More selective than 65% 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 $43,358. College Scorecard.
Higher than 25% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 34% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 82% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 64% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
CU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,788 applicants, Cumberland University admitted 1,868 and 673 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
CU 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 CU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Cumberland 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 | $17,882 | $77,250 | 3.3 years |
| $30–48k | $18,048 | $77,967 | 3.4 years |
| $48–75k | $19,609 | $84,711 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $20,333 | $87,839 | 3.8 years |
| $110k+ | $20,917 | $90,361 | 3.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (30% 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 ($57,687) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,169 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.
CU majors, earnings & careers
Cumberland University offers 34 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 6
- Business & Finance · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at CU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $78,954 | $29,250 |
| Business Administration | $60,477 | $19,297 |
| Accounting | $51,366 | — |
| Criminal Justice | $51,032 | — |
| Psychology | $42,713 | $22,437 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $41,369 | — |
Quick list of all 34 majors
- Accounting$51,366
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biology—
- Business—
- Business Administration$60,477
- Chemistry—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$51,032
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$41,369
- English—
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,954
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$42,713
- Social Sciences—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Nashville
Overall prices in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,798. Housing costs 5% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 54 inches of rain a year, 1 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Wilson County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Wilson County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare CU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland University | 67% | $18,759 | 46% | $57,687 | This school |
| Southern Adventist University | 66% | $24,345 | 49% | $53,723 | |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | 69% | $16,813 | 53% | $49,378 | |
| Lincoln Memorial University | 63% | $20,406 | 50% | $49,956 | |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University | 69% | $14,836 | 48% | $45,989 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Cumberland University would cost you $5,586 less per year than Southern Adventist University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Cumberland University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,900).
- Cumberland University gives aided families $10,326 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | CU | Southern Adventist University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $27,840 | $27,300 | +$540 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,100 | +$100 |
| Housing & meals | $10,360 | $8,460 | +$1,900 |
| Personal & travel | $5,340 | $4,350 | +$990 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,382 | −$2,592 | +$1,210 |
| Sticker price | $43,358 | $38,618 | +$4,740 |
| Average grants | −$24,599 | −$14,273 | −$10,326 |
| You pay | $18,759 | $24,345 | −$5,586 |
“+” means CU 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 CU
What is the CU acceptance rate?
Cumberland University accepts 67% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,868 of 2,788 applicants were admitted.
How much does Cumberland University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $43,358 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,759 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,882 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,917.
How much do CU graduates earn?
Former Cumberland University students earn a median $57,687 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the CU graduation rate?
46% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 59% return for their second year.
How long does a CU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Cumberland University costs about $84,711 after grants ($19,609 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $57,687 ten years after starting, $23,169 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 3.7 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: “Cumberland University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cumberland-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).