This article is not going to tell you whether Tennessee State is the right university for your child. That depends on what your child wants to study, what your family can afford, and many things that only you know. What I can do is put before you, clearly and without embellishment, what official United States government data say about this school. With that information in hand, the decision to keep researching it or cross it off the list is yours.
Who Tennessee State University is
Let’s start with the basics. Tennessee State University is in Nashville, Tennessee, within Davidson County, in the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not tell you how to get to campus from your home or how safe the surrounding neighborhood feels—you will have to handle that yourself, literally. If your child plans to live at home and commute to class, I recommend something simple: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
It is a public institution offering programs of four years or more, and the highest level it reports offering is the doctorate. That places it, under the government’s classification of universities, among degree-granting schools that are primarily bachelor’s degree level or above. The Carnegie organization—which categorizes universities in the United States according to what they do—places it among doctoral universities with high research activity and describes it as a medium-sized, highly residential four-year school. “Highly residential” means something specific in this system: during the period Carnegie used for that classification, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time.
Here is one point that will spare you a surprise later: living on campus is not the same as paying tuition. Room and board are almost never bundled with tuition in the initial brochure. Ask for them separately, including the meal plan, before comparing this school with any other school your child is considering.
There are two more labels worth knowing. In the official 2023 file, Tennessee State is marked as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and also as a Land Grant Institution—it is not marked as a Tribal College. Those are two separate boxes, and both are checked for this school. They tell you where the institution comes from, not necessarily what its classrooms are like today or whom it currently admits. Do not read them as a verdict on quality or on how much actual support your child will receive there. That is found in things with specific names: which student center exists, which scholarship applies, and who answers the phone in April when you have an urgent question.
How many students there are and who they are
In the official fall count, Tennessee State had 8,198 enrolled students. It is neither a small school nor a huge one: it falls within the range of 5,000 to 9,999, and compared with 519 selective-admission, four-year public schools in this same census, its size is among the most common, around the middle of the group. Of that total, 6,765 students are undergraduates and 1,433 are graduate students. Above all, it is a bachelor’s-level school.
Of those 8,198, IPEDS estimates a full-time equivalent of 7,185 students—a figure that combines students attending full time with an estimated fraction of those attending part time, not an exact measure of each person’s course load. It also reports 1,734 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students; that specific group is not the entire class entering each year.
And here I want to pause on a number that matters greatly to me as a Latino father: among Tennessee State undergraduates, 3 out of every 100 students were reported as Hispanic or Latino. Compared with 519 similar public schools, it is among those reporting the lowest share: nine out of ten of those schools have a higher share. There are few.
That does not remove the school from consideration, nor does it automatically put it on the list. A low number of Latino students does not make a university bad, just as a high number does not make one good. This figure tells you who is enrolled today, and nothing more. If your child will be among the few, the task is to ask directly: which Latino student organization exists, whether there is a cultural center, whether anyone in the offices speaks Spanish, and—if you can—to speak with a Latino student who is already there before deciding. The number I just gave you is for the entire school; your child’s experience in a particular major may look very different.
Other composition data: there are more women than men among undergraduates—66 out of every 100 are women. Students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, only 7 out of every 100. And as for where first-time students come from: only 32 out of every 100 had a reported permanent residence in Tennessee. The rest includes those who come from other states, those who come from other countries, and those whose residence was not reported; the data do not separate those three categories, so we cannot tell you exactly how many are from out of state.
One idea I want you to take away from this section: a large school does not necessarily mean more options for your child, and a small school does not necessarily mean more attention. What matters is the specific major, not the size of the entire school.
How academics work
Tennessee State organizes its year into semesters—two long terms of about 15 weeks each. In its official report, it indicated that it accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit for life experience. It also stated that it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program. And it reports that it accepts credit for military training.
Here is an important limitation: saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam at every score. The report does not say how many points are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward the specific major that interests your child. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for what can be studied: in the reported year, Tennessee State awarded 756 bachelor’s degrees across 21 academic program families—what the government calls CIP families—although some of those rows report zero degrees. No single family accounts for a large share. The largest was business and management, and even it represented only 19 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. The offerings are broad and distributed, not concentrated in two or three flagship majors.
But be careful: 21 families with a row in the report do not mean 21 majors in the current catalog or 21 families with degrees awarded. Each family groups several programs, and some rows report zero. If your child already has a major in mind, verify that the exact program exists today, under that name, in the current catalog.
Regarding the relative size of classes: the official ratio is 13 students for every instructional staff member, with both measured as full-time equivalents. Compared with 519 similar schools, that ratio falls in the lowest quarter—meaning it is lower than the ratio at three out of every four schools in that group. It is a low aggregate ratio, but by itself it does not demonstrate that more staff are available to each student, nor does it tell you the actual size of a first-year class. IPEDS does not report that method or that level of detail.
The institution also reports several structured academic pathways worth knowing about: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only during evenings or weekends, teacher certification preparation below the bachelor’s degree level, the ability to complete preparation there in certain teaching specialties, and state approval of its initial teacher certification program.
How admission, enrollment, and testing work
This is where many families become nervous unnecessarily, while others relax too soon. Let’s take it slowly, number by number.
Tennessee State stated that it does not have open admission: it does review information before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations the government asks about—not counting admission tests or legacy status—it marked only two as required: the high school record and high school GPA. Other materials are not required but are considered if submitted: the college-preparatory course plan, personal essay, letters of recommendation, a formal work sample or competency exam, work experience, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. The report does not say how much weight each part carries in the final decision. Before finalizing the application, call admissions and ask directly about your child’s case: what they require this year takes precedence over what this 2023 report describes. The published undergraduate application fee is $25.
Now for the figure that most reassures families: Tennessee State reported 12,890 first-time applicants in the 2023 cycle and offered admission to 11,940. That is 93 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar public schools, it is on the high side for acceptance: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, accepted an equal or lower percentage. Put simply: out of every 100 who apply, 93 receive a yes. Even so, 950 of those 12,890 applicants did not receive an offer of admission, so admission is not guaranteed; the application must be complete and submitted on time.
But being likely to get in does not make what follows easy. That 93% is for the entire school and a single cycle. It does not say how much attendance will cost, how many students eventually graduate, or whether the specific major your child wants has an additional screening process. Those three questions must be asked separately, and we will address them later.
One fact surprises many families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 15 ultimately enrolled at Tennessee State that fall. The other 85 had a place there and did not take it. Compared with similar schools, this share is on the low side—at seven out of ten of those schools, a larger share of admitted students enrolls. Put another way: out of every 7 young people who receive a yes from this school, about one ends up attending. And do not read that as a mark against the school: the federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose. What others decided also does not tell you what your child will be offered. Wait for your child’s letter showing the net price—what the year would actually cost—before deciding whether this school stays on the list or comes off it.
Regarding tests: the SAT and ACT are not required at Tennessee State. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains equally valid. Among enrolled first-time students, only 3 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, one of the lowest shares among 406 similar universities in this census. Among those who did submit scores, the middle half scored between 433 and 538 in reading and writing, and between 423 and 530 in mathematics. The school also accepts, without requiring, another type of test, such as the Wonderlic or WISC. Be careful with these ranges: they describe students who enrolled and chose to submit scores, not all applicants, and they do not prove that the scores were used in their admission. The 433 is not a minimum your child must reach, and the 538 does not guarantee anything either.
Finally, here is a fact I believe every family should know before signing: Tennessee State followed the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in 2017. Within the expected period, 476 of them—34 out of every 100—transferred to another school without completing at Tennessee State. Compared with 395 similar schools, this departure share is on the high side. And here is something almost no family knows until it is too late: a student who transfers does not appear as a graduate of the original school, even if that student finishes the degree elsewhere. Remember this when you compare graduation rates later in this same article. And the fact that many transferred does not mean everyone had a bad experience there: the report counts the movement, not the reason or the outcome.
The published price and what families actually pay
At Tennessee State University, among 447 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $9,239. Among 174 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $11,079; among 17 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $16,378. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (447 students) and the average for the highest-income band (17 students) is $7,139. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $9,231.
The advertised price is not the same as the price paid. Here, for students with low income, the average net price was $9,239 in academic year 2022-23.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
How it is paid for: grants, Pell, and loans
At Tennessee State, 91 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something here is the norm, not the exception. Compared with 519 similar schools, it falls within the quarter where grant or scholarship aid reaches the most students. Among those who received it, the annual average was $13,130.
The federal Pell Grant—for undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need—reached 54 out of every 100 degree-seeking students. In other words, aid is widespread here, and Pell reaches more than half. But be careful not to read a high number as a personal promise: it is what happened with other students in school year 2022-23, not your child’s probability or the amount your child will receive. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, what the deadlines are, and what happens to the grant or scholarship if your child’s grades drop.
Regarding loans: 39 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in school year 2022-23—more than two out of ten, but fewer than half. This count includes all undergraduates, not only degree-seeking students. Among those who did borrow, each received an average of $6,159. Compared with similar schools, this share of students with loans is around the middle, neither among the highest nor among the lowest.
This percentage does not tell you which group your child will fall into: that will be determined by the written financial aid offer your child receives, not by an institutional average. And an important clarification about that amount of $6,159: it covers a single year and only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit card debt. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduating—that would require adding together all years, and that number is not in this report.
As an additional payment option, the institution reports offering an installment tuition payment plan.
The campus, learning formats, and support services
Tennessee State does have institution-controlled housing, with a reported maximum capacity of 3,662 students, on or off campus. It responded that not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there—that rules out a universal requirement but does not say that no program has such a requirement. It also offers meal plans, and the largest plan has a fixed number of meals per week. The existence of housing does not guarantee a bed for your child, and the existence of a meal plan does not mean it is automatically included. Ask in writing for this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether your child is guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: the institution indicated that an opportunity is available in two branches—Army and Air Force. Navy was not marked. The fact that it is marked does not mean the program is conducted on this specific campus; IPEDS does not clarify that. Ask about it by name before arranging your child’s plan around ROTC.
In athletics, Tennessee State competes in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA. It reports membership for football, basketball, and cross-country or track. The membership belongs to the school, not to your child: if your child is interested in competing, write directly to the coach of that sport and ask whether there is room, what division the team competes in, and whether that discipline awards athletic scholarships. Ask for the response in writing.
Regarding distance education: Tennessee State does offer it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and it reports having at least one complete program that can be taken at a distance. But in the fall count, only 4 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance; the other 96 took at least one class in person. If that format interests you for your child, confirm the exact level and major to which it applies.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceed the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It has physical and digital materials and offers interlibrary loan. But that threshold is only the minimum level the federal government asks about; it does not guarantee that the specific databases needed for your child’s major are available. Ask about that by the name of the major.
Finally, the institution reports these services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for those who complete their programs, on-campus child care for students’ children, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and service members, a student veterans organization, and a web address for disability services. The fact that these services are reported does not automatically establish their quality or effectiveness for your child in particular; they are a starting point for questions.
Those who stay and those who graduate
This is, to me, the most important part of the article, and I want you to read it in full without skipping anything.
Of the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in the fall of 2022, the cohort included 3,441 people. One year later, 2,072 of them—60 out of every 100—met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already completed their bachelor’s degree. The other 1,369 fell outside that outcome; the data do not reveal their individual destinations. Compared with 519 similar schools, Tennessee State is among those retaining the smallest share of their entering cohort: nine out of ten of those schools retain a higher share.
Not appearing as retained does not mean someone gave up. This rate does not say whether a person transferred, paused their studies, started working, or had any other reason. The data report the outcome, not the cause.
Now for the graduation rate. The official count begins with 1,399 full-time students with no prior college experience who entered a bachelor’s degree program in 2017. Six years later, 469 of them were shown as having earned a degree from Tennessee State: that is 34 out of every 100. Using the four-year timeframe, the figure falls to 21 out of every 100—a difference of 13 points between the two timeframes. Compared with 518 similar schools, it falls in the bottom quarter: three out of every four of those schools, or more, report a higher share of graduates.
It is worth looking at the full breakdown for that same cohort of 1,399 students because it tells a more complete story than a single percentage:
| Outcome after six years | Students |
|---|---|
| Completed a bachelor’s degree here | 469 |
| Completed a program of less than 4 years here | 3 |
| Transferred without completing here | 476 |
| Remained enrolled here without completing | 25 |
| “No longer enrolled” (federal category) | 426 |
Remember what we saw in the admissions section: a student who transfers does not count as a Tennessee State graduate, even if that student completes the degree at another school. And “no longer enrolled” does not give a reason; it may include people who completed their degree after the official deadline. This percentage, moreover, is for the entire school. IPEDS does not report graduation by major, so if your child is pursuing a specific major, that number must be requested directly from the corresponding department. And that is why I recommend that your child’s college list include more than one option.
There is a third, longer-term measure that I want to share because it tells the full story. Following a cohort of 2,581 undergraduate students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including first-time students and students with prior experience, both full time and part time—as of August 2023, eight years later, 39 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school, and 61 had not. Another indicator reports that 32 out of every 100 had not received a degree from this school and remained in some reported enrollment status, although a contradiction in how the reporting points are defined means that figure cannot establish exactly how many remained enrolled at the very end of the period, nor does it rule out that some may have received a degree from another institution.
Among Pell Grant recipients within that same eight-year cohort, 38 out of every 100 completed a degree or certificate here—three points below the group without Pell. Compared with 519 similar schools, Tennessee State is at the very bottom of that eight-year table: nine out of ten of those schools, or more, report a higher share.
This eight-year measure is a status snapshot as of August 31, 2023, not a bill or a continuous measurement. It does not tell you how much each person paid or how much income each person gave up in the meantime. Before signing any commitment, ask in writing how long it actually takes to complete the program that interests your child, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if completion takes longer than expected.
What each person is responsible for
Your child’s job is to study, explore, participate, write, decide, and take responsibility for their part of the journey. Your job is not to live your child’s college life for them. But your job is to understand the family’s finances, help with important decisions, and not leave a teenager alone to carry a system they are only beginning to understand. You do not go through the process for your child. You go through it with your child.
And Tennessee State University is responsible for what you have already seen in this article: admitting the vast majority of those who apply, charging tuition that—with the resident rate—falls below the median among similar schools, providing financial aid to nearly all of its students, and graduating, within the expected period, a little more than one-third of those who enter seeking a bachelor’s degree. None of these figures predicts what will happen to your child in particular. They are averages for an entire institution, during specific periods, with specific denominators. Your child is not an average.
If you are just beginning to build a college list, this information can help you ask more precise questions: about the exact major that interests your child, about the actual net price based on your family’s income, and about support pathways if your child will be among the few Latino students on that campus. If you already have an admission letter from Tennessee State in hand, this information can help you read that letter with better judgment: to ask for a written breakdown of the net price, to ask about the graduation rate for the specific major rather than only for the entire school, and to confirm residency requirements if you live outside Tennessee.
You now have an in-depth understanding of one of the pieces your family needs to make a decision. Combine it with what your child wants to study, what your child has built so far, and what you are able and willing to pay. A plan comes from that combination, not from a single article.
Source note: The information in this article comes from official data reported by Tennessee State University to the United States Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, with some institutional classifications, such as Carnegie, based on 2019-20 data. Best College Aid does not represent Tennessee State University or the United States government; we recommend confirming any figure, policy, or requirement directly with the institution before making a decision.