Fisk University

Fisk University's published cost of attendance is $39,450. Net price by income band reflects the institution's need-based aid structure: low-income families pay approximately $27,647, middle-income families pay around $34,204, and higher-income families pay approximately $26,678.

Azimuth ranks Fisk University #1305 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.

Fisk University participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of cost for qualifying families.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $42,991; 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 the typical graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $58,830, median federal debt of $27,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $305 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 Fisk University earn median 4-year earnings of $58,830, placing Fisk University in the 39.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs below the $57,042 median at comparable institutions.

Graduates earn about $2,408 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Fisk University in the 47.5 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes represent lifetime returns relative to TN's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,130.

Fisk University offers a concentrated program portfolio anchored in Biological Sciences. Biology, General is the largest program with 44 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $50,768, representing 0.9× the national benchmark for the field.

Business/Commerce, General and Psychology, General follow as substantial cohorts, with Psychology, General graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $57,147 — 1.1× the national benchmark. Political Science and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology round out the core program mix, each enrolling meaningful numbers of students.

Azimuth ranks Fisk University #777 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Fisk University's program mix is anchored in biological sciences, a signature aligned with the institution's historical strength in science education and preparation for health professions. Biology, General is the largest program with 44 graduates, followed by Business/Commerce, General, Psychology, General, Political Science, and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology.

Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 120 students annually, the institution concentrates in life sciences and related fields that prepare students for graduate study and professional pathways in medicine, research, and allied health. The earnings pattern reflects the grad-school-dependent nature of Fisk University's dominant program families.

Psychology, General graduates earn median earnings of $57,147 four years after enrollment, while Biology, General graduates earn $50,768. These figures capture early-career outcomes for students who have entered the workforce directly; a meaningful share of graduates in biological sciences and related fields continue to graduate or professional school, where four-year earnings undercount the full trajectory of lifetime earnings and professional credentials.

The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with national labor-market demand and the timing of earnings growth for advanced-degree pathways. Fisk University's program portfolio reflects its identity as a historically Black college with deep roots in science education.

The concentration in Biological Sciences and related life-sciences fields positions graduates for pathways in medicine, public health, research, and clinical practice—fields where four-year earnings are a foundation for longer-term professional and financial outcomes. For students considering Fisk University, understanding the grad-school-dependent nature of the dominant programs is essential to evaluating both short-term earnings and the institution's role in preparing students for advanced study and professional licensure.