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Tennessee Colleges by the Numbers
38 four-year Tennessee colleges — click any for its profile: acceptance rates, SAT ranges, tuition for all 38, with Tennessee medians up top.
Tennessee's ten-year earnings benchmark of $48,382 sits 10% below the national median for college-goers. In Tennessee, 6 schools don't look at test scores at all, while 8 — including Baptist Health Sciences University — still require them. Tennessee has 38 four-year colleges with full admissions profiles here — from The University of Tennessee-Knoxville at 30,418 undergraduates down to campuses a fraction of that size.
The most selective door in the state is Vanderbilt University at 5.9% admitted; the most open is John A Gupton College at 100%. Published in-state tuition runs from $8,616 at the cheapest campus to $67,498 at the most expensive — a $58,882 spread inside Tennessee alone.
Each Tennessee school links to its profile — admissions, cost, earnings. To see where you stand in Tennessee, bring your saved calculator numbers.
Tennessee medians
| Acceptance rate | Tuition (in-state) | Median earnings (10 yr) | 6-yr graduation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 69.4% | $21,400 | $48,382 | 50.9% |
Medians across 44 active bachelor's-degree institutions in Tennessee; the table below lists the 38 with complete admissions records.
All Tennessee colleges in our data
| College | City | Acceptance | SAT middle 50% | Tuition (in) | Undergrads | Median earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay State University | Clarksville | 96.4% | 943–1165 | $9,006 | 7,560 | $44,301 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | Memphis | 82% | ACT 19–21 | $13,796 | 770 | $72,529 |
| Belmont University | Nashville | 95.3% | 1160–1350 | $42,540 | 7,137 | $55,930 |
| Bethel University | McKenzie | 60.2% | 625–1100 | $18,712 | 1,547 | $47,482 |
| Carson-Newman University | Jefferson City | 90.5% | 940–1130 | $34,700 | 1,387 | $48,382 |
| Christian Brothers University | Memphis | 86.7% | 1040–1300 | $38,420 | 905 | $57,478 |
| Cumberland University | Lebanon | 67.3% | not considered | $27,840 | 2,104 | $57,687 |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City | 86.2% | 950–1170 | $10,472 | 10,004 | $44,859 |
| Fisk University | Nashville | 37.4% | 1160–1480 | $25,858 | 1,035 | $45,454 |
| Freed-Hardeman University | Henderson | 59.7% | 934–1084 | $25,620 | 1,212 | $47,485 |
| Herzing University-Nashville | Nashville | 92.7% | not considered | $13,450 | 201 | $36,909 |
| John A Gupton College | Nashville | 100% | ACT 18–23 | $12,223 | 166 | $46,902 |
| Johnson University | Knoxville | 65.1% | 890–1090 | $21,122 | 743 | $40,596 |
| King University | Bristol | 99.7% | not considered | $36,194 | 908 | $59,831 |
| Le Moyne-Owen College | Memphis | 99.2% | not considered | $12,076 | 581 | $35,594 |
| Lee University | Cleveland | 70.5% | 1020–1240 | $23,790 | 2,617 | $43,222 |
| Lincoln Memorial University | Harrogate | 62.6% | 1006–1220 | $26,938 | 1,572 | $49,956 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville | 67.7% | 1145–1350 | $40,572 | 2,997 | $55,541 |
| Maryville College | Maryville | 60.9% | 1018–1188 | $39,284 | 1,005 | $49,279 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | 69.1% | 1000–1230 | $10,266 | 16,301 | $48,541 |
| Milligan University | Milligan | 72.3% | 1120–1290 | $40,450 | 818 | $46,641 |
| Nossi College of Art and Design | Nashville | 46.3% | not considered | $20,350 | 247 | $35,113 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis | 50.3% | 1290–1490 | $57,110 | 1,836 | $66,651 |
| Southern Adventist University | Collegedale | 65.5% | 970–1270 | $27,300 | 2,773 | $53,723 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville | 70.1% | 856–1068 | $8,616 | 4,848 | $42,730 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | 76.1% | 1020–1250 | $11,376 | 8,698 | $48,501 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University | Athens | 68.8% | 960–1100 | $30,814 | 846 | $45,989 |
| The University of Tennessee Southern | Pulaski | 86.7% | 995–1150 | $10,924 | 864 | $38,924 |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | Chattanooga | 81.1% | 1005–1185 | $10,448 | 10,074 | $51,151 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | Knoxville | 41.6% | 1190–1340 | $13,812 | 30,418 | $60,249 |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin | Martin | 88.2% | 1000–1210 | $10,560 | 4,866 | $44,213 |
| The University of the South | Sewanee | 56.9% | 1236–1398 | $56,120 | 1,607 | $64,911 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville | 69.4% | 973–1193 | $31,300 | 1,737 | $49,378 |
| Tusculum University | Greeneville | 72.2% | not considered | $29,250 | 785 | $44,367 |
| Union University | Jackson | 60.4% | 1030–1340 | $40,025 | 1,607 | $53,990 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis | 72% | 905–1205 | $10,728 | 12,701 | $48,458 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | 5.9% | 1510–1560 | $67,498 | 7,208 | $91,565 |
| Visible Music College | Memphis | 28% | ACT 17–24 | $22,000 | 79 | $35,933 |
Scores shown are among students who submitted them; "not considered" schools ignore tests entirely. Wondering where your own numbers fit? TheGPA calculator andSAT score calculator give you the other half of this table.
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01.