Tennessee State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 70%, Tennessee State University is a moderately selective public university in Tennessee. Because it admits more applicants than it rejects, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Tennessee State 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 1050, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Tennessee State 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 Tennessee State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Tennessee State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Tennessee State University?
Tennessee State University admits most qualified applicants (around 70%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. 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 Tennessee State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Tennessee State University hard to get into?
Tennessee State University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 70% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Tennessee State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Tennessee State University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Tennessee State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Tennessee State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Tennessee State 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 Tennessee State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 970 SAT?
About 86% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 970 SAT, the middle of Tennessee State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1050 SAT comes out near 97%. 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/tennessee-state-university.
How to get into Tennessee State University
Built from Tennessee State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Tennessee State University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Tennessee State University carries about a 3.23 core GPA and a 1000 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 880 to 1050 SAT (16 to 21 ACT). Scores are required, so schedule a retake if you are below the midpoint.
Tennessee State 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.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Tennessee State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.tnstate.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Tennessee State University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Tennessee State University received 12,890 applications and admitted 11,940, an acceptance rate of 92.6%. 1,770 enrolled. Only about 15% 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. Tennessee State University enrolls about 4,848 undergraduates in total, 65% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Tennessee State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Tennessee State University scored between 880 and 1050 on the SAT (average 1000). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 16 to 21. A score above 1050 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 880 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Tennessee State University requires test scores, so plan a test date that leaves time for one retake.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Tennessee State University looks for
What Tennessee State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Tennessee State University leans most on 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 Tennessee State 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 Tennessee State 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 Tennessee State University cost after financial aid?
Tennessee State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $25,637 per year. Tuition and fees are $8,616 for TN residents and $22,416 for out-of-state students, a $13,800 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,796 a year, and it ranges from $15,005 for families earning under $30,000 to $20,099 for families earning over $110,000. 51% 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 Tennessee State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Tennessee State University student who received federal aid earns $42,730 a year, up from $34,160 at six years. 34% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 34% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $27,000; 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 Tennessee State University compares in Tennessee
Tennessee State University ranks #18 most selective of 33 schools in Tennessee in our database.
Among the 33 Tennessee schools we track, Tennessee State University ranks #18 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. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Tennessee State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Tennessee State University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Northern Illinois University, SUNY Oneonta, and Kennesaw State University. 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 Tennessee State University's acceptance rate?
Tennessee State University admitted 11,940 of 12,890 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 92.6% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 15% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Tennessee State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 880 to 1050 on the SAT and 16 to 21 on the ACT. A score above 1050 is in the top quarter of admits.
Is Tennessee State University test-optional?
No. Tennessee State University reports that test scores are required for admission.
How much does Tennessee State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Tennessee State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $15,796 a year against a sticker price of about $25,637. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $15,005 on average.
What do Tennessee State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Tennessee State University are $42,730 a year among students who received federal aid, and 34% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Tennessee State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Tennessee State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Tennessee State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Tennessee State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Tennessee State 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 Tennessee State University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to Tennessee State University?
As a public university, Tennessee State University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for Tennessee State University?
Tennessee State 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.