Tennessee Wesleyan University
Athens, Tennessee · Private Nonprofit · 68.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 39/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Tennessee Wesleyan University receives a CampusROI score of 39 (Below Benchmark tier) under our methodology, alongside a 47.6% completion rate. Published tuition is $30,814 and the average net price is $14,836 per year, or $59,344 over four years of attendance (a cost figure, not a debt figure). Median debt at graduation is $20,000 against average earnings of $34,300 six years after entry, a 0.583 debt-to-earnings ratio, and median earnings reach $45,989 ten years after entry. Our model estimates an 18.1-year payback period. Three years after leaving, 71.2% of borrowers were making progress on repayment. Outcomes vary widely by program and by student, and these institution-level figures describe past cohorts rather than any individual result. Figures are from the 2024-2025 College Scorecard release.
How Tennessee Wesleyan 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 Score39/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period18.1 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Tennessee Wesleyan University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $30,814/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $30,814/yr |
| Average net price | $14,836/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $59,344 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,989 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $20,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $212 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 47.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 846 |
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: $30,814/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $14,836/year, or roughly $59,344 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 $11,609/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,980/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $20,000, which works out to about $212 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,300) and comes to 0.58, 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 | $11,609 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,088 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $12,647 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $16,043 |
| $110,001+ | $18,980 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 report an average net price of $11,609 per year, about $46,400 over four years. Institutional and outside aid can change this figure significantly for individual students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Families earning $30,001-$48,000 report an average net price of $11,088 per year, families earning $48,001-$75,000 report $12,647, and families earning $75,001-$110,000 report $16,043.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 report an average net price of $18,980 per year, about $75,900 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Tennessee Wesleyan University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $71,084 | - |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $61,103 | C+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $37,118 | - |
| Marketing | $61,564 | - |
| Teacher Education | $46,925 | - |
| Accounting | $70,782 | - |
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.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing has 59 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort. Median earnings are $71,084 by year four; first-year earnings are not reported.
Accounting
Accounting has 9 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort. Median earnings are $70,782 by year four; first-year earnings are not reported. With so few graduates, these program figures rest on a small cohort and can move sharply from year to year.
Marketing
Marketing has 23 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort. Median earnings are $61,564 by year four; first-year earnings are not reported.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration, Management, and Operations has 50 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort and a C+ grade under our methodology. Median earnings are $58,859 in the first year and $61,103 by year four, against median debt of $29,750 (a 0.505 debt-to-earnings ratio).
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology and Exercise Science has 25 graduates in the Scorecard program cohort. Median earnings are $37,118 by year four; first-year earnings are not reported.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 64.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 71.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 68.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Tennessee Wesleyan 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 | 68.8% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-23 |
| Enrollment | 846 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 39.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,870 |
Tennessee Wesleyan admits 68.9% of applicants. The completion rate of 47.6% measures the share of first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of normal time.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Wesleyan University (this school) | 39 | $14,836 | $45,989 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | 69 | $11,212 | $72,529 |
| Concordia University Ann Arbor | 39 | $32,811 | $56,075 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Rocky Mountain College | 35 | $19,751 | $49,036 |
| American Baptist College | 32 | $9,216 | $41,216 |
Who Thrives Here
Students relying heavily on loans should compare the net price for their income bracket using Tennessee Wesleyan's net price calculator.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Tennessee Wesleyan University scores 39/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $14,836 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,989 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.1 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 47.6% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 71.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $20,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Tennessee Wesleyan University: Common Questions
Is Tennessee Wesleyan University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Tennessee Wesleyan University scores 39/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $14,836 a year after aid against $45,989 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Tennessee Wesleyan 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 $14,836 a year, or roughly $59,344 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 Wesleyan University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,989 ten years after enrolling, roughly $4,189 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 Wesleyan 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 18.1 years for Tennessee Wesleyan University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Tennessee Wesleyan University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $20,000, against average earnings of $34,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Tennessee Wesleyan University?
The six-year graduation rate is 47.6%. 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.