Skip to content

Private nonprofit · 4-year

Tusculum University

Greeneville, Tennessee

24
F
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Poor value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Poor return
$-15,706 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.

12 yrs
Break-even
-17%
10-year ROI
$52,729
Median earnings as of 2024
71% of Tusculum University students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$21,131
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$52,729
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$48,874
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$23,250
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
26%
Graduation rate as of 2024
71%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
62%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
63%
Retention rate as of 2024

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.

$-15,706
After 10 years
$61,584
After 20 years
$138,874
After 30 years
$216,164
After 40 years

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.

By gender
Women
$41,259
Men
$50,130

18% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$39,321
From higher-income families
$54,315

28% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$43,322
Independent students
$45,584

5% gap between the two groups

45%
First-generation students
53%
Take federal student loans
97%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 47%Hispanic 6%Asian 1%Black 13%Other 34%

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 incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$20,766
$30k–$48k$15,124
$48k–$75k$17,519
$75k–$110k$22,981
$110k+$25,563

How Tusculum 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 Tusculum University students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

Advertisement

Best-paying majors at Tusculum 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.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's$71,163$23,497+415%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate$86,783$19,425+356%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$58,012$24,812+154%Strong return
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsCertificate$52,729-9%Poor return
Psychology, GeneralAssociate's$40,794$26,630-181%Poor return
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessAssociate's$40,094$21,100-198%Poor return
Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralAssociate's$25,866-553%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Tusculum University

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

Advertisement

Admissions & profile

72%
Admission rate
0
Average SAT
22
Median ACT
785
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

More colleges in Tennessee