Tennessee State University
Nashville, Tennessee
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
10% gap between the two groups
23% gap between the two groups
15% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $15,005 |
| $30k–$48k | $15,840 |
| $48k–$75k | $15,579 |
| $75k–$110k | $20,624 |
| $110k+ | $20,099 |
How Tennessee State University compares
This college against the Tennessee and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Tennessee State University students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Tennessee State University
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Certificate | $80,187 | — | +2,128% | Strong return |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Certificate | $63,165 | $16,215 | +737% | Strong return |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's | $78,099 | $24,124 | +720% | Strong return |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Certificate | $106,173 | $50,468 | +650% | Strong return |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Master's | $88,762 | $77,348 | +632% | Strong return |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's | $63,262 | — | +478% | Strong return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Associate's | $68,010 | $26,471 | +458% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Certificate | $77,474 | $26,500 | +346% | Strong return |
| Computer Science | Associate's | $61,218 | $17,500 | +327% | Strong return |
| Public Administration | Certificate | $67,505 | — | +256% | Strong return |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's | $60,054 | $29,297 | +256% | Strong return |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Certificate | $68,740 | $41,000 | +204% | Strong return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's | $55,205 | $27,968 | +144% | Strong return |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Associate's | $54,837 | $25,000 | +142% | Strong return |
| Psychology, General | Certificate | $58,546 | — | +114% | Strong return |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Certificate | $56,020 | $41,000 | +41% | Break-even |
| Social Work | Certificate | $54,458 | $36,290 | +24% | Break-even |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's | $48,027 | $27,000 | -27% | Poor return |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's | $45,926 | $26,000 | -78% | Poor return |
| Agriculture, General | Associate's | $43,651 | $26,751 | -133% | Poor return |
| Political Science and Government | Associate's | $42,765 | $26,930 | -154% | Poor return |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Associate's | $41,776 | $28,750 | -177% | Poor return |
| Communication and Media Studies | Associate's | $40,921 | $29,250 | -197% | Poor return |
| Biology, General | Associate's | $40,944 | $27,000 | -198% | Poor return |
| Psychology, General | Associate's | $40,136 | $26,000 | -218% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Tennessee State University
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
Should this college make your shortlist?
Get our college-ROI brief — new federal data, best-value colleges and highest-ROI majors, straight to your inbox.