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Cumberland University

Cumberland University is based in the town of Lebanon, TN — a private campus in a small-town setting. International students are a visible presence at Cumberland University — 6.8% of its 2,104 undergraduates come from outside the U.S.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$16,827

family income
under $30k

$18,220

$30–48k

$17,891

$48–75k

$19,155

$75–110k

$23,937

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$18,7592023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Cumberland University rose from $13,889 (2008) to $18,759 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$13,889
2009	$14,894
2010	$15,405
2011	$16,339
2012	$16,593
2013	$18,316
2014	$17,596
2015	$19,783
2016	$21,318
2017	$21,948
2018	$24,458
2019	$24,706
2020	$25,895
2021	$19,184
2022	$18,292
2023	$18,759

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$43,3582024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Cumberland University rose from $27,188 (2009) to $43,358 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$27,188
2010	$28,519
2011	$29,917
2012	$31,631
2013	$33,402
2014	$33,764
2015	$33,665
2016	$34,946
2017	$35,006
2018	$35,611
2019	$37,286
2020	$38,392
2021	$40,257
2022	$40,945
2023	$41,657
2024	$43,358

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$10,530
2001	$10,950
2002	$11,660
2003	$12,130
2004	$12,280
2005	$13,344
2006	$14,010
2007	$15,550
2008	$16,720
2013	$20,200
2014	$20,200
2015	$21,210
2016	$21,210
2017	$21,810
2018	$22,890
2019	$24,000
2020	$25,386
2021	$25,412
2022	$26,400
2023	$27,840

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $27,840 before grants and other attendance costs. At Cumberland University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

At 2,104 undergrads, Cumberland University is a mid-sized campus by U.S. standards.

45.6% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Cumberland University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

45.6%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Cumberland University rose from 27.9% (entered 1991) to 45.6% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	27.9%
1992 cohort	34.7%
1993 cohort	34.3%
1994 cohort	27.2%
1995 cohort	28.1%
1996 cohort	41.6%
1997 cohort	37.1%
1998 cohort	40.3%
1999 cohort	37.4%
2000 cohort	30.7%
2001 cohort	36%
2002 cohort	39.6%
2003 cohort	34.2%
2004 cohort	32%
2005 cohort	34.1%
2006 cohort	30.7%
2007 cohort	37.1%
2008 cohort	37.1%
2009 cohort	45%
2010 cohort	54.6%
2011 cohort	49.7%
2012 cohort	42.9%
2013 cohort	43.4%
2014 cohort	53.9%
2015 cohort	51.5%
2016 cohort	48.5%
2017 cohort	47%
2018 cohort	45.6%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$18,625	$5,463
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$18,000	$6,383
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$13,536	$6,576
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$15,669	$5,250
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$16,629	$5,250
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$16,275	$5,460
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$14,617	$5,979
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$16,250	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$18,250	$5,250
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,900	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,900	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,666	$5,805
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$19,274	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$22,500	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$22,125	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$21,000	$10,583
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$21,875	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$21,875	$9,450
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$21,720	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$23,250	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$23,000	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$20,500	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$18,632	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$17,952	$5,500

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$52,246

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$59,093

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$57,687

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Cumberland University admitted 1,680 of 2,495 applicants in Fall 2024. The 67.3% rate describes that application pool.

67.3%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $27,840 tuition · 2023–24 2,104 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Tests not considered · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Cumberland University received 2,495 applications and admitted 1,680 (67.3%), with 681 enrolling.

Cumberland University did not consider scores in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. No score range is displayed for Cumberland University under that historical policy.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Acceptance rate

67.3%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

The share admitted at Cumberland University declined from 78% to 67.3%; this does not establish why. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	78%
Fall 2002	73.3%
Fall 2003	66.3%
Fall 2004	74.2%
Fall 2005	69.1%
Fall 2006	41.5%
Fall 2007	61%
Fall 2008	58.8%
Fall 2009	56.9%
Fall 2010	56.4%
Fall 2011	48.6%
Fall 2012	47.1%
Fall 2013	47.3%
Fall 2014	46.4%
Fall 2015	49.1%
Fall 2016	48.9%
Fall 2017	54.1%
Fall 2018	61.7%
Fall 2019	61%
Fall 2020	53.8%
Fall 2021	57.8%
Fall 2022	66.2%
Fall 2023	67%
Fall 2024	67.3%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

910–1100Fall 2019 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2004	780	1050
Fall 2005	890	1060
Fall 2006	850	1020
Fall 2007	830	1030
Fall 2008	890	1060
Fall 2009	860	1070
Fall 2010	930	1120
Fall 2011	880	1130
Fall 2012	830	990
Fall 2013	850	1070
Fall 2014	890	1060
Fall 2015	880	1080
Fall 2016	830	1030
Fall 2017	1030	1170
Fall 2018	930	1090
Fall 2019	910	1100

IPEDS Fall 2004–2019, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

18–23Fall 2019 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	18	22
Fall 2002	17	22
Fall 2003	17	22
Fall 2004	17	22
Fall 2005	18	23
Fall 2006	18	22
Fall 2007	19	23
Fall 2008	19	23
Fall 2009	20	24
Fall 2010	20	25
Fall 2011	20	24
Fall 2012	19	23
Fall 2013	19	23
Fall 2014	20	25
Fall 2015	19	23
Fall 2016	19	23
Fall 2017	19	23
Fall 2018	19	23
Fall 2019	18	23

IPEDS Fall 2001–2019, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

2,104Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Cumberland University rose from 912 (Fall 2002) to 2,104 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	912
Fall 2003	921
Fall 2004	1,022
Fall 2005	1,083
Fall 2006	974
Fall 2007	994
Fall 2008	982
Fall 2009	990
Fall 2010	1,062
Fall 2011	1,185
Fall 2012	1,167
Fall 2013	1,198
Fall 2014	1,167
Fall 2015	1,144
Fall 2016	1,369
Fall 2017	1,658
Fall 2018	1,785
Fall 2019	1,919
Fall 2020	1,947
Fall 2021	1,870
Fall 2022	1,934
Fall 2023	2,053
Fall 2024	2,104

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

59%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Cumberland University fell from 68% (Fall 2002) to 59% (Fall 2023).

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	68%
Fall 2003 cohort	59%
Fall 2004 cohort	58%
Fall 2005 cohort	55%
Fall 2006 cohort	56%
Fall 2007 cohort	55%
Fall 2008 cohort	62%
Fall 2009 cohort	68%
Fall 2010 cohort	71%
Fall 2011 cohort	67%
Fall 2012 cohort	64%
Fall 2013 cohort	62%
Fall 2014 cohort	70%
Fall 2015 cohort	66%
Fall 2016 cohort	70%
Fall 2017 cohort	63%
Fall 2018 cohort	60%
Fall 2019 cohort	66%
Fall 2020 cohort	61%
Fall 2021 cohort	59%
Fall 2022 cohort	62%
Fall 2023 cohort	59%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Cumberland University

30.3% of Cumberland University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Cumberland University as a primarily residential campus of 2,104 undergraduates — and 59.5% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Cumberland University reported not considering test scores in Fall 2024, when its admission rate was 67.3%. Review Cumberland University's current requirements before applying; use the GPA calculator for your semester numbers.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Cumberland University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Cumberland University67.3%

Tennessee median69.3%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Cumberland University$27,840

Tennessee median$21,400

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Cumberland University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Cumberland University$57,687

Tennessee median$48,382

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Cumberland University, Tennessee and national reference values
Metric & basis	Cumberland University	Tennessee median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	67.3%	69.3%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$27,840	$21,400	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$57,687	$48,382	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Cumberland University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Cumberland University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 6 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$78,954
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$60,477
Accounting and Related Services	$51,366
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$51,032
Psychology, General	$42,713
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$41,369

These 6 fields listed for Cumberland University measure earnings after completion. The $57,687 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 28 additional Cumberland University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Cumberland University report?

Cumberland University did not consider scores in Fall 2024: 67.3% admitted. Check current requirements.

What is Cumberland University's acceptance rate?

67.3% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 1,680 admitted from 2,495 applicants.

How much does Cumberland University cost?

At Cumberland University, tuition is $27,840. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Cumberland University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $57,687. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Tennessee

Lipscomb University — 67.7% admitted
Bethel University — 60.2% admitted
Baptist Health Sciences University — 82% admitted
Johnson University — 65.1% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.