Tennessee State University is a public institution in Nashville, TN with an acceptance rate of 70% and 4,847 students. The middle 50% of admitted students score 880–1050 on the SAT and present an average GPA near 3.34. The average net price after financial aid is $11,880 per year.
About Tennessee State University
A public 4-year urban university in Nashville, TN.
Tennessee State University is a college in Nashville, TN. It enrolls roughly 4,847 students. The most recent acceptance rate is 70%. Admitted students typically score between 880 and 1050 on the SAT.
Your chances at this school
What admitted students look like here. Sign in to see how your own profile compares.
Selective — strong academics get you in the conversation.
What strengthens an application here
- SAT scores of 880 to 1050The middle half of admitted students scored in this range. A score in the upper part of it strengthens an application.
- A GPA near 3.34 or higherThis is the average across admitted students.
- Depth in one or two activitiesSustained commitment, a leadership role, or a result in a few activities says more than a long list of memberships.
Your chances estimate is based on your academic profile and activities — it is a guide, not a guarantee of admission. Decisions weigh essays, recommendations, and fit factors that aren't in the data.
Admissions
What it actually takes to get into Tennessee State University. Test scores, GPA, application requirements, and deadlines.
Admitted student profile
Range shown is the middle 50%.
Application requirements
- SAT/ACT required
- $25 application fee
Deadlines (2026-27)
- Regular Decision
- Rolling
Source: Common App 2026-27 requirements grid (verified Aug 2026). Always confirm on the college's own site.
Cost & financial aid
Published costs can be misleading. Here's what families actually pay at Tennessee State University after grants and scholarships.
Net price by family income
Average amount paid out of pocket — tuition, fees, and room & board minus all grant aid.
Net price represents the average cost after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal financial aid.
Academics & majors
Where students at Tennessee State University concentrate, and how the classroom experience scales.
Student body
Who attends Tennessee State University. Enrollment, diversity, and where students come from.
Race & ethnicity
- White3%
- Asian37%
- Hispanic2%
- Black55%
- Two or more races2%
- International1%
Gender
- Female65%
- Male35%
Outcomes after graduation
What Tennessee State University graduates do next — and what they earn.
Is it worth it?
Earnings, debt, and price side by side — context for the cost-vs-payoff question, not a ranking.
- Median earnings
- $42.7k
- Typical debt
- $17.5k
- Avg. net price
- $11.9k/yr
- These numbers reflect who enrolls, not the value the school adds. A college's earnings can look high simply because it admits wealthier, higher-scoring students — not because of what happens there.
- Earnings vary far more by major and career path than by school. A school-wide median blends engineers and artists into one number that may match no real student.
- Federal earnings and debt figures cover only students who received federal aid, so they leave out full-pay students and can skew the picture.
- Net price is an average across aided students and debt is the median for borrowers only — many students borrow nothing. Your actual cost depends on your own aid package.
What this means
$43k is below the national bachelor's-graduate median at the 10-year mark, and a 33% graduation rate is below the national average.
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