Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, Tennessee · Private nonprofit · 4-year · Suburb
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $24,345What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 66%
- Graduation rate
- 50%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 2,773
- In-state tuition
- $27,300Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $27,300
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $53,723Median 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
$24,3453/5
Better than 41% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
50%2/5
Better than 35% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$53,7233/5
Better than 48% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
$24,5003/5
Better than 53% 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
$38,618
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$24,345
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 | 83% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $24,500 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $53,723 |
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 | $66,005 | 63 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $43,283 | 15 |
| Biology, General | Not reported | 38 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Not reported | 21 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Not reported | 20 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Not reported | 17 |
| Social Work | Not reported | 15 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Not reported | 14 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 12 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Not reported | 12 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not reported | 8 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Not reported | 7 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 7 |
| Psychology, General | Not reported | 7 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Not reported | 7 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Not reported | 7 |
| Marketing | Not reported | 6 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Not reported | 6 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Not reported | 6 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 5 |
| Journalism | Not reported | 5 |
| Political Science and Government | Not reported | 5 |
| History | Not reported | 5 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Literature | Not reported | 4 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Not reported | 4 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Not reported | 3 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Not reported | 3 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Not reported | 3 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Not reported | 3 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | Not reported | 3 |
| International Business | Not reported | 2 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 2 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | Not reported | 2 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Not reported | 2 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Not reported | 2 |
| Music | Not reported | 2 |
| Archeology | Not reported | 2 |
| Physics | Not reported | 2 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | 1 |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | Not reported | 1 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Not reported | 1 |
| Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other | Not reported | 1 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Not reported | 1 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | Not reported | 1 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Not reported | 1 |
| Religious Education | Not reported | 1 |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | Not reported | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Not reported | Not reported |
| Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology | Not reported | Not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Economics | Not reported | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Computer Programming | Not reported | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Not reported | Not reported |
| Education, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Not reported | Not reported |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Not reported | Not reported |
| Communications Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | Not reported |
| Museology/Museum Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering Mechanics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Not reported | Not reported |
| Sociology | Not reported | Not reported |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Not reported | Not reported |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Not reported | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Not reported | Not reported |
| Construction Management | Not reported | Not reported |
| Public Health | Not reported | Not reported |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Not reported | Not reported |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | Not reported | Not reported |
| Data Analytics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | Not reported | Not reported |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Not reported | Not reported |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Religious Music and Worship | Not reported | Not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | Not reported |
All 92 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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