🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $12,798/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • In-state residents (tuition ~$10,924 — major value play)
  • Students focused on Business, Management, & Marketing (the school's signature program)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 995, 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
Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Total enrollment
864
Under 1,000
In-state tuition
$10,924
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$10,924
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
82.7%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
995–1150
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
19–23
composite
Test policy
Required
2023
10-yr earnings
$38,924
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
$36,151
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,924
4-year completion
37%
Median debt (completers)
$21,500
Cost of attendance
$24,750
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
36%

💰 True ROI

7.6× 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)
$51,192
$12,798/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$47,808
vs sticker $99,000
10-yr earnings total
$389,240
$38,924/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.3 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 The University of Tennessee Southern, the average net price is $12,798/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$9,335/yr
Family income $30-48k
$12,071/yr
Family income $48-75k
$15,343/yr
Family income $75-110k
$17,336/yr
Family income $110k+
$17,135/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 The University of Tennessee Southern's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from The University of Tennessee Southern →

Opens on The University of Tennessee Southern'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 The University of Tennessee Southern

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

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
41 degrees · 42.3%
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. Health Professions
17 degrees · 17.5%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
3. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
16 degrees · 16.5%
Typical career outcomes
Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k
Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.
4. Liberal Arts, Humanities, & General Studies
12 degrees · 12.4%
Typical career outcomes
Management Analyst $99k Marketing Specialist $75k HR Specialist $68k
Flexible degree → many paths. Real outcomes depend on the second skill (data, coding, teaching cert).
5. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
11 degrees · 11.3%
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.

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 The University of Tennessee Southern

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
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 42 $36,954 $59,648
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 7 $67,349 $45,980
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. Bachelor's Degree 11 $28,069 $39,192
Psychology, General. Bachelor's Degree $30,958 $38,072

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

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

The University of Tennessee Southern 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 The University of Tennessee Southern

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 The University of Tennessee Southern doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 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
University of Arkansas
AR · Public
15 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than The University of Tennessee Southern.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($11,292 less)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
$6,945/yr for $110k+ families ($10,190 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($7,967 less)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
NM · Public
$9,996/yr for $110k+ families ($7,139 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($6,709 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 83% here)
University of Memphis
TN · Public
93% admit rate (vs 83% here)

Building a college list?

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