Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN · Public · offers Graduate degrees
70%Acceptance rate
$15,796Average net price / year
34%Graduation rate
$42,730Median earnings 10 yrs after entry
$27,000Median debt at graduation
4,848Undergraduates
Cost
- In-state tuition & fees
- $8,616
- Out-of-state tuition
- $22,416
- Total cost of attendance
- $25,637
- Room & board
- $11,150
- Books & supplies
- $1,600
- Average net price
- $15,796
Net price by family income
- $0–30k
- $15,005
- $30–48k
- $15,840
- $48–75k
- $15,579
- $75–110k
- $20,624
- $110k+
- $20,099
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 70.1%
- Average SAT
- 1000
- SAT reading (25–75%)
- 460–540
- SAT math (25–75%)
- 420–510
- ACT composite (25–75%)
- 16–21
Outcomes
- Graduation rate
- 34%
- First-year retention
- 34%
- Median earnings (6 yrs)
- $34,160
- Median earnings (10 yrs)
- $42,730
- Median debt (graduates)
- $27,000
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0.0%
- Students with Pell grants
- 51%
- Students with federal loans
- 46%
Programs: what graduates earn
35 of 84 programs have published earnings or debt data. Earnings are median salaries of graduates one year after completing the program (or the latest available year).
Associate's degree
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 20 | $44,192 | $16,215 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | — | $60,516 | — |
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 7 | $96,748 | $50,468 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 33 | $73,800 | $26,500 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 30 | $61,651 | $41,000 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 19 | $51,545 | $41,000 |
| Social Work | 17 | $48,480 | $36,290 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 11 | $44,988 | — |
| Public Administration | 36 | $67,505 | — |
| Psychology, General | 9 | $58,546 | — |
Doctoral degree
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | — | $73,220 | $77,348 |
| Psychology, General | 14 | $61,060 | — |
Students
- Undergraduates
- 4,848
- Graduate students
- 1,537
- Part-time
- 8%
- Women / men
- 65% / 35%
- White
- 4%
- Hispanic
- 3%
- Black
- 85%
- Asian
- 1%
- International
- 2%
Faculty & school
- Student–faculty ratio
- 13:1
- Avg faculty salary
- $78,588 / year
- Full-time faculty
- 77%
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Website
- www.tnstate.edu
- Also known as
- NA
Most popular fields
- Agriculture – 5% of degrees
- Communication & Journalism – 6% of degrees
- Education – 4% of degrees
- Engineering – 6% of degrees
- Biological Sciences – 7% of degrees
- Parks, Recreation & Fitness – 6% of degrees
Frequently asked questions
What is the acceptance rate at Tennessee State University?
70.1% of applicants were admitted, and admitted students averaged 1000 on the SAT.
How much does Tennessee State University cost?
The average net price after grants is $15,796 per year; in-state tuition and fees are $8,616 and the full cost of attendance is $25,637.
How much do Tennessee State University graduates earn?
Students who enrolled earn a median of $42,730 ten years later. See the program table above for salaries by major.
What is the graduation rate?
34% of first-time, full-time students graduate within 150% of normal time.
Other colleges in Nashville
| College | Net price | Acceptance | Graduation | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit · 7,208 students |
$15,846 | 6% | 94% | $91,565 |
| Belmont University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit · 7,137 students |
$33,147 | 95% | 71% | $55,930 |
| Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN · Public · 5,653 students |
$6,777 | — | 18% | $38,519 |
| Lipscomb University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit · 2,997 students |
$24,739 | 68% | 72% | $55,541 |
| Strayer University-Tennessee Nashville, TN · Private for-profit · 1,784 students |
$11,645 | — | 0% | $40,092 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit · 1,737 students |
$16,813 | 69% | 53% | $49,378 |
| SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville Nashville, TN · Private for-profit · 1,712 students |
$24,700 | — | 42% | $39,544 |
| Fisk University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit · 1,035 students |
$32,020 | 37% | 30% | $45,454 |
| Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus Nashville, TN · Private for-profit · 1,027 students |
$27,267 | — | — | $61,480 |
| Nashville Auto-Diesel College Nashville, TN · Private for-profit · 967 students |
$32,544 | — | 68% | $46,396 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.