Private nonprofit · University

Fisk University

Nashville, Tennessee · Large city

#3 most selective in Tennessee
37.4%
Admit rate
$32,020
Avg net price
30%
Graduation rate
$45,454
Median earnings

Fisk University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Nashville, Tennessee (large city setting), enrolling 1,035 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,035 undergradsLarge citySelective · 37% admitNAIA Division ICold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Fisk University's admitted students.

Admit rate
37.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1140–1510
Avg GPA (est.)
3.53

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

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

About Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. In 1689, French-Canadian trader Martin Chartier established a trading post on the Cumberland River, near the present-day site of the city. Much of the city's cultural life has revolved around its large university community. Particularly significant in this respect were two groups of critics and writers who were associated with Vanderbilt University in the early 20th century: the Fugitives and the Agrarians. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Nashville, TN
To Great Lakes shore
378 miles
Nearest airport
8 miles to Nashville (BNA) · major hub

How Fisk University compares

Selectivity37.4%

More selective than 91% · #3 most selective of 37 in Tennessee

SAT average1200

Higher than 59%

Graduation rate30%

Higher than 11% · #38 of 43 in Tennessee

First-year retention74%

Higher than 42%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$45,454

Higher than 25% · #27 of 43 in Tennessee

Average net price$32,020

Cheaper than 12% · #41 cheapest of 42 in Tennessee

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,035

Larger than 38%

Percentiles compare Fisk 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

1,059students
  • Undergraduate1,03598%
  • Graduate242%

Undergraduates by gender

1,035undergrads
  • Women76774%
  • Men26826%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • Black79%
  • Hispanic0.8%
  • Asian6.9%
  • Other or multiracial13%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,035
Graduate enrollment
24
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
52%
First-generation students
27%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$30,520
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$55,044
Endowment
$41,256,925

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

Admissions

Admission rate
37.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1140–1510
SAT average
1200
SAT reading
570–720
SAT math
570–790
ACT composite
19–24
Average GPA (estimated)
3.53

Cost

In-state tuition
$25,858
Room & board
$14,540
Books & supplies
$2,000
Total cost of attendance
$39,450
Average net price
$32,020

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)
30%
Graduated on time (4 years)
24%
First-year retention
74%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$33,604
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$45,454
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
53%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
30%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
24%
Low-income (Pell)
31%
First-generation
29%

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
894
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
86%
Housing charge (year)
$6,568
Meal plan (year)
$5,130
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Varsity athletes
85 (28 men · 57 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 (6)

Basketball31
Gymnastics15
Volleyball15
Golf10
Cross Country10
Track and Field (Outdoor)4

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
6.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
10
Property offenses (2022–2024)
12

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,059 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.

7.3reported offenses a year
3.3 violent a year4.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
2.7
Aggravated assault
2.0
Burglary
1.0
Rape
0.7
Fondling
0.7
Arson
0.3

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
$27,647
$30–48k
$32,474
$48–75k
$34,204
$75–110k
$34,974
$110k+
$26,678

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
$146,210

$34,204/year × about 4.3 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.

85%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$18,651
average award, among those who get one

Fisk University discounts heavily: 85% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $18,651. 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)
$45,454
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
59%
Out-earn a HS grad
40%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.9 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
$47,251
Men
$40,099

Women out-earn men by $7,152 (18%) 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
89°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
53.2″
Annual snow
4.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.75.4JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN US station (4.5 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 Fisk University

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

Colleges near Fisk 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.