More selective than 50% 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 $25,637. College Scorecard.
Higher than 11% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 17% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 16% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 19% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Tennessee State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 12,890 applicants, Tennessee State University admitted 11,940 and 1,770 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1050 on the SAT or 16–21 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Tennessee State University 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 Tennessee State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of 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 | $15,005 | $66,472 | 8.1 years |
| $30–48k | $15,840 | $70,171 | 8.5 years |
| $48–75k | $15,579 | $69,015 | 8.4 years |
| $75–110k | $20,624 | $91,364 | 11.1 years |
| $110k+ | $20,099 | $89,039 | 10.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (21% 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 ($42,730) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,212 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.
Tennessee State University majors, earnings & careers
Tennessee State University offers 34 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Engineering · 5
- Science & Math · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Tennessee State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $92,380 | $31,000 |
| Accounting | $69,414 | $29,250 |
| Computer Science | $67,292 | $27,724 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $63,629 | — |
| Biology | $59,855 | $29,375 |
| Business Administration | $57,083 | $30,875 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $54,249 | $38,562 |
| Political Science | $54,008 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 34 majors
- Accounting$69,414
- Agriculture$42,503
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$63,629
- Architectural Engineering—
- Biology$59,855
- Business Administration$57,083
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Communications$43,121
- Computer Science$67,292
- Criminal Justice$46,062
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,886
- Electrical Engineering—
- English—
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$42,524
- Health Administration$53,231
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$48,365
- History—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$45,568
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$54,249
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians—
- Music$53,483
- Nursing$92,380
- Political Science$54,008
- Psychology$46,721
- Public Health—
- Social Work$44,989
- Sociology$47,853
- Studio Art$36,332
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
— 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
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% 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. 55 inches of rain a year, 5 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Davidson County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Davidson County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Tennessee State University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State University | 70% | $15,796 | 34% | $42,730 | This school |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin | 88% | $10,701 | 53% | $44,213 | |
| The University of Tennessee Southern | 87% | $12,798 | 37% | $38,924 | |
| Tennessee Technological University | 76% | $14,246 | 58% | $48,501 | |
| Austin Peay State University | 96% | $9,735 | 40% | $44,301 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Tennessee State University would cost you $5,095 more per year than The University of Tennessee-Martin, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Tennessee State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,840).
- The University of Tennessee-Martin gives aided families $2,537 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | Tennessee State University | The University of Tennessee-Martin | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,616 | $10,560 | −$1,944 |
| Books & supplies | $1,600 | $1,500 | +$100 |
| Housing & meals | $10,120 | $7,280 | +$2,840 |
| Personal & travel | $5,580 | $4,600 | +$980 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$279 | −$861 | +$582 |
| Sticker price | $25,637 | $23,079 | +$2,558 |
| Average grants | −$9,841 | −$12,378 | +$2,537 |
| You pay | $15,796 | $10,701 | +$5,095 |
“+” means Tennessee State 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 Tennessee State University
What is the Tennessee State University acceptance rate?
Tennessee State University accepts 70% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 11,940 of 12,890 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1050 on the SAT or 16–21 on the ACT.
How much does Tennessee State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,637 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,796 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,005 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,099.
How much do Tennessee State University graduates earn?
Former Tennessee State University students earn a median $42,730 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Tennessee State University graduation rate?
34% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 34% return for their second year.
How long does a Tennessee State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Tennessee State University costs about $69,015 after grants ($15,579 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $42,730 ten years after starting, $8,212 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 8.4 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: “Tennessee State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/tennessee-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).