Private nonprofit · University

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee · Small suburb

90.5%
Admit rate
$20,251
Avg net price
53%
Graduation rate
$48,382
Median earnings

Carson-Newman University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Jefferson City, Tennessee (small suburb setting), enrolling 1,387 undergraduates. It has a Baptist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,387 undergradsSmall suburbAccessible · 90% admitNCAA Division II with football · South Atlantic ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Carson-Newman University's admitted students.

Admit rate
90.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
955–1215
Avg GPA (est.)
3.20

Enter a test score to see where you land against Carson-Newman University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Carson-Newman University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Jefferson City, Tennessee

Jefferson City is a city in Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States. Heading southwest along the Holston River from Virginia, Adam and Elizabeth Peck arrived on the banks of Mossy Creek in 1788, soon settling the area with a fort, a house of worship, and a gristmill. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
290 miles
Nearest airport
35 miles to McGhee Tyson (TYS) · major hub

How Carson-Newman University compares

Selectivity90.5%

More selective than 23% · #32 most selective of 37 in Tennessee

SAT average1117

Higher than 35%

Graduation rate53%

Higher than 46% · #18 of 43 in Tennessee

First-year retention74%

Higher than 43%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$48,382

Higher than 34% · #22 of 43 in Tennessee

Average net price$20,251

Cheaper than 49% · #25 cheapest of 42 in Tennessee

Median debt at graduation$21,500

Lower than 63%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,387

Larger than 47%

Percentiles compare Carson-Newman University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Tennessee.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,460students
  • Undergraduate1,38756%
  • Graduate1,07344%

Undergraduates by gender

1,387undergrads
  • Women77956%
  • Men60844%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White72%
  • Black10%
  • Hispanic5.7%
  • Asian0.9%
  • Other or multiracial11%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,387
Graduate enrollment
1,073
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
33%
First-generation students
35%
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$47,177
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$57,483
Endowment
$75,538,937

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 367 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Tennessee72%
  • Other U.S. states24%
  • International4.6%

Most first-years stay in state — Carson-Newman University draws overwhelmingly from Tennessee.

5% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
90.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
955–1215
SAT average
1117
SAT reading
500–645
SAT math
455–570
ACT composite
19–25
Average GPA (estimated)
3.20

Cost

In-state tuition
$34,700
Room & board
$11,800
Books & supplies
$1,600
Total cost of attendance
$49,024
Average net price
$20,251

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
53%
Graduated on time (4 years)
45%
First-year retention
74%
Transferred to another college
26%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$39,324
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$48,382
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Students with federal loans
46%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
56%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
45%
Low-income (Pell)
50%
First-generation
49%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,147
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
83%
Housing charge (year)
$4,457
Meal plan (year)
$6,050
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
South Atlantic Conference
Varsity athletes
567 (382 men · 185 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Football186
Track and Field (Outdoor)71
Baseball67
Soccer51
Swimming38
Basketball27
Softball25
Volleyball25
Tennis21
Beach Volleyball20
Cross Country19
Golf17

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
5
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,669 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

1.7reported offenses a year
1.7 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
1.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$16,672
$30–48k
$16,446
$48–75k
$17,313
$75–110k
$21,209
$110k+
$28,621

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$73,174

$17,313/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$19,228
average award, among those who get one

Carson-Newman University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $19,228. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 299 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$48,382
Typical debt at graduation
$21,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
44%
Out-earn a HS grad
59%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$45,306
Men
$51,516

Men out-earn women by $6,210 (14%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
87°F
Winter low
24°F
Annual rain
48.5″
Annual snow
3″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jefferson City, TN US station (1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Carson-Newman University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Carson-Newman University side by side →

Colleges near Carson-Newman University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.