BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, Tennessee·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·tnwesleyan.edu
6-yr Graduation
48%
+2.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
1,198
peer median 1,073
Avg net price
$14,836
-$10k vs Baccalaureate
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
902
902 candidates competed
Admitted
621
68.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
188
30.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
48%+2.0pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
35%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
48%
Full-time retention
72%

Pell equity

14.0pp gap
Pell recipients
40%35 of 87
Non-Pell (all)
54%54 of 100
Subsidized loan, no Pell
49%19 of 39
No Federal Aid
57%35 of 61

Non-Pell students graduate at a 14.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 57 Title IV programs, 7 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 50 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
57
Passing
7
12.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

57programs
  • Passing7 · 12.3%
  • No Data50 · 87.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
6
No data
50

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

7
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+12.5%
$37,118 vs $32,989
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+42.2%
$46,925 vs $32,989
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+47.4%
$75,960 vs $51,545
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+85.2%
$61,103 vs $32,989
Marketing
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+86.6%
$61,564 vs $32,989
Accounting and Related Services
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+114.6%
$70,782 vs $32,989
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+115.5%
$71,084 vs $32,989

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

1
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
32%
$19,607 debt · $61,103 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1926Next review Jun 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 13

  1. Feb 2024Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Jan 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Sep 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. May 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Dec 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$11,609
$30–48k$11,088
$48–75k$12,647
$75–110k$16,043
$110k+$18,980

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$14,836
-$10,008vs Baccalaureate median $24,844
Federal loans
52.2%
In-state tuition
$30,814
Out-of-state
$30,814

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 477 students received $2.9M in Pell grants, alongside $6.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
477
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.9M
$2,864,935 total
Direct Loans
$6.8M
1,040 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
0k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.7M
393 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.7M
441 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$1.5M
95 loan awards
Parent PLUS$1.1M
77 loan awards
Grad PLUS$835K
34 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 274 borrowers who entered repayment, 7 (2.5%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.5%
+0.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
274
Defaulted
7
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
10.7%
2017
10.5%
2018
7.7%
2019
2.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Tennessee Wesleyan

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs56
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

386 total completions
01Health Professions
14938.6%
02Business
13334.5%
03Education
379.6%
04Parks/Recreation
215.4%
05Psychology
205.2%
06Biological Sciences
102.6%
07Security/Protective
92.3%
08Mathematics
30.8%
09Communication
20.5%
10Public Admin
20.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
1,198
12-mo unduplicated
1,516
Undergraduate
1,049
Graduate
467

Gender split

Men
38%574
Women
62%942

Race / ethnicity composition

White
74.0%
Non-resident
7.0%
Hispanic
6.5%
Black
4.9%
Unknown
3.7%
Two or more
2.6%
Asian
1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
407
233 M · 174 W
Women athletes
42.8%
Athletic aid
$6.5M
Total student aid
Budget
$9.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.7M
$2.8M
Recruiting expense
$8K
$5K
Head-coach salaries
$40K
$32K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Soccer
54 M · 41 W
$2.0M
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
51 M · 29 W
$927K
Baseball
50 M ·
$1.4M
Basketball
30 M · 15 W
$777K
Lacrosse
19 M · 21 W
$792K
Tennis
18 M · 14 W
$1.0M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 1,074 students

3-year trend

2.762 yrs ago2.851 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
6
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    Student-to-faculty
    12.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    66

    Tennessee Wesleyan vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Tennessee Wesleyan selected for federal comparison reporting.

    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectTennessee Wesleyan University
    48%1,198$14,836Baccalaureate
    32%99.2%659$7,099Baccalaureate
    61%389$25,263Baccalaureate
    34%79.9%1,184$27,426Baccalaureate
    48%69.2%962$27,061Baccalaureate
    44%61.5%1,233$24,425Baccalaureate
    Peer group median46%74.5%1,073$24,844

    Institutions like Tennessee Wesleyan

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Tennessee Wesleyan's comparison group.

    Tennessee Wesleyan Institutional Research office

    The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

    Office
    Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Research
    Phone
    423-745-7504
    Address
    204 E College Street, Athens, TN 37303

    The page provides information about Tennessee Wesleyan University's student achievement goals and performance indicators aimed at measuring retention, graduation rates, and post-graduation success. It includes links to multiple years of Student Achievement Reports and provides contact information for the Institutional Effectiveness & Research office.

    Visit IR office page
    Team
    1 member
    • Stephanie Smallen
      Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Research

    Common Data Set

    Tennessee Wesleyan's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

    Total enrollment
    1,095
    988 UG · 107 grad
    6-yr graduation rate
    47%
    First-year retention
    68%
    Student–faculty ratio
    10 to 1
    Est. net price (aided)
    $29,683
    after avg need-based grant
    01

    Affordability & Value

    Cost of attendance

    G
    Total$37,890
    Tuition
    $25,34067%
    Fees
    $1,2503%
    Room & board
    $8,40022%
    Books
    $1,4004%
    Other
    $1,5004%

    Total sticker cost of attendance is $37,890 (2021-2022).

    Sticker vs. net price

    G+H
    Sticker COA
    $37,890
    Net (aided)
    $29,683
    Avg need grant
    $8,207

    Sticker $37,890 → about $29,683 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($8,207); 81% of demonstrated need is met.

    Where grant aid comes from

    H1
    Federal35.6%
    Loans30.8%
    State28.0%
    State and other work-study4.0%
    Federal Work-Study1.5%

    0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

    Graduate debt

    H4/H5
    Grads with debt
    97%
    Avg debt
    $26,157

    97% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $26,157 on average.

    02

    Outcomes & Equity

    Graduation & retention

    B
    6-yr grad rate
    47%
    Retention
    68%

    6-year graduation rate 47%; first-year retention 68%.

    Equity: Pell graduation gap

    B4
    All students47%
    Pell recipients45%

    Pell-grant recipients graduate 2 pts below the overall rate (45% vs 47%).

    03

    Academic Experience

    Class-size distribution

    I3
    2-9 students82
    10-19 students134
    20-29 students43
    30-39 students2
    40-49 students8
    50-99 students0
    100+ students0

    80% of classes have under 20 students; 0% have 50+.

    Faculty profile

    I
    Student–faculty ratio
    10 to 1
    Faculty with terminal degree
    51%
    Women faculty
    52%

    Key faculty indicators.

    Degrees by discipline

    J
    Health professions and related programs32.445%
    Business/marketing27.73%
    Education15.044%
    Parks and recreation4.72%
    Homeland Security, law enforcement, firefighting, and protective services4.13%
    Psychology3.835%
    Public administration and social services2.95%
    Biological/life sciences2.36%

    STEM-dominant: ~3% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

    04

    Student Body & Diversity

    Undergraduate race/ethnicity

    B2
    White, non-Hispanic72.9%
    Black or African American, non-Hispanic7.5%
    Nonresident aliens6.8%
    Hispanic/Latino5.5%
    Two or more races, non-Hispanic3.1%
    Race and/or ethnicity unknown2.8%
    Asian, non-Hispanic0.9%
    Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.3%
    American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.2%

    Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

    International students

    B2
    International UG
    66
    Share
    7%

    7% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

    Undergrad vs graduate

    B1
    Undergraduate
    98890%
    Graduate
    10710%

    988 undergraduates and 107 graduate students.

    Source publications

    Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Wesleyan University

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Tennessee Wesleyan.

    What is the graduation rate at Tennessee Wesleyan University?

    Tennessee Wesleyan University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 48% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend Tennessee Wesleyan University?

    Tennessee Wesleyan University reports a total enrollment of 1,198 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Tennessee Wesleyan University?

    The average net price at Tennessee Wesleyan University is $14,836 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at Tennessee Wesleyan University?

    Tennessee Wesleyan University's yield rate is 30.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is Tennessee Wesleyan University located?

    Tennessee Wesleyan University is located in Athens, Tennessee 37303.

    Who runs Institutional Research at Tennessee Wesleyan University?

    Tennessee Wesleyan University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Research.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
    Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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