More selective than 24% of Tennessee colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $48,038. College Scorecard.
Higher than 67% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 52% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 79% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 63% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
CBU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,105 applicants, Christian Brothers University admitted 977 and 200 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1020–1380 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
CBU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What CBU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Christian Brothers University took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Tennessee. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,466 | $41,082 | 1.8 years |
| $30–48k | $11,657 | $50,591 | 2.2 years |
| $48–75k | $10,023 | $43,500 | 1.9 years |
| $75–110k | $12,839 | $55,721 | 2.4 years |
| $110k+ | $5,843 | $25,359 | 1.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (41% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($57,478) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,960 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
CBU majors, earnings & careers
Christian Brothers University offers 58 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 11
- Engineering · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Science & Math · 9
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Education · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Arts & Design · 2
Highest-earning majors at CBU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $92,007 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,285 | $27,000 |
| Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) | $64,897 | $46,000 |
| Business | $59,892 | $49,125 |
| Business Administration | $54,090 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $50,180 | $27,000 |
| Natural Sciences | $36,429 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 58 majors
- Accounting—
- Biochemical Engineering—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business$59,892
- Business / Corporate Communications—
- Business Administration$54,090
- Chemical Engineering—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science—
- Construction Management—
- Criminal Justice—
- Data Analytics—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Mechanical Engineering$85,285
- Natural Sciences$36,429
- Nursing$92,007
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Psychology$50,180
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$64,897
- Public Health—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Memphis
Overall prices in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,301. Housing costs 20% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 55 inches of rain a year, 3 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Shelby County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Shelby County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare CBU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Tennessee by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Brothers University | 87% | $9,854 | 55% | $57,478 | This school |
| Carson-Newman University | 90% | $20,251 | 53% | $48,382 | |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | 82% | $11,212 | 40% | $72,529 | |
| King University | 100% | $22,347 | 48% | $59,831 | |
| Milligan University | 72% | $21,365 | 63% | $46,641 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Christian Brothers University would cost you $10,397 less per year than Carson-Newman University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Christian Brothers University, mostly from more Christian Brothers University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$3,115).
- Christian Brothers University gives aided families $9,411 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | CBU | Carson-Newman University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $38,420 | $34,700 | +$3,720 |
| Books & supplies | $1,393 | $1,600 | −$207 |
| Housing & meals | $10,731 | $10,507 | +$224 |
| Personal & travel | $2,128 | $3,736 | −$1,608 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,634 | −$1,519 | −$3,115 |
| Sticker price | $48,038 | $49,024 | −$986 |
| Average grants | −$38,184 | −$28,773 | −$9,411 |
| You pay | $9,854 | $20,251 | −$10,397 |
“+” means CBU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about CBU
What is the CBU acceptance rate?
Christian Brothers University accepts 87% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 977 of 1,105 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1020–1380 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
How much does Christian Brothers University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $48,038 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $9,854 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,466 and families earning $110k+ pay $5,843.
How much do CBU graduates earn?
Former Christian Brothers University students earn a median $57,478 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the CBU graduation rate?
55% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 75% return for their second year.
How long does a CBU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Christian Brothers University costs about $43,500 after grants ($10,023 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $57,478 ten years after starting, $22,960 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 1.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Christian Brothers University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/christian-brothers-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).