🎓 College profile

Johnson University

TN · Private nonprofit · Fringe rural · 610 applicants 2023

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students.

✅ Best for

  • Students focused on Theology & Religious Vocations (the school's signature program)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 890, or ACT below 19 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M2: Master's - Medium Programs
Total enrollment
743
Under 1,000
In-state tuition
$21,122
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$21,122
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
53.8%
Moderately selective
SAT middle 50%
890–1090
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
19–24
composite
Test policy
Required
2023
10-yr earnings
$40,596
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$35,649
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,596
4-year completion
57%
Median debt (completers)
$21,500
Cost of attendance
$34,244
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
39%

💰 True ROI

4.6× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$88,252
$22,063/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$48,724
vs sticker $136,976
10-yr earnings total
$405,960
$40,596/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
2.2 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Johnson University, the average net price is $22,063/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$17,246/yr
Family income $30-48k
$19,212/yr
Family income $48-75k
$23,206/yr
Family income $75-110k
$25,075/yr
Family income $110k+
$24,860/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Johnson University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Johnson University →

Opens on Johnson University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Johnson University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Johnson University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Theology & Religious Vocations
45 degrees · 42.1%
2. Psychology
20 degrees · 18.7%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
3. Education
19 degrees · 17.8%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
4. Business, Management, & Marketing
14 degrees · 13.1%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
5. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness
9 degrees · 8.4%
Typical career outcomes
Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k
Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Johnson University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Bible/Biblical Studies. Bachelor's Degree 157 $32,078 $39,600

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Johnson University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Johnson University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Johnson University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Louisville
KY · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Arkansas
AR · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Mississippi
MS · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Kentucky
KY · Public
13 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Johnson University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($19,017 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($17,915 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($14,864 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($14,434 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($14,267 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Austin Peay State University
TN · Public
96% admit rate (vs 54% here)
University of Memphis
TN · Public
93% admit rate (vs 54% here)
Tennessee State University
TN · Public
93% admit rate (vs 54% here)
The University of Tennessee-Martin
TN · Public
87% admit rate (vs 54% here)
East Tennessee State University
TN · Public
87% admit rate (vs 54% here)

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