I am going to walk you through what official data does allow us to see about this university: what it is, how large it is, what it offers academically, how difficult it is to get in, what it costs, and what happens to the people who enroll. I am not going to tell you whether it is the right school for your child. That depends on three things this article cannot know: what your child wants to study, what your child has accomplished so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. What I can give you is the first piece, properly understood, without embellishment or fear.
Who Tennessee Wesleyan is, according to the federal system's own classification
The Carnegie system, which organizes colleges and universities in the United States according to what they do, classifies Tennessee Wesleyan as a baccalaureate college with diverse fields. In its most recent profile based on 2019-20 data, it appears as a four-year, small, primarily residential school: at that time, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduates lived in institution-provided housing, and at least half studied full time.
Carnegie also places it, in its 2021 classification, among institutions with high undergraduate transfer-in. Separately, its graduate profile—based on the degrees it awarded in 2019-20—places it in the master's category, not the research doctorate category. It is a historical profile: it does not tell you exactly which programs the university offers today.
There is another label worth understanding clearly because it is often misunderstood: Carnegie places it in its “inclusive” category. That category combines two distinct groups—schools that did not report admissions scores and schools whose scores indicated broad access—and the data does not tell you which of those two branches applies to Tennessee Wesleyan. It is a real label, but it is not a complete description.
If your child is considering coming to Tennessee Wesleyan after studying at another institution, this matters directly: Carnegie places it in the higher transfer-in branch of its classification. That does not tell you how many credits students bring with them or how many are lost in the transfer. Before enrolling, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not.
As for its institutional nature, it is a private, four-year-or-more, nonprofit institution. IPEDS records the master's degree as the highest level it reports offering and classifies it as an institution that awards degrees primarily at the bachelor's level or above. Reporting graduate offerings does not mean your child's specific program exists there or that its undergraduate and graduate programs would be connected in your child's case. That must be verified program by program.
And one clarification that applies to the rest of this article: do not rule it out or choose it based on the sticker price. Ask in writing how much your family would pay after scholarships and aid. That is the number that can truly be compared across schools.
Tennessee Wesleyan has none of three specific federal designations: it is not a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges and universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of the three designations. Its absence from that list does not tell you which communities it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations currently exist and—if you can—speak with someone who already studies there.
Its actual size: a small community with more graduate enrollment than it may seem
Tennessee Wesleyan had 1,074 students enrolled in the official fall count, a medium size within the band from 1,000 to 4,999. But compared with the 941 selective private four-year schools that make up its reference group in this census, it is on the small side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, have more students.
Here is a fact that changes how you should read the “total”: of those 1,074 students, only 857 are undergraduates. The other 217 are graduate students. If your child is entering an undergraduate program, the number that matters is 857, not the total of 1,074. A substantial part of this school consists of people who have already completed a bachelor's degree and returned for a master's degree.
Among undergraduates, Hispanic or Latino students account for 6 out of every 100 students, according to the fall 2023 report. It is a small minority, and compared with the 941 schools in its reference group, Tennessee Wesleyan ranks below the midpoint. Having few Latino students does not make a school bad, nor would having many make it good by itself: this is simply a fact about who is enrolled today. If your child will be one of the few, ask which student groups and support services exist, and speak with a current student before deciding. There are also more women than men—62 out of every 100 students—and students ages 25 to 64 are few, at 13 out of every 100 students: this is, above all, a campus of young, traditional students.
How the academic year is structured
Tennessee Wesleyan organizes its year by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. It is the most common calendar and easy to plan around.
The school reported two ways for what your child already knows to count for credit: it accepts AP exams, and it also accepts what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, previous licenses or certifications, and even military training. Reporting that these are accepted does not mean your child will receive credit automatically. Saying that AP is accepted does not tell you how many points are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward your child's specific program. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand. The university also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program, if that is something your child is already doing.
As for what students study: in the reported year, Tennessee Wesleyan awarded 275 bachelor's degrees across 21 program families, although some of those rows report no degrees. By far, the largest family was health professions: 87 of the 275 degrees, or 32 out of every 100. Compared with 942 schools in its group, Tennessee Wesleyan is in the top quarter for the number of program families represented in its bachelor's catalog. Its offerings are broad on paper but concentrated in practice: 21 families with a row in the report do not amount to 21 robust programs or 21 areas in which degrees were actually awarded. Verify the exact program that interests your child, not merely whether it “appears” on the list.
The official student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 12 to 1. That is low in absolute terms, but compared with similar schools, it is above the median: half or more of those schools reported a ratio that was the same or lower. Both things are true at the same time, which is why I am giving them to you separately. Be careful: this ratio does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. It is an institutional calculation, not a count of how many students fit in a first-year classroom.
The institution also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, a program that can be completed only through evening or weekend courses, and several pathways related to teacher certification, including state approval for initial teacher certification. If that is your child's calling, this is a concrete signal worth exploring directly with the school.
Getting in: what is required, what helps, and what actually happens
Tennessee Wesleyan does not have open admissions. It reviews several components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks three as required: the high school record, the high school GPA, and an English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. If your child studied outside the United States or completed high school in Spanish, ask now whether that exam is required and what would qualify your child for an exemption—it is the kind of thing families discover late, complicating their plans.
Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, completion of the college-preparatory program the university recommends, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and work experience. The undergraduate application fee is $0—it literally costs nothing to apply.
Now for the numbers showing what actually happens. In the 2023 cycle, Tennessee Wesleyan received 988 first-time applications and offered admission to 587 applicants. That is 59 out of every 100. Compared with the 942 schools in its reference group, it is on the low side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, accepted a higher percentage of their applicants. Admission is not guaranteed, but it is not a closed lottery either. The application is reviewed.
Here is something many families do not distinguish, and it is worth stating clearly: being admitted is not the same as enrolling. Of every 100 students Tennessee Wesleyan admitted for fall 2023, only 29 ultimately enrolled there. The other 71 had an acceptance letter in hand and still chose somewhere else. Compared with similar schools, that proportion of 29 is on the high side—at most of those schools, a smaller share of admitted students stays. This percentage does not measure how difficult it is to get in, which you already saw above; it measures what other families decided after receiving the letter. When your child's admissions decisions arrive, place the letters side by side and compare net price, program, and distance before the deposit deadline. That number does not decide for you.
The SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. It is worth knowing that, among enrolled students, only 6 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores—a sample so small, with fewer than 30 students, that the ranges the school reports—between 470 and 570 in reading and writing and between 490 and 530 in math—should not be read as either a threshold or a guarantee. With that amount of data, neither 470 is a cutoff nor 570 a sure pass.
Regarding transfers: in fall 2023, 138 undergraduates arrived at Tennessee Wesleyan for the first time after studying at another institution. That count places it in the upper half among its peers, although remember that this is a count of people, not a proportion, and it goes hand in hand with the school's size. What we do not know is how many leave: the transfer-out rate is not reported in the file. That does not prove no one transfers out; the data simply is not there.
The sticker price: $43,080, and what it includes
At Tennessee Wesleyan University, among 39 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 $11,734. Among 28 students in the same population whose EFC family income was between $48,001 and $75,000, it was $14,610; among 53 students whose EFC family income was above $110,000, it was $17,797. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 39 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 53 students, is $6,063. Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant, the average was $16,414.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, Tennessee Wesleyan falls in the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families after scholarships and grants are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a meaningful fact when you build the list of schools to which your child will apply.
None of these figures is a quote for your child. 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 after scholarships and grants, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The figure that matters is the aid letter you receive. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school's website.
The aid students receive—and the debt they take on
95 out of every 100 degree-seeking students here received a scholarship or grant that does not have to be repaid. Receiving something is the norm, not the exception. Among those who received it, the yearly average was $19,709—but that average is not spread across everyone: it counts only those who received something. In addition, 39 out of every 100 students received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need.
Be careful not to read a high number as a promise. It is what happened to other students in the 2022-23 academic year, not your child's probability or amount. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, what the deadlines are, and what happens to the scholarship if your child's grades decline.
Now for the other side: 58 out of every 100 undergraduates received a federal student loan that same year. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,624. Financing an education with debt is the norm here, not the exception. If your child borrows a similar amount each year during the program's four years, the total comes to about $26,496, not including interest. That calculation should be done before the first signature, not at the end. And remember: this average includes only federal loans in the student's name—it does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, debt from banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduation; calculating that would require adding all four years, and that number is not in this report. The institution also offers an installment tuition payment plan, if that helps organize the family budget.
Campus life: housing, athletics, the library, and support services
Tennessee Wesleyan has its own housing, with a maximum capacity of 446 students, either on or off campus. It does not require all full-time students to live there—but that does not mean no program or year has such a requirement. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week under the largest plan. Before removing room and board from your budget because you expect your child to live at home, ask for the exact rule that applies to your child's program and year, and ask whether housing is guaranteed or whether there is a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC, the school did not mark any opportunity in its most recent report—neither the general box nor any specific branch. Among the four-year institutions in this guide, 926 of 1,786 did mark it; Tennessee Wesleyan was not among them. That does not prove there is no nearby pathway, only that none was reported in this field. If that scholarship matters to your family, ask admissions about it directly before ruling the school out.
The school does compete in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. That membership belongs to the school, not your child: contact the coach of the sport that interests your child directly, ask whether there is a place on the team, which division the team competes in, and whether that sport awards scholarships. Ask for the answers in writing.
Regarding distance education, Tennessee Wesleyan offers it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, although it is a minority mode in practice—9 out of every 100 undergraduates take all their classes at a distance; the other 91 take at least one class in person. The school reports having at least one complete program that can be finished at a distance, but the data does not confirm whether that program is undergraduate or graduate—confirm that directly if it is relevant to your child.
The library employs staff, and its annual spending exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government—an indication that it operates with real resources, not an indication of its specific quality. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. Ask how long it takes for a book requested from another institution to arrive if that matters to you.
The institution also reports combined academic and career counseling services, employment services for current students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, and a published webpage for services for students with disabilities.
What happens after enrollment: retention and graduation
Here comes the most difficult part of the article, and I would rather give it to you directly than soften it.
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022 for the first time, full time, and seeking a bachelor's degree—196 students—64 out of every 100 were still enrolled there or had already completed the bachelor's degree one year later. The remainder, 71 people, fell outside that official outcome. The data does not say whether they transferred, paused their studies, began working, or had another reason—not appearing as retained does not mean someone gave up. Compared with 930 schools in its group, Tennessee Wesleyan is near the bottom: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, retained a larger share of their incoming cohort.
The graduation story is similar. Of the 204 full-time, first-time students who entered in 2017, 89 had earned a degree from this school six years later: 44 out of every 100. At four years, the figure falls to 35 out of every 100. Compared with 920 schools in its group, Tennessee Wesleyan is in the bottom quarter: three out of four similar schools, or more, graduated a larger share.
Put plainly: at six years, the split is nearly even between those who complete their degree there and those who do not. The report counts outcomes, not the reasons behind each case. This does not tell you what would happen to your child specifically—but it does give you a concrete question to ask during a visit: what support exists to help a student reach graduation, and how long does your child's intended program take on average?
There is a broader eight-year measurement that includes both students entering for the first time and those who already had prior college experience. Of that cohort of 426 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, 54 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 reporting date. Within that same group, Pell Grant recipients—students from lower-income families—had a notably lower outcome: 44 out of every 100 completed with a degree, 18 points below those who did not receive Pell Grants. Compared with 935 similar schools, the institution falls below the group's midpoint on this eight-year measurement.
This gap between Pell and non-Pell students is exactly the kind of issue worth raising directly with the school: what assigned advising exists, what emergency assistance is available, and whether internal scholarships are renewed each year. Ask for the answers in writing.
What each person is responsible for
These numbers do not predict what will happen to your child. They are the outcomes of entire cohorts of students with different stories. Your child is responsible for making an effort, staying curious, deciding to ask for help when needed, and taking responsibility in the classroom. The university is responsible for admitting students, awarding aid, and providing the support described here—and also for clearly answering the questions this article has left open. You are responsible for the family's money, deadlines, the FAFSA, written letters, and supporting your child without carrying the full weight of the decision alone.
You now know in detail one of the three pieces needed to decide: what Tennessee Wesleyan really is and offers, with its strong and difficult numbers placed side by side without a gloss. Combine that with what your child wants to study and has accomplished so far, and with what your family can and is willing to pay. A real plan comes from that combination, not from this one piece alone.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data the institution reported to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system, primarily from the 2023 cycle and the most recent available Carnegie classification. Best College Aid does not represent Tennessee Wesleyan University or any government agency; this article organizes public information to help you understand it and does not replace the official information the university itself can provide directly.