Private nonprofit · University

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee · Large city

#5 graduation rate in Tennessee
67.7%
Admit rate
$24,739
Avg net price
72%
Graduation rate
$55,541
Median earnings

Lipscomb University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Nashville, Tennessee (large city setting), enrolling 2,997 undergraduates. It has a Churches of Christ religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,997 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 68% admitNCAA Division I without footballCold winters

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
67.7%
SAT (mid 50%)
1160–1380
Avg GPA (est.)
3.57

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

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Lipscomb 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
4 miles to Nashville, TN
To the ocean
378 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to Nashville (BNA) · major hub

How Lipscomb University compares

Selectivity67.7%

More selective than 67% · #16 most selective of 37 in Tennessee

SAT average1256

Higher than 72%

Graduation rate72%

Higher than 81% · #5 of 43 in Tennessee

First-year retention84%

Higher than 72%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,541

Higher than 55% · #11 of 43 in Tennessee

Average net price$24,739

Cheaper than 29% · #35 cheapest of 42 in Tennessee

Median debt at graduation$19,500

Lower than 78%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment2,997

Larger than 69%

Percentiles compare Lipscomb 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

4,678students
  • Undergraduate2,99764%
  • Graduate1,68136%

Undergraduates by gender

2,997undergrads
  • Women1,93965%
  • Men1,05835%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White66%
  • Black7.2%
  • Hispanic13%
  • Asian3.1%
  • Other or multiracial11%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,997
Graduate enrollment
1,681
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
24%
First-generation students
24%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$47,725
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$79,488
Endowment
$117,264,975

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

Admissions

Admission rate
67.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1160–1380
SAT average
1256
SAT reading
590–700
SAT math
570–680
ACT composite
23–30
Average GPA (estimated)
3.57

Cost

In-state tuition
$40,572
Room & board
$15,424
Books & supplies
$1,700
Total cost of attendance
$55,117
Average net price
$24,739

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)
72%
Graduated on time (4 years)
62%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$50,454
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,541
Median debt at graduation
$19,500
Students with federal loans
29%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
65%

About 10% 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
62%
Low-income (Pell)
58%
First-generation
55%

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
1,600
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
53%
Housing charge (year)
$8,252
Meal plan (year)
$6,552
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
380 (205 men · 175 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 (8)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)188
Soccer56
Baseball39
Basketball26
Softball20
Golf19
Tennis17
Volleyball15

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)
8
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,017 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.

3.0reported offenses a year
2.7 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
2.3
Rape
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
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
$20,048
$30–48k
$20,009
$48–75k
$24,124
$75–110k
$25,210
$110k+
$31,265

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
$101,350

$24,124/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.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$22,942
average award, among those who get one

Lipscomb University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $22,942. 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 696 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)
$55,541
Typical debt at graduation
$19,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
35%
Out-earn a HS grad
65%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 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
$51,609
Men
$68,238

Men out-earn women by $16,629 (32%) 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 (5.9 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 Lipscomb University

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

Colleges near Lipscomb 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.