Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN · Public · Large city · Carnegie R1/R2 · TSU
Public institution in Nashville, TN · 6,498 undergraduates · 93% acceptance rate · $42,730 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 16%Average net price
- Top 16%Pell Grant share
- Top 18%Undergraduates
- Top 21%In-state tuition & fees
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
- $10,026320th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $8,568433rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $22,284987th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $23,828615th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $27,0001,604th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $42,7301,481st highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $34,1601,585th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 33.0%1,709th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 60.2%1,595th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 92.6%1,332nd most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1017917th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 6,498399th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 13.0:1993rd smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 51.8%342nd highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 9 mi (BNA)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $25
- 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 33 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $67,995 | $61,020 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $64,791 | $64,990 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $51,857 | $58,673 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $49,436 | $42,728 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $46,790 | $42,235 |
| Business/Managerial EconomicsBusiness | bachelors | $39,729 | $31,133 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $38,937 | $39,369 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $37,856 | $42,682 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralEnglish Language & Literature | bachelors | $37,208 | $33,993 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesHealth Professions | bachelors | $35,416 | $37,208 |
| Social WorkPublic Administration | bachelors | $34,298 | $29,141 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $33,993 | $47,260 |
Campus facts
- A Historically Black College or University (HBCU)source
- Founded in 1912source
- Athletic nickname: "Lady Tigers"source
- Nissan Stadium seats about 67,700source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Blue and Whitesource
- Motto: "Think. Work. Serve"source
- Formerly known as "Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School for Negroes" (1912–1925)source
- Formerly known as "Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal College" (1925–1927)source
- Formerly known as "Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College" (1927–1968)source
- Athletic conference: OVCsource
- Football rivalry: Auburn–Tennessee (since 1900)source
- Football rivalry: Florida–Tennessee (since 1916)source
- Football rivalry: Georgia–Tennessee (since 1899)source
- Football rivalry: Georgia Tech–Tennessee (since 1902)source
- Football rivalry: Kentucky–Tennessee (since 1893)source
- Football rivalry: Ole Miss–Tennessee (since 1902)source
- Football rivalry: Tennessee–Vanderbilt (since 1892)source
- Football rivalry: Third Saturday in October (since 1901)source
- Fight song: ""Down the Field""source
- Notable alum: Oprah Winfreysource
- Notable alum: Wilma Rudolphsource
- Notable alum: Ralph Bostonsource
- Notable alum: Wyomia Tyussource
- Notable alum: Maurice Whitesource
Athletics — 7 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $4,395,699 (M $3,084,636 · W $1,311,063)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitetnstate.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 221838)
- 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: Tennessee State University vs South CollegeHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 7 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.