The University of Tennessee Southern

Pulaski, TN · SoutheastQuad's selectivityOpen

Known forAverage cost down 44% since 2013–14

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

9 in 10 applicants admitted

U. Tennessee Southern admits about 9 in 10 applicants (87%). That puts it in the "Open" tier, more selective than 30% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

87%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityOpen

Applied

760

Admitted

659

Yield

26%

of admits enroll

SAT middle 50%

905–1110

8001600

ACT middle 50%

18–24

1236

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 864 undergrads, where 36% receive Pell Grants, a typical share compared to other colleges.

864

undergrads · larger than 33% of colleges

Diversity index

0.42

Pell Grant

36%

above the median

First generation

41%

above the median

Distant townNAIA · Southern States Athletic ConferenceStudy abroadUndergrad research

Less diverse · index 0.49 → 0.42 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (22% of graduates). 14 students for every faculty member, more than at 58% of colleges. 100% of faculty are full-time. Spends $6,412 a year on instruction per student.

14 to 1

students per faculty member · more than at 58% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $17,804 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $6.5K less than the national median. The 99% who received grants paid $14,546 on average; the other 1% paid the full sticker price of $28,106.

37%

$17.8K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $6.5K below the national median

Full price, in-state: $28,106 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes

Aid generosity

Moderate

grants cover 37% of full price

Federal loans

27%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost falling · −44% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $38,924 ten years after enrolling, more than at 12% of colleges; 37% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 1.8 years of that salary.

37%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$38.9K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$21.5K

≈ $228/month for 10 years

Retention

77%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 45% → 37% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price fell 36% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid fell 44%, because grants grew faster.

Cost
Falling
−44% after inflation
Diversity
Less diverse
index 0.49 → 0.42

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

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Montana State University-Northern

761 undergrads

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Peru State College

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
State laws on public colleges
State legislatures (statutes read and summarized by hand) · In effect since May 9, 2025 · retrieved 2026-10-04
17
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
19
The University of Tennessee Southern (2026)
The University of Tennessee Southern · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 220701 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything