Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, 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
Tennessee State University Featured Rankings
- #2 Tennessee's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Tennessee
- #3 Best Public Colleges in Tennessee
- #4 Best Grad Schools in Tennessee 2026
- #4 Most Affordable Online Master's of Speech Pathology Programs
- #4 Best Research Universities in Tennessee
- #4 Fastest Accelerated Online MBAs
- #4 Tennessee's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #5 Most Influential HBCUs
- #5 Best Colleges in Tennessee
- #5 HBCU Online Doctoral Programs
- #8 HBCU Online Master's Programs
- #9 Best Online HBCUs
- #9 Online Bachelor’s in Information Technology
- #10 Online Bachelor’s in Social Work
- #12 20 Most Affordable Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #12 Online Bachelor’s in Sociology
- #13 Online Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies
- #15 Online Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership
- #17 Online Master’s in Human Resources
- #22 Online Doctorate in Education
- #25 Online Master’s in Special Education
- #25 Online Master’s in Education
About Tennessee State University
According to Wikipedia, Tennessee State University is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Tennessee State University offers 41 bachelor's degrees, 23 master's degrees, and eight doctoral degrees. It is classified as "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Tennessee State University's Online Degrees
MEd in Career and Technical Education
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Curriculum and Instruction
Degree Concentrations
- Educational Technology
- Teaching English Language Learners
- Literacy in Education
- Reading
- Required Credits: 37
- Format: Fully online
BS in Health Information Management
Degree Concentrations
- Utilizing Technologies in Healthcare Organizations
- Format: Fully online
EdD in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Higher Education Leadership
- Pre-K - 12 Administration
- Required Credits: 60
- Format: Fully online
EdS in Instructional Leadership
Degree Concentrations
- Instructional Leadership
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Instructional Leadership
Degree Concentrations
- Licensure
- Non- Licensure
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
BS in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Holistic
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 45
- Format: Fully online
eMBA in Business Management
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 12 months
MPA in Public Administration
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Professional Science
Degree Concentrations
- Applied Geospatial Sciences
- Required Credits: 36
BS in Professional Studies
Degree Concentrations
- Health Administration
- Information Technology
- International Organizational Leadership
- Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS in Professional Studies
Degree Concentrations
- Strategic Leadership
- Human Resources Leadership
- Training and Development
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MS in Speech and Hearing Science,
- Required Credits: 53
- Format: Fully online
MPH in Public Health
Degree Concentrations
- Behavioral Science and Health Education
- Cultural Competency
- Required Credits: 42
- Format: Fully online
Tennessee State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,890 | 70% | 34% | 34% | 965 | 18 |
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 Tennessee State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $9,048 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $11,076 |
| 30K - 48K | $13,897 |
| 48K - 75K | $10,833 |
| 75K - 110K | $15,005 |
| 110K+ | $14,917 |
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 Tennessee State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Tennessee State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $47,151 a year, and 91% 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.
Tennessee State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 9,000 | 7,250 | 1,750 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Tennessee State University?
Tennessee State University is located at 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209-1561.
How Safe is Tennessee State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Tennessee State University has a violent crime rate of 0.08% and a property crime rate of 0.05%. 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).
What Is Tennessee State University Known For?
Tennessee State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Medical
- Education
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- History
- Business
- Political Science
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Biology
- Communications
- Sociology
- Literature
- Criminal Justice
Tennessee State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Tennessee State 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
Tennessee State University ranks #219 in the U.S. and #575 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesTennessee State University ranks #221 in the U.S. and #770 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesTennessee State University ranks #222 in the U.S. and #923 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesTennessee State University ranks #250 in the U.S. and #1412 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesTennessee State University ranks #256 in the U.S. and #1039 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesTennessee State University ranks #311 in the U.S. and #876 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesTennessee State University ranks #313 in the U.S. and #1092 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesTennessee State University ranks #333 in the U.S. and #1314 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesTennessee State University ranks #341 in the U.S. and #1794 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesTennessee State University ranks #383 in the U.S. and #1595 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesTennessee State University ranks #458 in the U.S. and #1138 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesTennessee State University ranks #460 in the U.S. and #1182 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesTennessee State University ranks #523 in the U.S. and #2243 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesTennessee State University ranks #542 in the U.S. and #1994 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesTennessee State University ranks #579 in the U.S. and #1993 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesTennessee State University ranks #704 in the U.S. and #2121 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesTennessee State University ranks #1067 in the U.S. and #2039 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWho Are Tennessee State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Tennessee State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Medical, and History. Here are some of Tennessee State University's most famous alumni:
- Angie Jones
- An American software developer and programmer.
- Carl Rowan
- An American journalist .
- Marion Tinsley
- An American checkers player.
- Jesse Russell
- An American electrical engineer.
- Michael Kearney
- An American child prodigy.
- Glenda Glover
- An American academic.
- Levi Watkins
- An American surgeon .
- S. Allen Counter
- A Neurologist and academic .
- Willie E. May
- An American chemist and civil servant.
- Maurice White
- An American musician, founder of Earth, Wind & Fire .
- Warrick L. Carter
- A .
- David Pellow
- An American sociologist.
