Catholic School CompassTrue north for Catholic families.
Tennessee State University: WTN PeepHoles 052
Photo: Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

Tennessee State University

  • LocationNashville, TN
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 8,198 students
Official website

Tennessee State University is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

The university's student organization directory lists several faith-based student groups; none is Catholic. The diocese's list of ministries was not checked.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

N/ACatholic life on campus: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Catholic life on campus

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • No: the school does not offer this, so it earns no points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)None mapped within 3 milesComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adorationNot enough information: no verified Mass times are recorded.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • The university's organization directory lists several faith-based student groups.
    Sources (1)
    1. Leadership & Organizations | Tennessee State Universitytnstate.edu/student-life/leadership-organizations · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Find a spiritual home in our many religious groups.”
      The university's student life pages describe religious student groups on campus.
      “Pentecostal Student Association |”
      The university's organization directory lists faith-based groups, including Baptist Campus Ministries, Every Nation Campus Ministries, All World Campus Ministries, Mount Zion College Ministries, and the Pentecostal Student Association.

Concerns

  • No Catholic student group or campus ministry appears in the university's organization directory.
    Sources (1)
    1. Leadership & Organizations | Tennessee State Universitytnstate.edu/student-life/leadership-organizations · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Pentecostal Student Association |”
      The university's organization directory lists faith-based groups, including Baptist Campus Ministries, Every Nation Campus Ministries, All World Campus Ministries, Mount Zion College Ministries, and the Pentecostal Student Association.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

My rating and notes

Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.

Academic Excellence

FAcademic Excellence: Minimal (grade F): 0 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
37 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.34%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.34%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,000 · ACT 18.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,652

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
6,765
Total students8,198
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$15,796
Cost of attendance (per year)$25,637
Median federal debt at graduation$27,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
34%
First-year retention34%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$42,730
Admission rate70%
Students receiving Pell grants51%
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1000
SAT reading & writing460–540
SAT math420–510
ACT composite16–21
Test policyRequired

Value index: 32 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Diocese of Nashville

The Most Reverend J. Mark Spalding, Bishop of Nashville

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county using NCES Catholic school records. Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

  • IPEDS unit ID 221838
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Report an error or a newer source
  • Respond as this school

Questions families ask

Is Tennessee State University a Catholic college?
No. Tennessee State University is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead.

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

Sign in to write a review.

More in Tennessee · Tennessee rankings