Top Ranked Programs
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/).