Tennessee Wesleyan University
Athens, Tennessee · Website
$45,989
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$45,989
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Tennessee Wesleyan University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Athens, Tennessee with 846 undergraduates and 280 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $14,836 a year (tuition and fees $30,814). It admits 69% of applicants and 48% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $45,989 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $20,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$14,836
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$30,814
US median $11,837
Admission rate
69%
US median 78%
Completion rate
48%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$20,000
About $212 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$45,989
Rank 1,874 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $14,836
- Tuition and fees
- $30,814
- Cost of attendance
- $39,440
- Students with a need-based grant
- 39%
- Students with federal loans
- 52%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,609
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,088
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $12,647
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,043
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $18,980
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $22,900 in 2015-16 to $30,814 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 69%
- Average SAT
- 1,090
- SAT reading, middle
- 505
- SAT math, middle
- 550
- ACT, middle
- 21
- Undergraduates
- 846
- Graduate students
- 280
- Part-time students
- 7.3%
- Women
- 64%
- Students per teacher
- 12
- Completion rate
- 48%
- Retention rate
- 72%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 52
- Endowment
- $18.1M
- Other
- Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,874 of 5,094 US colleges and 34 of 120 in Tennessee (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | TN median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $14,836 | $15,261 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $30,814 | $15,120 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 69% | 70% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 48% | 60% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 72% | 74% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $20,000 | $15,784 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $45,987 | $34,684 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $45,989 | $38,610 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 62% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 72% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
52 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | Withheld | Withheld | $71,084 | $88,910 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $21,599 | $58,859 | $61,103 | $68,257 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 28 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | $37,118 | $54,562 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | $61,564 | $69,303 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | $75,960 | $103,485 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | $46,925 | $47,382 |
| Security Science and TechnologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,805 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,706 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | $70,782 | $76,194 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 8 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Health/Medical Preparatory ProgramsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $61,911 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,389 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $83,343 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,359 |
| Behavioral SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,673 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,378 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,790 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $95,833 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,120 |
| MusicBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $42,892 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,590 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Athens and Tennessee on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Tennessee
- Homes: Homes for sale in Tennessee
Questions and answers
How much does Tennessee Wesleyan University cost?
$14,836 a year is the average net price at Tennessee Wesleyan University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $30,814, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $39,440. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,609 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Tennessee Wesleyan University?
69% of applicants are admitted to Tennessee Wesleyan University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,090 and the middle ACT score is 21. The median admission rate of colleges in Tennessee is 70%.
How much do Tennessee Wesleyan University graduates earn?
$45,989 a year is the median pay of former Tennessee Wesleyan University students who work, 10 years after they started ($45,987 after 6 years). That ranks 1,874 of 5,094 US colleges and 34 of 120 in Tennessee. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's) at $58,859.
How much student debt do Tennessee Wesleyan University graduates have?
$20,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Tennessee Wesleyan University graduates, about $212 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 52% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Tennessee Wesleyan University?
48% of first-time, full-time students at Tennessee Wesleyan University finish within 6 years. 72% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Tennessee Wesleyan University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (59 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (50 bachelor's graduates), Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (28 master's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 52 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.