🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $13,359/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$10,266 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Visual & Performing Arts (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1000, or ACT below 19 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • Out-of-state tuition is 3.1× the in-state rate

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
R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity
Total enrollment
16,301
20,000 and above
In-state tuition
$10,266
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$31,574
+$21,308 vs in-state
Admit rate
68.0%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%
1000–1230
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
19–26
composite
Test policy
Required
2023
10-yr earnings
$48,541
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
$39,941
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,541
4-year completion
54%
Median debt (completers)
$20,000
Cost of attendance
$24,289
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
32%

💰 True ROI

9.1× 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)
$53,436
$13,359/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$43,720
vs sticker $97,156
10-yr earnings total
$485,410
$48,541/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.1 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 Middle Tennessee State University, the average net price is $13,359/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$9,289/yr
Family income $30-48k
$10,273/yr
Family income $48-75k
$13,007/yr
Family income $75-110k
$16,935/yr
Family income $110k+
$19,046/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 Middle Tennessee State University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Middle Tennessee State University →

Opens on Middle Tennessee State 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 Middle Tennessee State University

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
719 degrees · 34.8%
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.
2. Visual & Performing Arts
506 degrees · 24.5%
Typical career outcomes
Graphic Designer $59k Art Director $106k Multimedia Artist / Animator $99k Musician / Singer $39k
Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.
3. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
374 degrees · 18.1%
Typical career outcomes
Project Manager $99k Management Analyst $99k Research Analyst $79k
Often paired with another field (data + biology, design + tech). Outcomes match the second discipline.
4. Psychology
255 degrees · 12.3%
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.
5. Transportation & Materials Moving
212 degrees · 10.3%

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 Middle Tennessee State 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
Construction Management. Bachelor's Degree 51 $71,762 $98,967
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 83 $57,653 $96,485
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 44 $71,664 $92,533
Engineering-Related Fields. Bachelor's Degree 43 $67,431 $83,405
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General. Bachelor's Degree 22 $60,808 $80,541
Air Transportation. Bachelor's Degree 205 $43,909 $80,424
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 89 $65,839 $75,061
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree 74 $48,608 $75,044
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 81 $51,963 $73,702
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 17 $45,184 $69,300

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

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Middle Tennessee State University

CS degrees (annual)
90
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Middle Tennessee State 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 Middle Tennessee State 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 Middle Tennessee State University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Louisville
KY · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Middle Tennessee State University.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($13,203 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($12,101 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($9,878 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($9,050 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($8,620 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 68% here)
University of Memphis
TN · Public
93% admit rate (vs 68% here)
Tennessee State University
TN · Public
93% admit rate (vs 68% here)
The University of Tennessee-Martin
TN · Public
87% admit rate (vs 68% here)
East Tennessee State University
TN · Public
87% admit rate (vs 68% here)

Building a college list?

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