# Tennessee State University

Public college in Nashville, TN. IPEDS ID 221838.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/tennessee-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/tennessee-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 70% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $15,796 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 34%; beats 11% of TN colleges and 17% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $42,730; beats 16% of TN colleges and 19% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $17,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $15,005 |
| 30-48k | $15,840 |
| 48-75k | $15,579 |
| 75-110k | $20,624 |
| 110k+ | $20,099 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.43 years on average (21% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $42,730 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $25,637 in-state; about $39,437 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $8,616 in-state, $22,416 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $10,120; books: $1,600

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 460–540; SAT math: 420–510; ACT: 16–21 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 12,890 applicants, 11,940 admitted, 1,770 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 70%, ACT 16–21 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 93%, ACT 16–21 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (34 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $65,331 | $92,380 | $31,000 |
| Accounting | $53,620 | $69,414 | $29,250 |
| Computer Science | $50,628 | $67,292 | $27,724 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $48,894 | $63,629 | not reported |
| Biology | $30,672 | $59,855 | $29,375 |
| Business Administration | $40,077 | $57,083 | $30,875 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $37,716 | $54,249 | $38,562 |
| Political Science | $35,206 | $54,008 | $27,000 |
| Music | $23,868 | $53,483 | not reported |
| Health Administration | $38,134 | $53,231 | $27,000 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $33,862 | $48,365 | $29,384 |
| Sociology | $34,884 | $47,853 | $37,500 |
| Psychology | $30,735 | $46,721 | $27,500 |
| Criminal Justice | $32,555 | $46,062 | $28,001 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $34,756 | $45,886 | $29,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $24,722 | $45,568 | $31,000 |
| Social Work | $29,449 | $44,989 | $31,500 |
| Communications | $25,140 | $43,121 | $30,625 |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | $32,793 | $42,524 | $30,099 |
| Agriculture | $34,255 | $42,503 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | not reported | $36,332 | not reported |
| Architectural Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Civil Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | $58,828 | not reported | not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Urban Studies / Affairs | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $102,640 (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN), $99,260 (TN), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Criminal Justice → Police officer: median wage $68,780 (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN), $59,280 (TN), $76,210 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).