Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University, or TSU, is a comprehensive, urban, coeducational land-grant university in the United States. The main campus is spread across an area of 450 acres and consists of more than 65 buildings. TSU offers more than 40 bachelor degree programs and over 20 master degree programs. The university is organized into the following academic divisions:
TSU’s sports teams are part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and they are nicknamed the Tigers.

The school is known for its programs in drama and performing arts.
Tennessee State does not offer open admission. Three quarters of students in 2007 had SAT verbal scores of at least 400. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 390 and 480.
Tennessee State has a tenure system for senior faculty.
The school had 9,065 enrolled students in 2007. Tennessee State has a large minority student population.
The school offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. Tennessee State offers students meal plans. The school values student athletics, and belongs to the Ohio Valley Conference.
More complete details are provided below.
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Blvd
Nashville, TN 37209-1561
General Phone: (615) 963-5111
http://www.tnstate.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts | 242 | liberal arts and sciences, English, political science, sociology, general studies, history, foreign language and literature, African-American studies |
| Education And Teaching | 239 | educational administration, curriculum and instruction, elementary school teaching, school counseling, special ed, early childhood education, music teaching, family/home economics teaching |
| Business And Management | 186 | business management, accounting, managerial economics |
| Nursing And Emergency Medicine | 136 | registered nursing |
| Therapy And Counseling | 106 | psychology, physical therapy, school psychology |
| Medical Support And Technology | 84 | dental hygienist, audiology and speech pathology, respiratory care tech, clinical lab tech |
| Science | 76 | biology, chemistry, physics |
| Family And Social Work | 76 | family resource management, public administration, social work |
| Engineering | 60 | electrical engineering, engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, architectural engineering |
| Security And Law Enforcement | 56 | criminal justice and administration |
| Drama And Performing Arts | 55 | drama |
| Nutrition And Exercise Therapy | 45 | health and physical education, occupational therapy |
| Medical Administration | 33 | medical records admin, health care administration |
| Computer Science And Engineering | 26 | computer science, computer engineering |
| Office And Administration | 24 | office management |
| Medicine | 24 | health professions |
| Agricultural Science And Management | 18 | agriculture |
| Mathematics | 12 | mathematics |
| Art Studies | 8 | art studies |
| Music | 5 | music |
| Hospitality | 0 | hotel management |
Number of programs and degrees for Tennessee State in 2007:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 982 | 44 |
| Master's degree | 328 | 25 |
| Associate's degree | 114 | 2 |
| Doctor's degree | 46 | 5 |
| Post-master's certificate | 35 | 3 |
| Postbaccalaureate certificate | 6 | 1 |
Tennessee State is a historically black college.
In 2007, Tennessee State had a total enrollment of 9,065 students (7,746 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 36% |
| Women | 64% |
| Full-Time | 98% |
| Part-Time | 2% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 76% |
| Graduate | 24% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 24% |
| Black | 72% |
| Hispanic | 1% |
| Asian | 2% |
| American Indian | 0% |
| Unknown | 0% |
| (Foreign Students) | 1% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 0% |
| 18-19 | 21% |
| 20-21 | 20% |
| 22-24 | 20% |
| 25-29 | 14% |
| 30-34 | 8% |
| 35-39 | 6% |
| 40-49 | 7% |
| 50-64 | 4% |
| 65+ | 0% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | 65% |
| Illinois | 7% |
| Georgia | 6% |
| Michigan | 5% |
| Ohio | 3% |
| West Virginia | 2% |
| Missouri | 2% |
| Indiana | 1% |
| Alabama | 1% |
| Texas | 1% |
| California | 1% |
| Florida | 1% |
| Kentucky | 1% |
| Maryland | 1% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 70 % |
| Part-Time | 45 % |
Tennessee State offers campus housing for 2,973 of its 7,746 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of Nashville, Tennessee for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Tennessee Colleges).
The school offers students a meal plan with 19 meals per week.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 4,119 | 2,644 | 64% | 1,228 | 46% |
| Men | 1,407 | 865 | 61% | 439 | 51% |
| Women | 2,712 | 1,779 | 66% | 789 | 44% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 400 | 480 |
| SAT Math | 390 | 480 |
| SAT Writing | 395 | 475 |
| ACT Verbal | 15 | 20 |
| ACT Math | 15 | 19 |
| ACT Composite | 16 | 20 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | recommended |
| Class Rank | not required |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | recommended |
| Recommendations | not required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | not required |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 13% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 87% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 4,886 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 15,162 |
| Room and board | $ 3,990 |
| Room charge | $ 2,380 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 1,810 |
| Books and supplies | $ 1,400 |
| Other expenses | $ 3,700 |
Financial Aid:
Tennessee State participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 352200)
Tennessee State has a tenure system for faculty.
Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Tenured | 130 | 89 |
| Non-tenured, but on tenure track | 65 | 52 |
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 52 | 61 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | calendar year | 4 | $122,560 | 5 | $77,901 |
| Associate professor | calendar year | 4 | $82,032 | 8 | $67,587 |
| Assistant professor | calendar year | 5 | $63,836 | 15 | $53,644 |
| Instructor | calendar year | 2 | * | 4 | $48,074 |
| No academic rank | calendar year | 16 | $58,857 | 10 | $56,180 |
| All faculty total | calendar year | 31 | $69,918 | 42 | $59,261 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 77 | $74,073 | 28 | $67,142 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 53 | $55,825 | 42 | $52,443 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 62 | $52,837 | 55 | $46,398 |
| Instructor | academic year | 5 | $42,088 | 18 | $44,361 |
| No academic rank | academic year | 13 | $55,140 | 17 | $47,943 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 210 | $61,264 | 160 | $51,550 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences:
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Football | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Basketball | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Baseball | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Track | Ohio Valley Conference |
Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 85 | 62 | 147 |
| Football | 55 | 0 | 55 |
| Track | 13 | 15 | 28 |
| Basketball | 8 | 14 | 22 |
| All Other Sports | 9 | 33 | 42 |
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
Agriculture, General
ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Managerial Economics
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Curriculum and Instruction
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Elementary Education and Teaching
Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
Music Teacher Education
Special Education and Teaching, General
ENGINEERING
Architectural Engineering
Civil Engineering, General
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering, General
Mechanical Engineering
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Family Resource Management Studies, General
Public Administration
Social Work
HOSPITALITY
Hotel/Motel Administration/Management
LIBERAL ARTS
African-American/Black Studies
English Language and Literature, General
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
General Studies
History, General
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Political Science and Government, General
Sociology
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General
MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator
Health/Health Care Administration/Management
MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY
Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
MEDICINE
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Health and Physical Education, General
Occupational Therapy/Therapist
OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATION
Office Management and Supervision
SCIENCE
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Physics, General
SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Physical Therapy/Therapist
Psychology, General
School Psychology
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets Tennessee State Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| % of degrees in drama and performing arts (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 9% | ![]() |
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 10% | ![]() |
| Lowest tuition & fees (in-state) (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 14% | ![]() |
| Dorm rooms per full-time student (vs. all colleges) | Top 16% | ![]() |
| Faculty/student ratio (full-time) (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| Minority % of student body (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| Degrees concentrated in limited number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | ![]() |
Notable:
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career services
On-campus day care
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Offers a board (meal) plan
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (air force)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member
Try our unique CollegeMatch™ tool to find schools similar to Tennessee State.
Click occupation names for extensive details, including salary and other job data.
(Based on an automated mapping of degrees popular at Tennessee State with government-defined occupation categories)
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