Quad

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TNQuad's selectivityOpen
WebsiteAdmissionsApplyVisitFinancial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

7 in 10 applicants admitted

Tennessee State admits about 7 in 10 applicants (70%). That puts it in the "Open" tier, more selective than 63% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

70%

70%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityOpen

Applied

9,660

Admitted

6,773

Yield

13%

of admits enroll

SAT middle 50%

880–1050

8001600
ACT middle 50%

16–21

1236

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

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 4,848 undergrads, where 51% receive Pell Grants, a high share compared to other colleges.

4.8K

undergrads · larger than 77% of colleges

Diversity index

0.27

Pell Grant

51%

above the median

First generation

37%

above the median

Large cityNCAA D-I FCS · Ohio Valley ConferenceROTCStudy abroad
Less diverse · index 0.46 → 0.27 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (12% of graduates). 13 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 50% of colleges. 77% of faculty are full-time. Spends $9,652 a year on instruction per student.

13 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 50% of colleges

Most popular major

Business Administration and Management, General

12% of 2024–25 graduates

Top-earning major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

$92.4K four years after completion

Full-time faculty

77%

of faculty

Instruction spending

$9.7K

per student a year

All majors with search, earnings by major, and faculty

Cost & aid · 2023–24

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $28,852 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $4.6K more than the national median. The 67% who received grants paid $14,586 on average; the other 33% paid the full sticker price of $25,868 in-state / $39,584 out-of-state.

18%

$28.9K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $4.6K above the national median

$0$110K$400K+
Full price, in-state
$25,868 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

Limited

grants cover 18% of full price

Federal loans

46%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits
Cost rising · +62% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $42,730 ten years after enrolling, more than at 19% of colleges; 39% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 2.7 years of that salary.

39%

39%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$42.7K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$27K

≈ $286/month for 10 years

Retention

34%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 42% → 34% 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 rose 24% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid rose 62%, as grants covered less of it.

  • Cost

    Rising

    +62% after inflation

  • Diversity

    Less diverse

    index 0.46 → 0.27

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

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Alabama A & M University

58% admit · SAT 925 · 6.1K undergrads

Similar scoresSimilar sizeAlso Southeast
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Savannah State University

2.8K undergrads

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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

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    IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  2. 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. 3
    IPEDS Admissions survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  4. 4
    IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  5. 5
    IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  6. 6
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  7. 7
    IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12

  8. 8
    College Scorecard Field of Study data

    U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12

  9. 9
    IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  10. 10
    IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  11. 11
    Common Data Set

    Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12

  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. 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. 14
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  15. 15
    IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  16. 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. 17
    IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  18. 18
    IPEDS Outcome Measures survey

    National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12

  19. 19
    Tennessee State University (2026)

    Tennessee State University · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 221838 · 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