Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State University's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 18% of degree output — a concentration that shapes the institution's overall earnings profile. Arts and Education round out the next-largest program families at 11% and 3% respectively, giving the university a broad applied-professional orientation.

Across 69 programs serving roughly 3,706 students annually, 47 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Air Transportation combines substantial enrollment with solid earnings, making it a central driver of the institution's aggregate return.

Azimuth ranks Interdisciplinary Studies #32 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 259 graduates earning $49,997. The Psychology, General program graduates 218 students with median earnings of $43,826, and Azimuth ranks Business Administration #126 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 218 graduates earning $63,928.

The highest median four-year earnings belong to Air Transportation, where 205 graduates earn $80,424, and Azimuth ranks the program #12 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment. Several of Middle Tennessee State University's strongest-earning programs — including Air Transportation, Biology, General, and Criminal Justice — are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes.

Programs like Air Transportation and Kinesiology, with 205 and 150 graduates respectively, serve large cohorts at more moderate early-career earnings of $80,424 and $48,608 — fields where career trajectories often steepen with experience or additional credentials. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these program families align with national hiring trends, and the [program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains how Azimuth evaluates programs across cohort scale and earnings.

Middle Tennessee State University's published cost of attendance is $24,289, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $9,289 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $13,007, and higher-income families pay approximately $19,046.

Azimuth ranks Middle Tennessee State University #233 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.

As a public university in Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University draws on a combination of federal, state, and institutional aid programs to reduce the gap between sticker price and what students actually pay. The [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is real here — the published cost of attendance overstates what most families pay, particularly at the lower end of the income spectrum where state grant programs and institutional aid layer on top of federal Pell support.

Families should apply using the FAFSA to access the full range of need-based assistance available. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $14,229; 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 $54,525, median federal debt of $20,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $226 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 Middle Tennessee State University earn median earnings of $54,525 four years after enrollment, placing Middle Tennessee State University in the 14.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $6,938 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 29.4 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to TN's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,130 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential.

The degree mix at Middle Tennessee State University is anchored by Business, which accounts for 18% of graduates, followed by Arts at 11% and Education at 3%. Air Transportation combines substantial enrollment with competitive pay, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall earnings profile.

Azimuth ranks Interdisciplinary Studies #32 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/), with 259 graduates earning median earnings of $49,997. The Psychology, General program graduates 218 students with median earnings of $43,826, and Azimuth ranks Business Administration #126 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 218 graduates earning median earnings of $63,928.

Among the highest-earning programs, Air Transportation graduates earn median earnings of $80,424 and Kinesiology graduates earn median earnings of $48,608, offering meaningful salary upside for students in those fields.