College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Tennessee Technological University

TNMedium public institution · Overall rank #260 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth’s overall placement: the 82nd percentile nationally.

Who it’s a good fit for

Tennessee Technological University is a public university in Cookeville, Tennessee, whose degree mix is led by Engineering, Business, and Education, with affordability, its strongest , among the highest we track. Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them.

The model attributes part of that gap to the factors it measures, which adds, and part to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts. Return is modestly below average.

Affordability is among the highest we track, and the net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. Pell students complete within a few points of the overall rate, and mobility is well above average.

The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools, and the degree mix is oriented toward engineering and technical fields. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study.

Tennessee Technological University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
76.1%
Six-year completion[2]
57.7%
Four-year earnings[3]
$57,413

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$13,861
Median student debt[4]
$15,650
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$11,640

Tennessee Technological University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Tennessee Technological University is a public university in Cookeville, Tennessee, enrolling 8,698 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the upper reaches of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with affordability and mobility as the strongest pillars.

The university admits 76.1% of applicants, a rate that is more selective than the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among full-time first-year students, 78.2% return for a second year, against a peer median of 73.7%.

The six-year graduation rate is 57.7%, compared with a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 22.9% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students.

The four pillars are spread out. Affordability is the strongest, at the 91st percentile, and mobility is close behind at the 88th percentile.

Return is the weakest of the four, at the 38th percentile, with access in between at the 70th percentile.

Cost is the standout in Tennessee Technological University’s profile: affordability is its strongest pillar, while return is its weakest. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, affordability sits in the 91st percentile and mobility in the 88th percentile.

Azimuth places access in the 70th percentile and return in the 38th percentile. Strong affordability and mobility contrast with a weaker return reading.

30.9% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #446 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at 56.1%, 1.6 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #175 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,930 less than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Tennessee Technological University rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#260

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 88
Access & reach
National percentile: 70
Affordability
National percentile: 91
Return on investment
National percentile: 38

Top-ranked majors

  1. Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other#5
  2. Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management#8
  3. Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General#8

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Tennessee Technological University briefing

Tennessee Technological University cost & financial aid[6][7]

The published cost of attendance at Tennessee Technological University is $25,663. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $10,470 and required fees of $1,456 for the 2026-27 academic year.

On-campus food and housing added another $13,326. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $14,246.

That is $178 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Financial aid saves the average recipient $11,417 against the sticker price.

Azimuth ranks the university #131 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 91st percentile.

Affordability is a clear strength at Tennessee Technological University, with a published cost of attendance of $25,663. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $9,815 for families in the lowest family-income band, $10,445 in the lower-middle band, $13,861 in the middle band, $17,245 in the upper-middle band, and $18,936 in the highest band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,121. Azimuth ranks the public university #131 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, financial aid offsets $11,417 of the published cost, and aid covers about 44% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across all aid recipients, the is $14,246.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, making the university’s average net price $178 above that benchmark. Aid covers a substantial share of published costs, though the overall price sits above the comparable-institution median.

Federal borrowing is common, but median debt at completion is below the comparable-institution figure. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $15,650, compared with $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size), a difference of $5,579 below the peer median.

Federal loans are held by 73.7% of federal aid recipients. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $178 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $11,640.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$13,861

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Tennessee Technological University

At Tennessee Technological University, median federal student loan debt at completion is $15,650, below the $21,229 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,579. For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $11,640.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 47% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative borrowing of $24,318 per borrower. That borrowing included 46% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $18,912. It also included 8% of graduates with private loans, averaging $32,036.

At Tennessee Technological University, lower borrowing softens a return picture in which modeled earnings trail expectations. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $57,413 four years after completion.

That figure places in the 41st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 44th percentile.

Graduates earn about $2,930 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios put earnings at $42,875 in a downside scenario, $57,413 in a typical scenario, and $86,838 in an upside scenario.

Median federal debt is $15,650, compared with $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a difference of $5,579 below the peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $178 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower debt and below-expected earnings point in different directions.

For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $11,640. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $178 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$15,650
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$11,640

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$178/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$148/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
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Tennessee Technological University briefing

Tennessee Technological University career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $57,413, at the 41st percentile. That is $112 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return pillar at the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,930 less than the model expects for similar students.

That places the gap at the 44th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,913.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,843. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,492.

Affordability is the stronger part of the picture at Tennessee Technological University; earnings are more mixed. Graduates have median earnings of $57,413 four years after completion.

This measure covers federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places the earnings measure in the 41st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,452 completers.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, offers a second check. Graduates earn about $2,930 less than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings scenarios based on the program mix place the typical scenario in line with the observed median, with a downside scenario of $42,875 and an upside scenario of $86,838. An estimated 27.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix.

The scenario range and below-expected earnings point to outcomes that vary by program.

The return picture at Tennessee Technological University is mixed across peer and model measures. Median earnings four years after completion are $57,413, placing them in the 41st percentile.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301; the university’s figure is $112 above it. Graduates earn about $2,930 less than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 44th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,913.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,843. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,492.

Azimuth ranks the university #908 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Downside and upside earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $42,875 to $86,838.

Teacher Education, the largest listed field, had 203 degrees awarded and median earnings of $43,264 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #168 nationally within its field among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Mechanical Engineering had 131 degrees awarded, median earnings of $84,267, and an Azimuth national rank of #191 within its field. Computer Engineering had 19 degrees awarded and median earnings of $98,978 four years after completion. The cited fields show a wide range in earnings and degree output.

The earnings range is wide enough that field choice deserves close attention at Tennessee Technological University. The downside earnings scenario is $42,875 and the upside scenario is $86,838, both modeled from the program mix rather than observed groups of graduates.

The scenario spread and these program medians point to different earnings paths by field.

For borrowers who complete, lower debt than at comparable institutions is the stronger part of the financial picture at Tennessee Technological University. Median federal student loan debt is $15,650, below the peer median of $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,579.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $178 a month if repaid over ten years. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $14,246.

It is above the peer median of $14,068 at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $178. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students: Graduates earn about $2,930 less than the model expects for similar students. Lower borrowing and below-expected earnings pull in different directions.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$6,913
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$9,843
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$2,930

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Tennessee Technological University briefing

Tennessee Technological University acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Tennessee Technological University admitted 76.1% of applicants in the reported entering class, a rate that describes that pool's admission outcome rather than an individual applicant's prospects. The rate is below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The admission figure is useful context, but it cannot forecast a particular decision.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
76.1%
25th percentile
1040
Median
1160
75th percentile
1270

CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Tennessee Technological University briefing

What are the largest majors at Tennessee Technological University?[12]

At Tennessee Technological University, the program-level picture depends heavily on field, with earnings measured four years after completion. Engineering Technologies/Technicians reports median earnings of $77,658 from 69 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #8 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management posts $45,348, with 44 degrees awarded, and Azimuth places it #8 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. At a more moderate earnings level, Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs has median earnings of $45,909 and 32 degrees awarded.

Azimuth ranks it #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The figures show that earnings differ substantially across these fields.

Engineering accounts for 16.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded at Tennessee Technological University, and program outcomes vary sharply across the university’s ranked fields. The university has 22 bachelor’s programs with Azimuth national field rankings.

Azimuth ranks Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs #5 in its field nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Engineering Technologies/Technicians stands at #8 in its field nationally by Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 69 degrees awarded and median earnings of $77,658 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management #8 in its field nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions; 44 degrees were awarded, with median earnings of $45,348 four years after completion.

Tennessee Technological University awards bachelor's degrees across 30 programs with published four-year earnings data, and 22 hold an Azimuth national rank within their field. The program mix is anchored by Engineering, which accounts for 16.3% of degrees awarded, followed by Business at 14.8% and Education at 10.8%.

The largest single programs are Teacher Education at 203 degrees awarded, Nursing at 145, and Mechanical Engineering at 131. Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs is the highest-ranked program.

Azimuth ranks it #1 in Tennessee within its field, and its graduates earn a median of $45,909 four years after completion. Engineering Technologies/Technicians ranks #8 nationally and #1 in Tennessee within its field, with median earnings of $77,658.

The highest-earning program is a smaller one. Computer Engineering graduates earn $98,978, from 19 degrees awarded.

Electrical Engineering follows at $94,179 with 66 degrees awarded, and Computer Science, a larger program at 115 degrees, reports $90,521. The pattern is a public university where the largest programs are not the best-paid ones.

The engineering and computing fields that coincide with the highest earnings are well represented, and they account for much of the 37.2% of degrees awarded in STEM fields. The single largest program, however, is in education, and the earnings spread between it and the top of the list is wide.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 203 degrees awarded
$43,264
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 145 degrees awarded
$71,762
Mechanical Engineering 131 degrees awarded
$84,267
Business Administration, Management and Operations 121 degrees awarded
$60,642
Biology, General 117 degrees awarded
$49,220
Computer Science 115 degrees awarded
$90,521

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

05 / Tennessee Technological University briefing

How does Tennessee Technological University serve students from different backgrounds?

Completion is a relative bright spot, though modeled earnings fall below expectations. For the first-time full-time cohort, the six-year graduation rate is 57.7%, and Pell recipients complete within six years at 56.1%, below the overall rate by 1.6 percentage points.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the mobility pillar is in the 88th percentile. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students, are less favorable: Graduates earn about $2,930 less than the model expects for similar students.

The measure is in the 44th percentile. Completion and modeled earnings point in different directions.

Admission is relatively open, and the access picture also includes Pell participation and transfer entry. Tennessee Technological University admitted 76.1% of applicants to the reported entering class and enrolls 8,698 undergraduates.

Pell Grants go to 30.9% of undergraduates, while the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 22.9%. The access pillar falls in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

These measures describe several entry routes within a sizable undergraduate population.

06 / Tennessee Technological University briefing

What colleges are similar to Tennessee Technological University?[15]

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.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Tennessee Technological University.

Admissions peerThe University of Tennessee-Chattanooga81.1% admitted
Comparison with Tennessee Technological University
MeasureTennessee Technological UniversityThe University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Peer earnings · 4 years$57,413$57,377-$36 vs Tennessee Technological University
Average annual net price$14,246$14,265+$19 vs Tennessee Technological University · higher cost
Admission rate76.1%81.1%
Explore The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga →
Higher-admission alternativeBelmont University95.3% admitted
Comparison with Tennessee Technological University
MeasureTennessee Technological UniversityBelmont University
Peer earnings · 4 years$57,413$56,202-$1,211 vs Tennessee Technological University
Average annual net price$14,246$33,147+$18,901 vs Tennessee Technological University · higher cost
Admission rate76.1%95.3%
Nearby alternativeThe University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaNearby option · TN
Comparison with Tennessee Technological University
MeasureTennessee Technological UniversityThe University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Peer earnings · 4 years$57,413$57,377-$36 vs Tennessee Technological University
Average annual net price$14,246$14,265+$19 vs Tennessee Technological University · higher cost
Admission rate76.1%81.1%
Explore The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga →
Higher-earnings alternativeSan Jose State University$89,614 earnings
Comparison with Tennessee Technological University
MeasureTennessee Technological UniversitySan Jose State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$57,413$89,614+$32,201 vs Tennessee Technological University
Average annual net price$14,246$13,760-$486 vs Tennessee Technological University · lower cost
Admission rate76.1%84.6%
Explore San Jose State University →
Lower-cost alternativeWestern Kentucky University$10,990 average net price
Comparison with Tennessee Technological University
MeasureTennessee Technological UniversityWestern Kentucky University
Peer earnings · 4 years$57,413$53,602-$3,811 vs Tennessee Technological University
Average annual net price$14,246$10,990-$3,256 vs Tennessee Technological University · lower cost
Admission rate76.1%93.9%
Explore Western Kentucky University →
Similar profileNorthern Kentucky UniversityMatched across several measures
Comparison with Tennessee Technological University
MeasureTennessee Technological UniversityNorthern Kentucky University
Peer earnings · 4 years$57,413$58,429+$1,016 vs Tennessee Technological University
Average annual net price$14,246$8,191-$6,055 vs Tennessee Technological University · lower cost
Admission rate76.1%67.7%
Explore Northern Kentucky University →

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

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

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, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. 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; 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

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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

How to interpret program rankings