Cumberland University

Cumberland University logo
#2826 / #749
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#180
Most Desirable School
University in Tennessee, United States

Cumberland University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#749
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
67%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$28,540
Graduation rate
45%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
2,104

Reviewed by , Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error

Cumberland University Featured Rankings

About Cumberland University

According to Wikipedia, Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee. It was founded in 1842. The campus's current historic buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1842 and received its Tennessee state charter in 1843. In 1847 Cumberland Presbyterian church leaders added a law school, the first in Tennessee and the first west of the Appalachian Mountains, and in 1854 a school of theology was begun.

Cumberland University's Online Degrees

MA in Education
Degree Concentrations
  • Education
  • Required Credits: 30
  • Completion Time: 12 months
  • Format: Fully online
MSN in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
  • Nursing Education
  • Executive Leadership & Administrative
  • Required Credits: 36
  • Completion Time: 18 months
  • Format: Fully online
BSN in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
  • Nursing
  • Required Credits: 125
  • Completion Time: 48 months
  • Format: Fully online

Cumberland University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation Rate
2,78867%59%45%

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.

How Much Does Cumberland University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$28,540
Average Net Price by Family Income (2024–25)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$16,262
30K - 48K$15,798
48K - 75K$15,276
75K - 110K$14,054
110K+$19,402

Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.

How Much Do Cumberland University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Cumberland University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $66,885 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.

Cumberland University's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
3,6492,953696

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is Cumberland University?

Cumberland University is located at 1 Cumberland Square, Lebanon, TN 37087.

How Safe is Cumberland University?

No violent or property offenses were reported on Cumberland University’s campus in 2024. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.

Relative to its enrollment, Cumberland University has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Lebanon has a violent crime rate of 0.35% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.04%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.

What Is Cumberland University Known For?

Cumberland University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

Cumberland University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Cumberland University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence

History
#1852
World Rank
#1866
Historical Rank
#622
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #622 in the U.S. and #1852 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Political Science
#2773
World Rank
#2589
Historical Rank
#651
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #651 in the U.S. and #2773 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
Mathematics
#3328
World Rank
#2350
Historical Rank
#842
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #842 in the U.S. and #3328 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
Education
#4005
World Rank
#4015
Historical Rank
#919
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #919 in the U.S. and #4005 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Biology
#4146
World Rank
#4168
Historical Rank
#968
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #968 in the U.S. and #4146 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Business
#4108
World Rank
#4109
Historical Rank
#1106
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #1106 in the U.S. and #4108 worldwide for influence in Business.

business Degrees
Criminal Justice
#2368
World Rank
#2371
Historical Rank
#1209
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #1209 in the U.S. and #2368 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.

criminal-justice Degrees
Literature
#3830
World Rank
#3867
Historical Rank
#1261
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #1261 in the U.S. and #3830 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Medical
#4514
World Rank
#4515
Historical Rank
#1313
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #1313 in the U.S. and #4514 worldwide for influence in Medical.

medicine Degrees
Computer Science
#5734
World Rank
#5742
Historical Rank
#1367
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #1367 in the U.S. and #5734 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Chemistry
#5615
World Rank
#5624
Historical Rank
#1432
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #1432 in the U.S. and #5615 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Nursing
#3795
World Rank
#3796
Historical Rank
#1502
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #1502 in the U.S. and #3795 worldwide for influence in Nursing.

nursing Degrees
Sociology
#5781
World Rank
#5784
Historical Rank
#1967
USA Rank

Cumberland University ranks #1967 in the U.S. and #5781 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees

Who Are Cumberland University's Most Influential Alumni?

Cumberland University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Law, History, and Communications. Here are some of Cumberland University's most famous alumni:

John Bell
John Bell
An American lawyer and politician.
George Abram Miller
George Abram Miller
An American mathematician .
John Burgess
John Burgess
An American political scientist .
John Duncan Sr.
An American attorney and Republican politician .