10-yr median earnings
$42,730
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a public institution in Nashville, Tennessee. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $15,796
- Avg net price / yr
- $42,730
- 10-yr median earnings
- 33.5%
- 150%-time completion
- 70.1%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
Tennessee State University pairs above-median former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 45%
- former-student earnings, US
- 70.1%
- acceptance rate
- 33.5%
- 150%-time completion
- +25%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: R2
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Tennessee State University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
F
College Value Score
33/100
Tennessee State University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings C-
$42,730
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C
$15,796
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
33.5%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$27,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment F
48.7%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
33.5%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$15,796
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
33.5%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 33.5%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Tennessee State University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Tennessee State University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Tennessee State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$42,730 Top 45% higher than 55% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Tennessee State University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $42,730 | #2271 of 5103 | 55th |
| Average net price | $15,796 | #2242 of 5020 | 55th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 33.5% | #4066 of 4858 | 16th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,848 | #770 of 5462 | 86th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
4,848
Undergraduate enrollment
70.1%
Acceptance rate
1,000
SAT average
33.5%
150%-time completion
$42,730
10-yr median earnings
33.5%
First-year retention
How Tennessee State University ranks in Tennessee
State rank among 120 reporting Tennessee colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Tennessee State University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $42,730 | #41 of 120 | 66th |
| Average net price | $15,796 | #66 of 124 | 47th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 33.5% | #102 of 117 | 13th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,848 | #17 of 130 | 87th |
Highest former-student earnings in Tennessee
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University | $91,565 | $15,846 |
| 2 | Baptist Health Sciences University | $72,529 | $11,212 |
| 3 | Rhodes College | $66,651 | $28,585 |
| 4 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | $66,318 | - |
| 5 | Jersey College - Cleveland | $66,087 | - |
| 6 | Jersey College - Knoxville | $66,087 | - |
| 7 | The University of the South | $64,911 | $27,872 |
| 8 | Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting | $62,978 | - |
| 9 | Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus | $61,480 | $27,267 |
| 10 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $60,249 | $18,976 |
| 11 | King University | $59,831 | $22,347 |
| 12 | Cumberland University | $57,687 | $18,759 |
| 41 | Tennessee State UniversityThis school | $42,730 | $15,796 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 70.1% |
| SAT Average | 1,000 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 420 – 510 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 460 – 540 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 16 – 21 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Tennessee State University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$15,005 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$15,840 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$15,579 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$20,099 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Tennessee State University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $8,616 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $22,416 |
| Average Net Price | $15,796 |
51.1%
Pell Grant Rate
46.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$27,000
Median Debt
$286/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Tennessee State University swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $9,603 to $12,494 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +4.4%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$9,603
Highest year
$12,494
Most recent (2023)
$10,026
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $9,6032023 · $10,026
Over the same years, enrollment went -2.6% (6,669 → 6,498 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
66.1%
Female
37.4%
First Generation
Outcomes
33.5%
Retention Rate
$34,160
Median Earnings (6yr)
55.7%
Earning Over $25K
48.7%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 33.5% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 33.5% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $34,160 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $42,730 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 55.7% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 48.7% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $286/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 27 | 734 | $53,074 | $92,380 | $26,675 |
| Master's | 10 | 180 | $77,998 | $115,908 | $39,052 |
| Associate's | 2 | 19 | $73,857 | $90,985 | $16,215 |
| Doctoral | 2 | 6 | $82,654 | $82,654 | $77,348 |
Top programs at Tennessee State University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$115,908 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$92,380 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$90,985 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$87,602 median earnings
- Rehabilitation and Therape…
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
$82,654 median earnings
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$69,414 median earnings
- Rehabilitation and Therape…
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
$69,241 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$67,292 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, CO
$15,788 net price · $8 apart
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg, KS
$15,784 net price · $12 apart
Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD
$15,812 net price · $16 apart
Charter Oak State College
New Britain, CT
$15,815 net price · $19 apart
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Tennessee State University? ▼
Tennessee State University is a public institution in Nashville, Tennessee. The acceptance rate is 70.1%. The average SAT score is 1,000. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,848 students.
How much do Tennessee State University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Tennessee State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $42,730 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $34,160.
How much does Tennessee State University cost? ▼
The average net price at Tennessee State University is $15,796. In-state tuition is $8,616 and out-of-state tuition is $22,416. Median student debt at graduation is $27,000.
What is the graduation rate at Tennessee State University? ▼
Tennessee State University has a 33.5% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 33.5%.
Is Tennessee State University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Tennessee State University is $27,000, while former students earn a median of $42,730 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 63% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 48.7% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $286.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Tennessee State University
- Compare Tennessee State University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Tennessee side by side.Browse Tennessee
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.