What Kind of School It Is
Let’s start with the basics. Lipscomb is a private, nonprofit, four-year-or-more institution. The federal system that classifies colleges and universities in the United States—Carnegie—places it among doctoral and professional universities, and the highest level it reports offering is, in fact, the doctorate. That is an institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the specific program your child is interested in goes up to that level. You confirm that program by program.
According to the most recent classification using 2019-20 data, Carnegie also describes it as a medium-sized, highly residential school: at that time, at least half of its degree-seeking undergraduates lived in institution-owned housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. Living on campus is not the same as paying tuition—room and board are charged separately, and we will get to those numbers.
On the other hand, in the 2021 classification, its undergraduate profile places it among institutions that enroll many transfer students. If your child is thinking of coming here after studying at another school, this is a sign that it is worth asking early: get in writing which courses will count and which will not. The Carnegie label does not tell you how many credits people bring in or how many are lost along the way.
Nashville is in Davidson County, within a large metropolitan area, and the census code places it in a principal city with at least 250,000 residents. That does not tell you how to get to campus from where you live or what housing is available nearby. If your child is thinking of living at home, drive the route yourself on a weekday at the exact time of the classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
One note worth understanding clearly: Lipscomb is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges and universities in this national directory, 138 do have at least one of those three designations. Lipscomb’s absence from that list says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask about that directly: which student organizations and cultural centers exist today and, better yet, talk with someone who already attends.
The Size of the Community
In the reported fall term, Lipscomb had 5,047 students enrolled in total—neither one of the tiny schools nor one of the enormous ones. But that figure includes both undergraduate and graduate students, and the mix matters: 3,270 were undergraduates and 1,777 were graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor’s-degree program, the relevant figure is 3,270, not the total of 5,047. A large part of this school consists of people who have already completed a degree and returned for more education.
Compared with nearly one thousand similar selective private schools, Lipscomb is on the larger side: between one and three out of every ten of those schools have more students than it does.
Among undergraduates, there are more women than men—61 out of every 100—and students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, only 8 out of every 100. For the most part, it is a young, traditional college community.
On diversity, there is one fact worth facing directly: 11 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with similar selective private schools, Lipscomb ranks above the midpoint of the group but below the top quartile—in other words, it is neither among those with the greatest Latino presence nor among those with the least. That comparison does not account for the part of the country where the school is located, and that matters: it compares Lipscomb not with other Tennessee universities, but with a national group. If this matters for your child, the next conversation is not with a number but with the student life office: what Latino group exists, whether anyone in admissions or academic support speaks Spanish, and what that community feels like today.
How the Calendar Works and How Flexible It Is About What Your Child Has Already Learned
The year at Lipscomb is organized into semesters—two long terms of about 15 weeks each. Nothing unusual there.
What is worth knowing is that the school reported accepting credit from AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls “credit for life experiences”—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, a portfolio, previously earned licenses, or military experience. It also reports accepting credit for military training. And it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is the part you cannot skip: saying that they accept AP does not mean that they award credit for every exam at every score. The data do not say what score is required or whether those credits will count toward your child’s specific program. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
What You Can Study There
In the most recent year reported, Lipscomb awarded 663 bachelor’s degrees across 26 different fields of study. The largest field was business and management, with 22 out of every 100 degrees—it is the strongest, but it does not account for even half of the offerings. Compared with similar schools, Lipscomb is in the quartile with the most fields of study represented: its offerings are broad, not concentrated in two or three areas.
That said, 26 fields represented in the report do not mean 26 majors you can choose tomorrow—a field groups several programs together, and some rows may report zero degrees that year. Verify the exact program your child is interested in by its full name, not the broad category.
As for class size, the official ratio is 13 students for each full-time-equivalent faculty member. That is a low ratio in general terms, but compared specifically with similar selective private schools, Lipscomb is above the median—which means that other schools of the same type have even lower ratios. Both things are true at the same time, and neither tells you the actual size of your child’s first-year classes. Ask the department directly.
The institution also reports structured opportunities such as study abroad, undergraduate research, a full evening or weekend program, and state-approved teacher-certification pathways. Their inclusion in the report confirms that they exist as stated options; it says nothing about their quality or how many students use them.
Getting Into Lipscomb: What It Requires and What Actually Happens
Here is something I want to make clear from the beginning: Lipscomb does not have open admissions. It reviews specific materials before saying yes.
Of nine possible considerations, it marks five as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. That means something very direct for your child: your child has to write. The essay is not optional.
It also considers, though does not require, class rank and whether a family member attended—legacy status. If that does not apply to your child, do not spend energy worrying about it. Spend it on what is within your child’s control: the essay, the letters, and the academic record.
The application fee is $50.
Now, the numbers showing how selective it is in practice. In the most recent cycle, Lipscomb received 4,244 first-time applications and offered admission to 2,828—67 out of every 100. Admission is neither a sure thing nor a lottery. Compared with similar selective private schools, that rate is around the middle of the group, slightly below its midpoint.
But here is the number that truly matters and that almost no one looks at: out of every 100 students Lipscomb admitted, only 25 ultimately enrolled there. The other 75 had acceptance letters in hand and did not take the offer. Being admitted is not the same as enrolling—this percentage does not measure quality or prestige; it only counts decisions. When your child’s letters arrive, this figure does not decide anything. Put the letters from all the schools side by side and compare net price, program, and distance before the deposit deadline.
On standardized tests, Lipscomb is test-optional. SAT or ACT scores are considered if you submit them, but they are not required. Among students who did enroll, only 14 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score. Among those students, the middle half scored between 580 and 680 in reading and writing and between 565 and 670 in math. Those figures apply to students who enrolled and chose to submit their scores—they do not cover all applicants, and that 580 is not a minimum, nor is that 680 a guarantee of anything.
On transfers, in the most recent fall term, 181 undergraduate students entered Lipscomb for the first time after previously studying at another institution. That is a high count compared with similar schools. What is unknown—because Lipscomb did not report it—is how many credits they were awarded upon arrival. Ask the school directly.
The Sticker Price, Plainly Stated
For the 2023–24 academic year, Lipscomb reported a total cost of attendance of $59,678 for a first-time, full-time student living on campus. That figure is the same whether your family lives in Tennessee or any other state—Lipscomb is private and does not charge different rates based on residency.
The breakdown is $38,824 for tuition and fees, $14,804 for housing and food, and $1,650 for books and supplies. The remainder is an estimate of personal expenses made by the financial aid office.
Compared with nearly 900 schools of the same type, this total cost is above the midpoint of the group. It is an expensive school within its category.
And here is the hard truth, without cushioning it: this figure of $59,678 is the sticker price. It is not what your family will pay. It is the starting point before any scholarship or aid. Until you have the financial aid letter in hand, you do not know what this school will cost your family specifically.
What Families Actually End Up Paying
At Lipscomb University, among 73 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $21,886. Among 63 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $23,820; among 126 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $30,873. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (73 students) and the average for the highest-income band (126 students) is $8,987. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $27,386.
Even after scholarships were deducted, the average net price for families in the lowest-income band was $21,886 in the 2022-23 academic year. If that figure does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
An average does not reveal how different the individual cases were within that band; these data do not support claiming that some families were far below or above the published figure. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants.
The Aid That Arrives and the Loans That Remain
Here is a strong signal: 96 out of every 100 students at Lipscomb receive some scholarship or grant aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something is the norm there, not the exception. Among those who received it, the average was $25,210 per year—but that average conceals those who received much more and those who received much less. It is not your offer; it is only an average.
The Pell Grant, which is federal aid specifically for low-income families, reached 23 out of every 100 students.
On loans, 33 out of every 100 undergraduate students took out a federal loan in the most recent year reported. That is more than two out of ten, but less than half. Compared with similar schools, Lipscomb is on the low side—seven out of ten similar schools had a higher share of students with loans. Among those who did borrow, the average was $6,519 that year—and remember, this covers only one year and only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include what parents borrow separately, credit cards, or the total debt with which someone graduates after four years. That figure is not in this report.
What determines whether your child joins the group that borrows or the group that does not is not this percentage. It is the financial aid letter that arrives with your child’s name on it. Wait for it before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
As a payment option, Lipscomb also reports offering an installment tuition plan—useful for managing family cash flow, although it does not change the total amount owed.
Campus Life, Athletics, and Support
Lipscomb does have its own housing, with a reported capacity of 1,600 students. It does not require all first-time students to live there, but that does not tell you whether your child specifically has that option or obligation based on the program—ask in writing, along with the exact rate and the deadline for applying for a room.
It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected.
On ROTC, Lipscomb reports opportunities in two branches, Army and Air Force, but not Navy. Its inclusion in the report does not mean that the program is taught on this campus—ask directly about availability, scholarships, and requirements before building a plan around it.
In athletics, Lipscomb competes in the NCAA, with confirmed membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. That describes the school, not a promise to your child—if your child is interested in a team, contact the coach directly and ask about roster availability, division, and whether that sport awards scholarships.
It also offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although only 5 out of every 100 undergraduate students take all their classes that way—the great majority, 95 out of every 100, take at least one class in person.
The library operates with paid staff, spending above the federal threshold of $100,000, a physical and digital collection, and interlibrary lending. For student support, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services, a program for students with intellectual disabilities, and specific support for veterans and military families, including participation in the Yellow Ribbon program.
Those Who Stay and Those Who Finish
Here is one of the strongest numbers in this entire profile: among first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, 86 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. Compared with similar selective private schools, Lipscomb is in the upper part of the group—it retains a larger share of its students than most of its peers.
On graduation, of a cohort that started in 2017, 69 out of every 100 had graduated from Lipscomb within six years. Within four years, that figure falls to 61 out of every 100—a difference of 8 points reflecting how many need additional time. Compared with similar schools, it is above the median.
That 69% is not the whole story. The available data do not allow a complete reconstruction of what happened to the 31 out of every 100 who did not graduate from Lipscomb within that period—missing data do not mean they dropped out, transferred, or are still studying. The information simply is not there.
There is a broader eight-year measure that includes both students who entered college for the first time and those who already had prior college experience. Of that cohort, 67 out of every 100 had earned a Lipscomb degree or certificate as of August 2023. Among Pell Grant recipients specifically, the figure falls to 62 out of every 100—seven points below the group without Pell Grants. That gap is real and worth asking the admissions office about directly: what specific support exists to help students with financial need reach the finish line.
What This Profile Leaves You With and What Is Still Yours
You now know Lipscomb more deeply than you did half an hour ago: a medium-sized private school in Nashville, with selective but not impossible admission, a high sticker price and a net price that remains high even with aid, strong retention and solid graduation compared with its peers, and a Latino community that is still small.
None of this tells you whether Lipscomb is the right school for your child. That depends on pieces this profile cannot contain: what your child wants to study, how far from home your child is willing to live, what your child built in high school that fits what this admissions process requires, and what your family can afford once the actual letter arrives with the actual number.
It is your child’s job to write that essay, assemble the application, and decide what to pursue. It is your job to read the financial aid letter carefully, compare the actual net price with other options, and ask the questions that no form answers by itself. Neither of you does the other’s work.
Put this piece together with the others. That is where the plan begins.
The information in this article comes from IPEDS and the United States Department of Education, based on the most recent reports available from Lipscomb University. Best College Aid does not represent Lipscomb University or any government agency; this article is not a substitute for direct verification with the university before making decisions.