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Tennessee Wesleyan University: Old College, Tennessee Wesleyan College
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Regional college

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $14,836 a year

Median debt at graduation: $20,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.48%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,090 · ACT 21
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.12 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$7,980

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$11,609
$30,001–$48,000$11,088
$48,001–$75,000$12,647
$75,001–$110,000$16,043
Over $110,000$18,980

Full cost of attendance before aid: $39,440 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
857
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 36% · Women 64%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
41%
Total students1,074
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$14,836
Cost of attendance (per year)$39,440
Median federal debt at graduation$20,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
48%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
39%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
36%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
62%
First-year retention72%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$45,989
Admission rate69%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $845 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants39%
Admitted students’ middle range:ACT 19–23
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1090
SAT reading & writing—
SAT math—
ACT composite19–23
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good · Top 39% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$71,084
Accounting$70,782
Marketing$61,564
Business administration$61,103
Teacher education$46,925
Kinesiology and exercise science$37,118

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Behavioral Sciences, Biological and physical sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Clinical and counseling psychology, Communication studies, Computing and information science, Counseling and mental health, Criminal justice, Dental assisting, Engineering Science, English, Experimental psychology, Finance, Global studies, Health administration, History, Human resources, Human services, Interdisciplinary studies, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Music, Other theology and religious vocations, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Pre-health, Psychology, Secondary education, Security science, Social work, Sociology, Special education, Theology, Visual and performing arts, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions39%
Business20%
Parks, recreation and fitness9%
Education8%
Criminal justice and security6%

Campus life

School colors
SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates7%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older13%
On-campus room and board (per year)$9,458
SportsNAIA · Appalachian Athletic Conference
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member12 to 1
Faculty who are full-time100%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$15,678IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 52% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceMcGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)About 42 miles away · about 1 hour 10 minutes by car
Nearest major airportHartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)About 125 miles away
Town population14,471Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreAtlantaAbout 117 miles away · about 3 hours by car
Typical weather38°F in January · 78°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Athens, TN

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Tennessee Wesleyan University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Tennessee Wesleyan University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $14,836 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Tennessee Wesleyan University?
Tennessee Wesleyan University admitted 69% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Tennessee Wesleyan University’s graduates do?
48% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $45,989; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,000.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 221731
  • Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (diverse fields)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): United Methodist
  • Report an error or a newer source
  • Respond as this school

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