Tennessee State University
Nashville, Tennessee · Public · 70.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 17/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Tennessee State University, the state's flagship HBCU, earns an ROI score of 17 out of 100. The financial picture is starkly mixed. In-state tuition is just $8,616 ($22,416 out-of-state), and net price is $15,796, producing a moderate $63,184 four-year all-in. But graduates earn just $31,200 six years out and $42,730 at ten years, with $27,000 median debt and a 0.87 debt-to-earnings ratio. The 26.3-year payback period reflects severely compressed earnings. The key numbers are completion at 34.0% and the repayment metrics: 48.7% of borrowers are repaying within 3 years, dropping to 36.5% at 5 years and 43.8% at 7 years. TSU has strong nursing, accounting, and engineering pipelines individually, but a wide tail of low-paying humanities and social science majors combined with the completion crisis pull the institutional aggregate sharply downward. The school's HBCU mission and Nashville location have real value; the financial outcomes need significant institutional attention.
How Tennessee State University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score17/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate34.0% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period26.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Tennessee State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,616/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,416/yr |
| Average net price | $15,796/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $63,184 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,730 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 26.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 34.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,848 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $8,616/year ($22,416/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $15,796/year, or roughly $63,184 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $15,005/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,099/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,200) and comes to 0.86, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $15,005 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,840 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,579 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,624 |
| $110,001+ | $20,099 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $15,005, and the $30,001-$48,000 band pays $15,840. Combined with Pell Grant eligibility and Tennessee state aid (HOPE/TELS), in-state low-income students see meaningful aid coverage. Over four years, low-income families face roughly $60,000 in cost. The math depends entirely on major selection and completion.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 band pays $15,579 (slight inversion below the $30,001-$48,000 bracket), then the $75,001-$110,000 band jumps to $20,624. Middle-income families face roughly $62,000-$82,000 over four years.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $20,099, slightly less than the $75,001-$110,000 bracket (mild inversion at the top). Over four years, high-income families absorb roughly $80,000 in net cost.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Tennessee State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $57,083 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $43,121 | F |
| Teacher Education | $45,886 | D |
| Health Professions, Residency Programs | $48,365 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,062 | D |
| Psychology | $46,721 | D |
| Biology | $59,855 | D |
| Computer Science | $67,292 | C+ |
| Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment | $63,629 | - |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $53,231 | D |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is TSU's largest program at 115 graduates. First-year earnings of $40,077 climb to $57,083 at four years, with $30,875 median debt producing a 0.77 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Nashville's business economy provides decent placement; the bachelor's-level wage premium is modest.
Communication and Media Studies
Communication and Media Studies graduates 51 students with $25,140 first-year earnings, recovering to $43,121 at four years. Median debt of $30,625 produces a 1.22 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. The early-career compression is severe, and the debt load above 1.0 indicates median debt exceeds annual early earnings. Students should treat this as a difficult financial proposition.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 45 students with $34,756 first-year and $45,886 four-year earnings. Median debt of $29,000 produces a 0.83 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. Tennessee teacher pay structurally caps the result.
Computer Science
Computer Science graduates 28 students with $50,628 first-year and $67,292 four-year earnings. Median debt of $27,724 produces a 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ ROI grade, one of TSU's strongest results. Nashville's growing tech sector absorbs graduates at reasonable wages, and this is one of the clearest pathways for students to escape the institutional aggregate's weak outcomes.
Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment
Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment graduates 26 students with $48,894 first-year and $63,629 four-year earnings. Median debt is unreported, which suppresses the ROI grade. A defensible pathway.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 38.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 48.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 36.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 43.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Tennessee State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 70.1% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 420-510 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 460-540 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 16-21 |
| Enrollment | 4,848 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 51.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,732 |
Tennessee State admits 70.1% of applicants, with SAT mid-ranges of 420-510 Math and 460-540 Reading and an ACT mid-range of 16-21. The completion rate is 34.0%.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State University (this school) | 17 | $15,796 | $42,730 |
| Austin Peay State University | 36 | $9,735 | $44,301 |
| East Tennessee State University | 35 | $15,983 | $44,859 |
| University of Guam | 20 | $8,598 | $35,946 |
| University of Maine at Augusta | 15 | $10,924 | $40,342 |
| Albany State University | 14 | $11,898 | $40,674 |
Who Thrives Here
Tennessee State enrolls 4,848 students with a 51.1% Pell rate, marking it as a low-income access institution with a heavily working-class Black student body and a meaningful HBCU mission. The fit profile is a Tennessee resident, often first-generation college, seeking the HBCU experience and access to Nashville's job market. The 34.0% completion rate is a serious institutional failure that disproportionately harms the low-income students who depend on this school as their pathway. Students targeting nursing, accounting, mechanical engineering, or CS see vastly better outcomes than the institutional aggregate; students entering humanities or social sciences face very difficult financial math.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Tennessee State University scores 17/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $15,796 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,730 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 26.3 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 34.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 48.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Tennessee State University: Common Questions
Is Tennessee State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Tennessee State University scores 17/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $15,796 a year after aid against $42,730 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 26.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Tennessee State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $15,796 a year, or roughly $63,184 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Tennessee State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,730 ten years after enrolling, roughly $930 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Tennessee State University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 26.3 years for Tennessee State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Tennessee State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $31,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Tennessee State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 34.0%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.