Carson-Newman University
Jefferson City, TN · Private · Small suburb · CNU
Private institution in Jefferson City, TN · 1,374 undergraduates · 68% acceptance rate · $48,382 median earnings 10 years after entry.
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $18,661959th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $34,7001,480th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $34,7001,425th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $46,3451,380th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,500813th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $48,3821,169th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $39,3241,268th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 46.5%1,299th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 73.6%1,046th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 68.3%572nd most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1111658th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 22605th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,3741,170th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 12.0:1794th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 39.2%746th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 156 mi (CLT)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 66 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $52,663 | $50,499 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $44,091 | $42,682 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $37,568 | $29,685 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $37,208 | $36,745 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $37,054 | $36,110 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $36,848 | $37,054 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $36,776 | $35,060 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $30,409 | $20,596 |
| Human Services, GeneralPublic Administration | bachelors | $27,048 | $29,685 |
| Psychology, OtherPsychology | bachelors | $26,933 | — |
| Religion/Religious StudiesPhilosophy & Religious Studies | bachelors | $26,585 | — |
| Health/Medical Preparatory ProgramsHealth Professions | bachelors | $25,053 | — |
Campus facts
- Religious affiliation: Baptistsource
- Founded in 1851source
- Athletic nickname: "Eagles"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: #0C2340 and #FF671Fsource
- Motto: "Truth, Beauty, Goodness"source
- Campus size: about 200 acressource
- Formerly known as "Mossy Creek Missionary Baptist Seminary" (1851–1880)source
- Formerly known as "Carson College" (1880–1889)source
- Formerly known as "Newman College" (1880–1889)source
- Formerly known as "Carson and Newman College" (1889–1941)source
- Formerly known as "Carson-Newman College" (1941–2012)source
- Athletic conference: SACsource
Athletics — 12 sports
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $6,182,466 (M $3,783,249 · W $2,399,217)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitecn.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 219806)
- Compare colleges in TNRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in TennesseeEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Carson-Newman University vs Lincoln Memorial UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 12 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.