by our College Data Analytics TeamEast Tennessee State University is a public institution in Johnson City, Tennessee enrolling 10,004 undergraduates. It accepts 86% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 53%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #1,139 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 22%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
East Tennessee State University ranks #1,139 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 22%.
In its yearly rankings, College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities to determine which ones are the best in a variety of categories, such as overall value, quality, diversity, which schools are the best for each major, and much more.
East Tennessee State University was awarded 24 badges in the 2027 rankings.
ETSU is ranked #1,139 out of 5,159 schools in the nation for overall quality on College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges list.
ETSU also holds the #18 spot on the Best Colleges in Tennessee ranking.
See all of the rankings for East Tennessee State University.
East Tennessee State University has an acceptance rate of 86%, so it is easier to gain admission to this school than some others. Still, the admissions staff will examine your application closely to make sure you’re a good fit for ETSU.
About 7% of students accepted to ETSU submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 510 and 620. Math scores were between 470 and 580.
ETSU received ACT scores from 76% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 19 and 26.
Learn more about East Tennessee State University admissions.
The student to faculty ratio at East Tennessee State University is about average at 15 to 1. This ratio is often used to gauge how many students might be in an average class and how much time professors will have to spend with their students on an individual level. The national average for this metric is 15 to 1.
In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at East Tennessee State University is 68%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
East Tennessee State University has a freshmen retention rate of 76%. That’s a good sign that full-time students like the school and their professors enough to want to stick around for another year. It’s also a sign that the admissions team did a good job in choosing applicants who were a good fit for the school.
The on-time graduation rate for someone pursuing a bachelor’s degree is typically four years. This rate at ETSU for first-time, full-time students is 53%, which is better than the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at East Tennessee State University.
The current enrollment includes 10,004 undergraduates at ETSU.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at East Tennessee State University.
The overall average net price of ETSU is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12,433 | $14,289 | $16,400 | $20,588 | $21,193 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of ETSU, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
It’s not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At ETSU, approximately 34% of students took out student loans averaging $7,468 a year. That adds up to $29,872 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 9.9%. This is about the same as the national default rate of 10.1%. Get more details about paying for East Tennessee State University.
The pay for some majors is higher than others, but on average, students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University make about $44,859 a year during their first few years of employment after graduation. This is right on par with the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Also, graduates in your major field may make more.
See which majors at East Tennessee State University make the most money.
East Tennessee State University is an public institution found in Johnson City, Tennessee. The surrounding area of the school is a good match for students who enjoy city life. Get more details about the location of East Tennessee State University.
Contact information for East Tennessee State University can be found below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1276 Gilbreath Drive, Johnson City, TN 37614 |
| Phone: | 4234391000 |
| Website: | www.etsu.edu |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Tennessee_State_University |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/easttennesseestateuniversity |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/etsu |
In the most recent reporting year, students from 27 majors graduated from East Tennessee State University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 3,382 | NA |
| Nursing | 430 | $59,786 |
| Business Administration & Management | 255 | $42,758 |
| General Psychology | 178 | $22,772 |
| Computer Information Systems | 142 | $50,234 |
| Health & Physical Education | 140 | $26,376 |
| Marketing | 120 | $32,758 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 110 | $37,121 |
| Public Health | 100 | $43,258 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | 96 | $71,980 |
7,917 students took at least one online class at East Tennessee State University.
Online courses are a great option for busy, working students as well as for those who have scheduling conflicts and want to study on their own time. As time goes by, expect to see more and more online learning options become available.
Learn more about online learning at East Tennessee State University.
Want to see how other colleges compare to ETSU? Compare them side by side using College Combat, a free interactive tool for comparing colleges on the features you care about.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References