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Fisk University

Fisk University is a private campus in Nashville proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. It is one of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities — a federally recognized designation.

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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

$21,410

family income
under $30k

$24,865

$30–48k

$27,075

$48–75k

$35,437

$75–110k

$30,281

over $110k

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

Average net price

$32,0202023–24Skip 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 Fisk University rose from $19,284 (2008) to $32,020 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$19,284
2009	$19,814
2010	$20,120
2011	$17,272
2012	$20,875
2013	$22,012
2014	$15,975
2015	$28,719
2016	$28,362
2017	$29,114
2018	$24,225
2019	$22,060
2020	$23,136
2021	$29,632
2022	$26,135
2023	$32,020

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$39,4502024–25Skip 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 Fisk University rose from $28,701 (2009) to $39,450 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$28,701
2010	$30,058
2011	$31,267
2012	$33,244
2013	$38,893
2014	$36,781
2015	$36,547
2016	$38,085
2017	$38,698
2018	$37,070
2019	$37,028
2020	$37,482
2021	$35,266
2022	$39,142
2023	$37,653
2024	$39,450

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
2001	$9,790
2002	$10,400
2003	$11,535
2004	$12,410
2005	$12,480
2006	$13,970
2007	$15,620
2008	$16,240
2013	$20,449
2014	$20,858
2015	$21,480
2016	$21,480
2017	$21,480
2018	$21,480
2019	$22,132
2020	$22,132
2021	$22,906
2022	$23,578
2023	$24,298

IPEDS Published price 2001–02 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $25,858 before grants and other attendance costs. At Fisk University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 1,035 — Fisk University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

29.9% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Fisk 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

29.9%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 Fisk University fell from 46.2% (entered 1991) to 29.9% (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	46.2%
1992 cohort	55.5%
1993 cohort	64.6%
1994 cohort	57%
1995 cohort	61%
1996 cohort	61.9%
1997 cohort	77.7%
1998 cohort	63.8%
1999 cohort	57.7%
2000 cohort	56.9%
2001 cohort	53.4%
2002 cohort	53.2%
2003 cohort	56.8%
2004 cohort	58.7%
2005 cohort	45.3%
2006 cohort	53.6%
2007 cohort	52.2%
2008 cohort	40.2%
2009 cohort	52.8%
2010 cohort	44.2%
2011 cohort	51.7%
2012 cohort	44.3%
2013 cohort	50.2%
2014 cohort	50.5%
2015 cohort	45.7%
2016 cohort	56.1%
2017 cohort	43.5%
2018 cohort	29.9%

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)	$17,500	$4,000
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$18,650	$6,563
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$17,750	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$19,563	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$19,500	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$18,625	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$17,125	$6,349
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,125	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$19,625	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$23,500	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$24,815	$12,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$25,813	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$29,798	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$27,425	$12,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$27,000	$16,750
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$26,000	$16,000
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$27,000	$16,000
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$27,000	$20,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$26,000	$17,250
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$27,000	$12,125
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$27,000	$12,000

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

$33,604

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$32,162

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$45,454

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

Fisk University admitted 4,274 of 11,421 applicants in Fall 2024. The 37.4% rate describes that application pool.

37.4%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $24,298 tuition · 2023–24 1,035 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1140–15101600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Fisk University received 11,421 applications and admitted 4,274 (37.4%), with 374 enrolling.

Fisk University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Fisk University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 570–720 and Math was 570–790 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1140–1510 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	570	650	720
SAT Math	570	770	790
ACT Composite	19	21	24

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

Acceptance rate

37.4%Fall 2024Skip to data table

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

Read Fisk University's change from 90.8% to 37.4% as a share of applications, not an explanation of admissions decisions. This describes Fall 2013 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	50.7%
Fall 2002	74.2%
Fall 2003	67.3%
Fall 2004	65.6%
Fall 2005	79.7%
Fall 2006	67.7%
Fall 2007	35.8%
Fall 2008	54.1%
Fall 2009	63.8%
Fall 2010	61%
Fall 2011	98.2%
Fall 2012	—
Fall 2013	90.8%
Fall 2014	83.5%
Fall 2015	80.9%
Fall 2016	78.5%
Fall 2017	45.4%
Fall 2018	71.5%
Fall 2019	93.4%
Fall 2020	66.5%
Fall 2021	61.1%
Fall 2022	71%
Fall 2023	57.9%
Fall 2024	37.4%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1140–1510Fall 2024 · 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	810	1020
Fall 2005	850	1100
Fall 2006	890	1090
Fall 2007	900	1120
Fall 2008	815	1030
Fall 2009	788	1028
Fall 2010	816	1158
Fall 2011	830	1080
Fall 2012	810	1110
Fall 2013	850	870
Fall 2014	790	1090
Fall 2015	790	1040
Fall 2016	820	1010
Fall 2017	940	1260
Fall 2018	890	1120
Fall 2019	930	1150
Fall 2020	990	1210
Fall 2021	1060	1360
Fall 2022	1090	1450
Fall 2023	1160	1480
Fall 2024	1140	1510

IPEDS Fall 2004–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

19–24Fall 2024 · 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	16	21
Fall 2002	16	21
Fall 2003	16	22
Fall 2004	17	21
Fall 2005	18	22
Fall 2006	19	23
Fall 2007	20	25
Fall 2008	17	22
Fall 2009	18	22
Fall 2010	17	23
Fall 2011	18	24
Fall 2012	17	22
Fall 2013	17	18
Fall 2014	17	23
Fall 2015	17	23
Fall 2016	17	22
Fall 2017	16	22
Fall 2018	17	23
Fall 2019	18	24
Fall 2020	20	26
Fall 2021	19	26
Fall 2022	19	25
Fall 2023	20	25
Fall 2024	19	24

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, 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

1,035Fall 2024Skip to data table

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

Undergraduate enrollment at Fisk University rose from 792 (Fall 2002) to 1,035 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	792
Fall 2003	850
Fall 2004	794
Fall 2005	813
Fall 2006	894
Fall 2007	761
Fall 2008	675
Fall 2009	593
Fall 2010	519
Fall 2011	480
Fall 2012	580
Fall 2013	611
Fall 2014	721
Fall 2015	806
Fall 2016	723
Fall 2017	664
Fall 2018	743
Fall 2019	840
Fall 2020	879
Fall 2021	914
Fall 2022	1,009
Fall 2023	950
Fall 2024	1,035

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

74%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 Fisk University has wandered from Fall 2003 to Fall 2023 — up to 86% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 74%.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	82%
Fall 2004 cohort	86%
Fall 2005 cohort	81%
Fall 2006 cohort	82%
Fall 2007 cohort	75%
Fall 2008 cohort	81%
Fall 2009 cohort	72%
Fall 2010 cohort	79%
Fall 2011 cohort	85%
Fall 2012 cohort	70%
Fall 2013 cohort	82%
Fall 2014 cohort	81%
Fall 2015 cohort	78%
Fall 2016 cohort	81%
Fall 2017 cohort	81%
Fall 2018 cohort	78%
Fall 2019 cohort	80%
Fall 2020 cohort	63%
Fall 2021 cohort	79%
Fall 2022 cohort	73%
Fall 2023 cohort	74%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Fisk University

51.8% of Fisk University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Fisk University as a primarily residential campus of 1,035 undergraduates — and 73.8% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Fisk University's SAT section-percentile sums are 1140–1510 — their midpoint is above the TN four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Fisk University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

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 Fisk 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

Fisk University37.4%

Tennessee median69.3%

National median76.8%

Tuition

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

Fisk University$25,858

Tennessee median$21,400

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

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

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

Fisk University$45,454

Tennessee median$48,382

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Fisk University, Tennessee and national reference values
Metric & basis	Fisk University	Tennessee median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	37.4%	69.3%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$25,858	$21,400	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$45,454	$48,382	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

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

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

View 3 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$63,733
Psychology, General	$57,147
Biology, General	$50,768

These 3 fields listed for Fisk University measure earnings after completion. The $45,454 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 19 additional Fisk University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Fisk University report?

Fisk University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1140–1510 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Fisk University's acceptance rate?

37.4% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 4,274 admitted from 11,421 applicants.

How much does Fisk University cost?

At Fisk University, tuition is $25,858. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Fisk University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $45,454. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Tennessee

Freed-Hardeman University — 59.7% admitted
Rhodes College — 50.4% admitted
The University of the South — 56.9% admitted
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville — 41.6% 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.