Carson-Newman University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Carson-Newman University, a private college in Tennessee, reports a 90% acceptance rate and sits in the accessible band. In practice that means it admits most qualified applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Carson-Newman University weighs, where it ranks among Tennessee schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1150, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Carson-Newman University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Carson-Newman University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Carson-Newman University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Carson-Newman University?
Your odds at Carson-Newman University are not the same as its 90% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Carson-Newman University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Carson-Newman University hard to get into?
Carson-Newman University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 90% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Carson-Newman University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Carson-Newman University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Carson-Newman University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Carson-Newman University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Carson-Newman University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Carson-Newman University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1090 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1090 SAT, the middle of Carson-Newman University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1220 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/carson-newman-university.
How to get into Carson-Newman University
Built from Carson-Newman University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Carson-Newman University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Carson-Newman University carries about a 3.01 core GPA and a 1165 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 955 to 1215 SAT (19 to 25 ACT). Submit a score at 1085 or higher; below 955, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Carson-Newman University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Carson-Newman University's exact dates at www.cn.edu.
How many students apply to Carson-Newman University, and how many get in?
Carson-Newman University admitted 2,042 of the 2,991 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 68.3%. 367 enrolled. Only about 18% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Carson-Newman University enrolls about 1,387 undergraduates in total, 51% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Carson-Newman University?
Admitted students at Carson-Newman University post SAT scores of 955 to 1215 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1117. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 19 to 25. A score above 1215 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 955 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Carson-Newman University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Carson-Newman University looks for
What Carson-Newman University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Carson-Newman University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Carson-Newman University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Carson-Newman University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Carson-Newman University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Carson-Newman University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $49,024 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $34,700. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $20,251 a year, and it ranges from $16,672 for families earning under $30,000 to $28,621 for families earning over $110,000. 33% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Carson-Newman University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Carson-Newman University students ten years after entry are $48,382 ($39,324 at the six-year mark). 53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $21,500; 46% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Carson-Newman University compares in Tennessee
Carson-Newman University ranks #29 most selective of 33 schools in Tennessee in our database.
Among the 33 Tennessee schools we track, Carson-Newman University ranks #29 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Vanderbilt University (6%) and Fisk University (37%) sit nearby, which makes Tennessee a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Carson-Newman University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Carson-Newman University often weigh Robert Morris University, Newberry College, and Saint Martin's University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Carson-Newman University's acceptance rate?
Carson-Newman University admitted 2,042 of 2,991 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 68.3% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 18% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Carson-Newman University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 955 to 1215 on the SAT and 19 to 25 on the ACT. A score above 1215 is in the top quarter of admits. Carson-Newman University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Carson-Newman University test-optional?
Yes. Carson-Newman University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Carson-Newman University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Carson-Newman University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $20,251 a year against a sticker price of about $49,024. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $16,672 on average.
What do Carson-Newman University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Carson-Newman University are $48,382 a year among students who received federal aid, and 53% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Carson-Newman University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Carson-Newman University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Carson-Newman University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Carson-Newman University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Carson-Newman University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Carson-Newman University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Carson-Newman University?
Carson-Newman University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.