1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Cumberland University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Cumberland University TN · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #808 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/cumberland-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/cumberland-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/cumberland-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/cumberland-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/cumberland-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Cumberland University #808 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Cumberland University is a private nonprofit university in Lebanon, Tennessee, where Business and Health Professions together account for the largest share of degrees. Affordability is well above average. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain. Return is modestly below average. The net price is below the median at comparable schools, and the spread between the lowest and highest income bands is narrow. Pell students complete at a rate above the cohort as a whole, though mobility is below the levels seen at many peers. The admission rate sits below the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to Nursing should know it is both the largest and the best-paid program here. ## Cumberland University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 67.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 45.6% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $58,091 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $19,609 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $17,952 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $11,116 ## Cumberland University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Cumberland University is a private nonprofit university in Lebanon, Tennessee, enrolling 2,104 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (45th percentile). The university admits 67.3% of applicants, a rate somewhat below the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among those who enroll full time, 59.5% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for first-time, full-time students is 45.6%, compared with a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 21.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year graduation rate reflects first-time, full-time students. The retention and completion figures sit well below their peer medians, which is worth weighing alongside the cost and earnings data elsewhere on the page. The four pillars are spread out. Affordability is the strongest (75th percentile), while mobility is the weakest (16th percentile). Access and return sit between them, at the 54th and 38th percentiles respectively. Affordability is the strongest pillar in the Azimuth profile, at the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Access sits near the middle, in the 54th percentile. Return is in the 38th percentile, and mobility is the weakest of the four, at the 16th percentile. 30.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Those students complete at 54.0%, 8.4 percentage points above the rate for the cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks Cumberland University #670 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Pell completion rate sits above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/). Azimuth ranks the university #1,228 for mobility. Graduates earn about $2,611 less than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Cumberland University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #808 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 16 **Access & reach** National percentile: 54 **[Affordability](/school/cumberland-university/cost/)** National percentile: 75 **[Return on investment](/school/cumberland-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 38 01 / Cumberland University briefing ## [Cumberland University cost & financial aid](/school/cumberland-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Cumberland University is $43,358, with tuition and fees of $27,840 and room and board of $12,800. For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships cover 57% of that sticker price, bringing the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) down to $18,759. That net price is $8,612 below the $27,371 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #353 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 75th percentile. The published cost of attendance at Cumberland University is $43,358. Azimuth ranks the university #353 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $17,882, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $19,609, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $20,917. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $3,035. Aid covers about 57% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price across all bands to $18,759. That average is $8,612 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,952 in federal student loans. That figure is $6,247 below the peer median of $24,199. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $11,116 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $204 a month. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$19,609** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Cumberland University Most undergraduates at Cumberland University borrow: 79.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $17,952. That median is $6,247 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $11,116 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. Affordability is the pillar that stands out at Cumberland University, and the debt figures show why. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,952 in federal loans, $6,247 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $204 a month. The earnings picture is more measured. Four years after completion, graduates earn a median of $58,091, at the 44th percentile, which is $10,159 below the $68,250 peer median. Graduates earn about $2,611 less than the model expects for similar students, at the 45th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $49,131 on the downside to $78,954 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $58,091. Debt is below the peer median, and earnings are below the peer median. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $11,116. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $204 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $17,952 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $11,116 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $204/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $141/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=cumberland-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/cumberland-university/cost/) 02 / Cumberland University briefing ## [Cumberland University career outcomes & earnings](/school/cumberland-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Federally aided graduates at Cumberland University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $58,091 four years after completion. That median sits in the 44th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. It is $10,159 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The return pillar is in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,611 less than the model expects for similar students. That outcome is in the 45th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $1,946. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,557. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $241. Among federally aided completers of Cumberland University who are working and not enrolled, the median four years after completion is $58,091. The current release tracks 510 completers for this specific earnings measure. That median sits at the 44th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,611 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the earnings gap at the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These figures describe the overall graduate population rather than the results of any single field of study. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $49,131 in a downside case to $78,954 in an upside case, with $58,091 as the typical outcome. These scenarios show the range of outcomes associated with the institution's mix of programs offered. Based on the program mix, an estimated 23.1% of graduates continue to graduate study. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $58,091. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $68,250, which puts the university $10,159 below that benchmark. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Cumberland University #907 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,611 less than the model expects for similar students. The gap sits at the 45th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $1,946. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,557. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $241. The program mix leans toward professional fields, with Nursing and Business as the largest programs. Earnings scenarios, estimated from that mix, range from a downside of $49,131 to an upside of $78,954. An estimated 23.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $49,131 on the downside to $78,954 on the upside, with $58,091 as the typical scenario. These are not observed groups of graduates. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn $78,954 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management follows at $60,477, and Accounting at $51,366. The spread between the top and bottom of the range shows how much program choice matters here. At Cumberland University, the value case rests on affordability rather than on earnings that outpace expectations. Graduates earn about $2,611 less than the model expects for similar students. The median four-year earnings of $58,091 sit below the peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The debt side is lighter. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $17,952 in federal student loans, $6,247 below the $24,199 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $204 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $11,116 in Parent PLUS loans. The affordability pillar sits at the 75th percentile. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$1,946 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$4,557 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$2,611 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/cumberland-university/outcomes/) 03 / Cumberland University briefing ## [Cumberland University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/cumberland-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Cumberland University admits 67.3% of applicants, a rate that sits close to the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The university is not a gatekeeper in the way that a single-digit admit rate implies. Admissions **Admission rate** 67.3% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/cumberland-university/admissions/) 04 / Cumberland University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Cumberland University?](/school/cumberland-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Business and Health Professions are the two largest degree families, at 30.6% and 27.9% of degrees awarded. Only 8.6% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Nursing graduates earn $78,954 four years after completion from 65 degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management is next at $60,477 with 47 degrees awarded. Accounting records $51,366 from 8 degrees awarded. Psychology is the lowest of the 5 programs with published earnings, at $42,713 from 14 degrees awarded. Cumberland University awards most of its bachelor's degrees in two families: Business at 30.6% and Health Professions at 27.9%. Five programs have published four-year earnings data. The largest program is Nursing, with 65 degrees awarded and median earnings of $78,954 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is also Nursing, at $78,954. Business Administration and Management follows at $60,477, and Accounting graduates earn $51,366 from 8 degrees a year. The program mix at Cumberland University is concentrated in professional fields. Business accounts for 30.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and Health Professions follows at 27.9%. The university has 5 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Nursing, with 65 degrees awarded a year. It is also the highest-earning program, with graduates reporting a median of $78,954 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management is the second-largest program, at 47 degrees awarded, and its graduates earn a median of $60,477 four years after completion. The earnings pattern is tight: the highest-earning program and the second-highest are also the two largest. Criminal Justice, the third-largest program with published earnings at 19 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $51,032 four years after completion. Across all fields, 8.6% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Strength is concentrated rather than spread. The programs with the most graduates also show the highest earnings, and the smaller programs sit below them. Four-year earnings for fields where graduates commonly pursue graduate study may understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 65 degrees awarded** $78,954 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 47 degrees awarded** $60,477 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 34 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Criminal Justice and Corrections 19 degrees awarded** $51,032 **Psychology, General 14 degrees awarded** $42,713 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 13 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/cumberland-university/majors/) 05 / Cumberland University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Cumberland University?](/school/cumberland-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/cumberland-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Cumberland University. Admissions peerMars Hill University67.9% admitted+ Comparison with Cumberland University | Measure | Cumberland University | Mars Hill University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,091 | $50,256\-$7,835 vs Cumberland University | | Average annual net price | $18,759 | $19,910+$1,151 vs Cumberland University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 67.3% | 67.9% | Higher-admission alternativeThe University of Tennessee-Chattanooga81.1% admitted+ Comparison with Cumberland University | Measure | Cumberland University | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,091 | $57,377\-$714 vs Cumberland University | | Average annual net price | $18,759 | $14,265\-$4,494 vs Cumberland University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 67.3% | 81.1% | [Explore The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga →](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga/) Nearby alternativeLipscomb UniversityNearby option · TN+ Comparison with Cumberland University | Measure | Cumberland University | Lipscomb University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,091 | $63,007+$4,916 vs Cumberland University | | Average annual net price | $18,759 | $24,739+$5,980 vs Cumberland University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 67.3% | 67.7% | Higher-earnings alternativeTrevecca Nazarene University$64,175 earnings+ Comparison with Cumberland University | Measure | Cumberland University | Trevecca Nazarene University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,091 | $64,175+$6,084 vs Cumberland University | | Average annual net price | $18,759 | $16,813\-$1,946 vs Cumberland University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 67.3% | 69.4% | Lower-cost alternativeWestern Kentucky University$10,990 average net price+ Comparison with Cumberland University | Measure | Cumberland University | Western Kentucky University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,091 | $53,602\-$4,489 vs Cumberland University | | Average annual net price | $18,759 | $10,990\-$7,769 vs Cumberland University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 67.3% | 93.9% | [Explore Western Kentucky University →](/school/western-kentucky-university/) Similar profileBerry CollegeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Cumberland University | Measure | Cumberland University | Berry College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,091 | $58,750+$659 vs Cumberland University | | Average annual net price | $18,759 | $22,320+$3,561 vs Cumberland University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 67.3% | 64.0% | Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/cumberland-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)