Budget around $12,798 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 The University of Tennessee Southern worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,924 a year against a net price of $12,798, about 3.0 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 The University of Tennessee Southern known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. 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 The University of Tennessee Southern graduates earn?
About $38,924 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 The University of Tennessee Southern accredited?
Yes. The University of Tennessee Southern is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend The University of Tennessee Southern?
864 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 The University of Tennessee Southern?
35% 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 The University of Tennessee Southern a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is The University of Tennessee Southern located?
The University of Tennessee Southern is located in Pulaski, Tennessee.
What programs does The University of Tennessee Southern offer?
19 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. 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 The University of Tennessee Southern?
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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