Carson-Newman University
Jefferson City, Tennessee · Private nonprofit · 4-year · Suburb
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $20,251What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 90%
- Graduation rate
- 50%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 1,387
- In-state tuition
- $34,700Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $34,700
- SAT midpoint
- 1,045
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $48,382Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$20,2514/5
Better than 65% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
50%2/5
Better than 35% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$48,3822/5
Better than 32% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
$21,5004/5
Better than 74% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$49,024
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$20,251
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 50% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 74% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $21,500 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $48,382 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $56,509 | 47 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $44,404 | 10 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $43,685 | 14 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $42,904 | 51 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $42,222 | 15 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $28,221 | 5 |
| Psychology, General | $28,217 | 35 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $25,972 | 47 |
| Biology, General | Not reported | 25 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Not reported | 14 |
| Political Science and Government | Not reported | 11 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Not reported | 10 |
| Human Services, General | Not reported | 8 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Not reported | 8 |
| Music | Not reported | 7 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Not reported | 7 |
| Physics | Not reported | 7 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Not reported | 6 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | Not reported | 6 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Not reported | 6 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 6 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Not reported | 5 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 5 |
| History | Not reported | 4 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | 4 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Not reported | 4 |
| Sociology | Not reported | 4 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Not reported | 4 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Not reported | 3 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Not reported | 2 |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | Not reported | 2 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 2 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Not reported | 1 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Not reported | 1 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 1 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | Not reported | 1 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Not reported | 1 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Housing and Human Environments | Not reported | Not reported |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering Physics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | Not reported | Not reported |
| Psychology, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| International Business | Not reported | Not reported |
| Economics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Apparel and Textiles | Not reported | Not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Not reported | Not reported |
| Journalism | Not reported | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Not reported | Not reported |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Not reported | Not reported |
| Education, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Marketing | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Not reported | Not reported |
| Social Sciences, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Not reported | Not reported |
All 64 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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