Austin Peay State University

Austin Peay State University's published cost of attendance is $22,233. Net price by income band shows meaningful variation: low-income families pay approximately $7,588, middle-income families pay around $10,077, and higher-income families pay approximately $15,078.

Azimuth ranks Austin Peay State University #145 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Austin Peay's aid structure combines federal, state, and institutional aid programs. The university participates in the FAFSA-based aid process, and need-based aid covers a meaningful share of cost for many students.

Work-study is available as part of the aid package for eligible students. The gap between sticker price and net price reflects the institution's commitment to making attendance affordable across income levels, though families should verify current aid policies on the [university's financial aid page](https://www.apsu.edu/financial-aid/).

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,547, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $14,710; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $52,456, median federal debt of $20,547 projects to a monthly payment of about $232 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Austin Peay State University earn median earnings of $52,456 four years after enrollment, placing Austin Peay State University in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,164 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Austin Peay State University in the 53.0 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Austin Peay State University #1055 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program family at Austin Peay State University is Health, which shapes both the earnings profile and the career pathways graduates enter.

The program mix reflects a concentration in Business (13% of graduates), Arts (5%), and Education (3%), a distribution that anchors median earnings in stable, regionally in-demand fields. Nursing stands out as the highest aggregate-return major, combining meaningful cohort scale with solid four-year earnings.

Nursing, the largest program by graduate count with 165 graduates, delivers median earnings of $73,564 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #287 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Kinesiology (162 graduates) posts median earnings of $45,080 four years after enrollment, while General Studies (134 graduates) reaches median earnings of $48,177 — both fields reflecting the institution's strength in health and applied professional training.

Among the highest-earning programs, Criminal Justice and Psychology, General offer meaningful salary upside four years after graduation, rounding out a program portfolio where median earnings are concentrated in workforce-ready disciplines tied to TN's regional labor market.

Austin Peay State University's program mix is anchored in health, education, and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with its role as a regional public university serving the Clarksville area and surrounding communities. Health is the institution's primary concentration, accounting for 13% of degree output, followed by Arts at 5% and Education at 3%.

Across 36 programs, 25 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, serving roughly 1,568 students annually. The strongest financial outcomes are concentrated in health and applied-science fields.

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions leads the institution for four-year earnings, with graduates earning median earnings of $75,261 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks the program #21 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing follows, with graduates earning median earnings of $73,564, and Azimuth ranks it #287 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Accounting rounds out the top-earning cluster with median earnings of $58,409, reflecting the institution's depth in health-adjacent career pathways that connect directly to regional employer demand. The largest programs by graduate volume tell a complementary story.

Nursing anchors the institution's aggregate return profile, combining meaningful cohort scale with competitive earnings. Nursing, with 165 graduates, and Kinesiology, with 162 graduates, represent the broadest enrollment footprints; Azimuth ranks Nursing #287 and Kinesiology #161 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Many of these high-enrollment programs feed directly into local and regional labor markets in healthcare, public service, and education — fields where the [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) continues to show steady hiring demand. For a fuller explanation of how Azimuth evaluates program rankings, see [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).