More selective than 71% 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 $34,244. College Scorecard.
Higher than 69% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 55% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 11% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 14% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Johnson University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 610 applicants, Johnson University admitted 328 and 181 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 960–1110 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Johnson University 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 Johnson University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Johnson University took 4.1 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 | $17,246 | $70,709 | 11.6 years |
| $30–48k | $19,212 | $78,769 | 13.0 years |
| $48–75k | $23,206 | $95,145 | 15.7 years |
| $75–110k | $25,075 | $102,807 | 16.9 years |
| $110k+ | $24,860 | $101,926 | 16.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($40,596) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,078 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.
Johnson University majors, earnings & careers
Johnson University offers 30 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Education · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Business & Finance · 2
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 2
Highest-earning majors at Johnson University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Bible Studies | $39,600 | $24,375 |
Quick list of all 30 majors
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians—
- Bible Studies$39,600
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education—
- Business Administration—
- Communications—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Literature—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Music—
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Special Education—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— 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 →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Journalism → Reporter / journalist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 5.9% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Knoxville
Overall prices in the Knoxville, TN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,475. Housing costs 17% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Knox County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Knox County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Johnson University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson University | 65% | $22,063 | 57% | $40,596 | This school |
| Bryan College-Dayton | — | $20,614 | 50% | $54,434 | |
| Maryville College | 61% | $19,360 | 50% | $49,279 | |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University | 69% | $14,836 | 48% | $45,989 | |
| Welch College | — | $25,263 | 53% | $42,198 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Johnson University would cost you $1,449 more per year than Bryan College-Dayton, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Johnson University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$1,322).
- Johnson University gives aided families $1,525 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | Johnson University | Bryan College-Dayton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $21,122 | $19,800 | +$1,322 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,250 | −$50 |
| Housing & meals | $9,278 | $8,550 | +$728 |
| Personal & travel | $4,206 | $3,670 | +$536 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,562 | −$2,000 | +$438 |
| Sticker price | $34,244 | $31,270 | +$2,974 |
| Average grants | −$12,181 | −$10,656 | −$1,525 |
| You pay | $22,063 | $20,614 | +$1,449 |
“+” means Johnson University 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 Johnson University
What is the Johnson University acceptance rate?
Johnson University accepts 65% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 328 of 610 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 960–1110 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
How much does Johnson University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $34,244 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,063 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,246 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,860.
How much do Johnson University graduates earn?
Former Johnson University students earn a median $40,596 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Johnson University graduation rate?
57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 69% return for their second year.
How long does a Johnson University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Johnson University costs about $95,145 after grants ($23,206 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $40,596 ten years after starting, $6,078 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 15.7 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: “Johnson University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/johnson-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).