Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
ETSU graduates demonstrate steady earnings progression over their early careers, with income rising from $38,704 six years after enrollment to $44,859 at ten years, representing 15.9% growth over the four-year period. The trajectory shows consistent advancement from $41,898 at eight years, indicating reliable career development rather than dramatic early-career acceleration.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings fall below the peer average for similar institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $19,442 in debt with typical earnings.
ETSU graduates carry median debt of $19,442, positioned $1,663 below the peer median of $21,105, indicating moderate borrowing patterns relative to similar institutions. Student debt ranges from $5,500 at the 25th percentile to $25,003 at the 75th percentile, reflecting diverse financing approaches across the student body.
East Tennessee State University delivers modestly below average return on educational investment, ranking at the 32.1st percentile with outcomes that align with regional public university patterns. While graduates earn $364 less than expected given student demographics and program mix, this represents typical performance rather than significant underperformance.
Approximately 30.7% of ETSU graduates continue to graduate or professional study, indicating balanced preparation for both workforce entry and advance...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
ETSU's strongest return outcomes concentrate in healthcare and technology programs, with Artificial Intelligence delivering exceptional earnings of $80,549 despite modest cohort sizes of 74 graduates. Adult Health Nursing provides strong returns at $62,240 for the university's largest program enrollment of 464 graduates, demonstrating scalable success in high-demand healthcare fields.
Allied Health Diagnostic programs produce $48,671 earnings with excellent value scores, while Business Administration generates $46,055 for 172 graduates annually. The contrast between high-earning technical programs and moderate-earning liberal arts programs reflects labor market realities, with ETSU providing pathways to both high-return specialized careers and broader educational development.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution at ETSU shows substantial variation in career outcomes, with the gap between 25th percentile ($27,964) and 75th percentile ($66,045) representing a 2.4:1 ratio that reflects diverse program offerings and career paths. Low-income graduates earning $36,900 demonstrate the university's effectiveness in supporting economic mobility despite modest overall earnings levels.
