More selective than 26% 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 $27,042. College Scorecard.
Higher than 56% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 48% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 29% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 25% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
ETSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 9,903 applicants, East Tennessee State University admitted 8,622 and 2,141 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1200 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
ETSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Tennessee residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What ETSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of East Tennessee State University took 4.4 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 | $12,433 | $54,457 | 5.3 years |
| $30–48k | $14,289 | $62,586 | 6.1 years |
| $48–75k | $16,400 | $71,832 | 6.9 years |
| $75–110k | $20,588 | $90,175 | 8.7 years |
| $110k+ | $21,193 | $92,825 | 9.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (34% 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 ($44,859) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,341 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.
ETSU majors, earnings & careers
East Tennessee State University offers 51 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Business & Finance · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Engineering · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at ETSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $106,593 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $82,073 | $24,669 |
| Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $75,298 | $27,000 |
| Nursing | $74,311 | $25,091 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $65,649 | $15,687 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $62,853 | $24,568 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $60,298 | $20,500 |
| Marketing | $58,583 | $21,819 |
Quick list of all 51 majors
- Accounting$57,642
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$62,853
- Anthropology—
- Biology$57,167
- Business Administration$55,719
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$41,570
- Computer and Information Sciences$82,073
- Criminal Justice$43,998
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$65,649
- Dietetics—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$43,687
- Engineering—
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians$75,298
- Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians—
- English$43,001
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$58,232
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$41,449
- Graphic Communications$41,074
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$60,298
- History$44,142
- Human Development and Family Studies$43,051
- Human Services$40,288
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$47,821
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$44,738
- Linguistics—
- Marketing$58,583
- Mathematics$49,423
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Music$35,707
- Nursing$74,311
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$106,593
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$48,452
- Psychology$42,358
- Public Health$52,543
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Work$43,855
- Sociology$36,966
- Special Education$44,224
- Studio Art$34,516
- Theatre$28,062
- Writing$48,263
— 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
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
Living in Johnson City
Overall prices in the Johnson City, TN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,211. Housing costs 37% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 6 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Washington County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Washington County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare ETSU with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Tennessee State University | 86% | $15,983 | 53% | $44,859 | This school |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | 81% | $14,265 | 50% | $51,151 | |
| Tennessee Technological University | 76% | $14,246 | 58% | $48,501 | |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin | 88% | $10,701 | 53% | $44,213 | |
| University of Memphis | 72% | $12,397 | 51% | $48,458 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
East Tennessee State University would cost you $1,718 more per year than The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, on average.
- Higher sticker price at East Tennessee State University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$1,980).
- The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga gives aided families $165 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | ETSU | UTC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,472 | $10,448 | +$24 |
| Books & supplies | $1,350 | $1,400 | −$50 |
| Housing & meals | $10,270 | $10,052 | +$218 |
| Personal & travel | $6,930 | $4,950 | +$1,980 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,980 | −$1,361 | −$619 |
| Sticker price | $27,042 | $25,489 | +$1,553 |
| Average grants | −$11,059 | −$11,224 | +$165 |
| You pay | $15,983 | $14,265 | +$1,718 |
“+” means ETSU 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 ETSU
What is the ETSU acceptance rate?
East Tennessee State University accepts 86% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,622 of 9,903 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1200 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT.
How much does East Tennessee State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,042 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,983 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,433 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,193.
How much do ETSU graduates earn?
Former East Tennessee State University students earn a median $44,859 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the ETSU graduation rate?
53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a ETSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at East Tennessee State University costs about $71,832 after grants ($16,400 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $44,859 ten years after starting, $10,341 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 6.9 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: “East Tennessee State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/east-tennessee-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).