Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #258 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $57,413, placing Tennessee Technological University in the 32.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Tennessee Technological University sits in the 50.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the strong financial outcomes its engineering-dominant program mix delivers for graduates. Students at Tennessee Technological University earn about $1,808 less than similar students at comparable institutions, a result anchored by the university's concentration in engineering and applied technical fields that connect directly to high-demand regional and national employers. Azimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #909 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions, reinforcing that strong median earnings and above-average earnings beyond expectations combine to make Tennessee Tech a high-value option for students seeking durable financial outcomes from a public university in Tennessee.
Azimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #258 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Cookeville, TN, Tennessee Technological University enrolls roughly 8,698 undergraduates. Retention stands at 78.2% and the six-year graduation rate is 57.7%, reflecting solid degree-completion performance for a regional public university. The composite is anchored in return on investment. Azimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #909 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $57,413, and graduates earn about $1,808 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Tennessee Technological University in the 50.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. That performance is closely tied to the university's dominant concentration in Engineering, a field that consistently links to strong early-career hiring and competitive starting salaries. Access and affordability shape the composite's lower pillars. Tennessee Technological University sits in the 69.4 percentile for access and the 90.9 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 30.9% of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants and 37.6% identifying as first-generation students. Mobility sits in the 88.2 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting outcomes that are competitive for a regional institution of this size and program focus.
Tennessee Technological University's published cost of attendance is $25,663. Net price by income band shows meaningful variation across family circumstances: low-income families pay approximately $9,815, middle-income families pay around $13,861, and higher-income families pay approximately $18,936. Azimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #131 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. Tennessee Tech's public tuition structure and need-based aid reach help keep net prices accessible relative to many peer institutions. The university participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state aid programs, and financial aid packages typically close a meaningful portion of the gap between sticker price and what families actually pay. For families weighing affordability across multiple institutions, the net price figures above provide a direct comparison point: they reflect what typical families in each income band can expect to pay after all grants and scholarships are applied. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $15,650, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $11,640; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For the typical graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $57,413, median federal debt of $15,650 projects to a monthly payment of about $177 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Azimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #258 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $57,413, placing Tennessee Technological University in the 32.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Tennessee Technological University sits in the 50.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting graduate outcomes that consistently outpace what similar students earn at comparable institutions. Tennessee Technological University's composite ranking reflects a balance of return, access, and mobility — anchored by a business-dominant program mix that connects a broad-access student population in San Marcos, Texas to durable career pathways. The institution's earnings performance places it among the stronger-performing public four-year universities in the Azimuth coverage set, with graduates reaching median 4-year earnings of $57,413 and earnings beyond expectations that rank in the 50.3 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Tennessee Technological University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Computer Engineering
19 graduates
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
66 graduates
Chemical Engineering
42 graduates
Computer Science
115 graduates
Mechanical Engineering
131 graduates
Tennessee Technological University's program mix is anchored in engineering — the dominant program family at the university. The largest programs by graduate count include Teacher Education, Nursing, Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration, and Biology, General, spanning the engineering subfields and applied sciences that define the institution's academic identity.
Across 35 programs serving roughly 1,954 students annually, 29 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a concentration of ranked programs that reflects the university's focused, career-oriented portfolio. The highest-earning programs cluster tightly in engineering subfields.
Azimuth ranks Computer Science #131 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $90,521. Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #203 for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $84,267, and Engineering Technologies/Technicians ranks #12 among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $77,658 four years after enrollment.
These programs combine meaningful cohort scale with strong labor-market demand, forming the core of Tennessee Technological University's earnings profile. The dominant program family — Engineering — accounts for 16% of graduates, with secondary concentrations in Business (15%) and Education (11%).
These are largely high-mobility, direct-to-workforce pathways: engineering and technology graduates typically enter the national labor market immediately after graduation, and four-year earnings figures reflect actual hiring outcomes.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Paterson University Of New Jersey Similar quality tier (#10755 ranked) | NJ | 90% | $57,780 | #10755 | Compare |
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington Similar quality tier (#10758 ranked) | PA | 97% | $63,435 | #10758 | Compare |
Tarleton State University Similar quality tier (#10750 ranked) | TX | 90% | $53,040 | #10750 | Compare |
University Of Michigan-Flint Similar quality tier (#10749 ranked) | MI | 70% | $53,230 | #10749 | Compare |
University Of West Georgia Similar quality tier in Southeast (#10747 ranked) | GA | 52% | $49,587 | #10747 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Tennessee Technological University's published cost of attendance is $25,663. Net price by income band shows meaningful variation across family circumstances: low-income families pay approximately $9,815, middle-income families pay around $13,861, and higher-income families pay approximately $18,936.
Azimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #131 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.
Tennessee Tech's public tuition structure and need-based aid reach help keep net prices accessible relative to many peer institutions. The university participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state aid programs, and financial aid packages typically close a meaningful portion of the gap between sticker price and what families actually pay.
For families weighing affordability across multiple institutions, the net price figures above provide a direct comparison point: they reflect what typical families in each income band can expect to pay after all grants and scholarships are applied. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $15,650, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $11,640; 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 $57,413, median federal debt of $15,650 projects to a monthly payment of about $177 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 Tennessee Technological University earn median 4-year earnings of $57,413, placing Tennessee Technological University in the 32.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $56,249 median at comparable institutions.
Graduates earn about $1,808 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Tennessee Technological University in the 50.3 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Tennessee Technological University #909 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Those figures represent meaningful returns relative to TN's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,130 for working adults with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Tennessee Technological University is anchored in Engineering and related applied fields.
Mechanical Engineering stands out as the program combining strong cohort scale with high earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile. Teacher Education is the highest-earning program, with 203 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $43,264; Azimuth ranks Teacher Education #168 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/), at 0.9x the national benchmark for the field.
Nursing and Mechanical Engineering also deliver strong median early-career earnings, with 145 and 131 graduates earning $71,762 and $84,267 respectively four years after enrollment. The program mix — led by Engineering at 16% of degrees, followed by Business at 15% and Education at 11% — helps explain why Tennessee Technological University's graduates consistently outpace the peer median in early-career earnings.
