Tennessee
Student Access & Success
Tennessee’s four-year institutions receive a low grade in this area, with a high percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants but lower scores in credentials per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates, retention rate, and completion rate. The state’s two-year institutions perform well, with a percentage of students receiving Pell Grants and a completion rate that both rank in the top 10.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Tennessee receives a low grade in this area for four-year institutions, with a cost per completion ($77,521) and state and local funding per completion ($52,500) that fall in the bottom 10 of all states. Tennessee’s two-year institutions receive a good grade, with a cost per completion ($50,239) and state and local funding per completion ($30,708) in the middle third of all states nationally.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Tennessee bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $18,400 (or 65%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $10,300 (or 36%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 3 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Tennessee receives an average score for its consumer information and public accountability resources. The state measures student learning outcomes as a piece of its outcomes-based funding system, allowing institutions to use different national tests. The state also looks at job placement rates for two-year institutions.
Policy Environment
Tennessee’s plan for higher education includes goals for student outcomes and system efficiency. The state also has one of the oldest outcomes-based funding programs in the country, based on a broad range of performance outcomes. Tennessee’s articulation policy spells out 60-credit blocks of general education classes that students can transfer, and the state is exploring common course numbering.
Innovation
The Regents Online Campus Collaborative is one of the more robust efforts to promote online learning in the country, resulting in an above average grade. The initiative provides a clear path for students to register at a “home campus” and then take online courses at four- and two-year institutions across the state. Regarding new providers, Tennessee has one of the more restrictive regulatory environments in the country, with an approval process that is among the most burdensome.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
TN Nat'l| Student Access & Success | D |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 37.8 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 73.4 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 46.0 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 18.4 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $77,521 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $52,500 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $79,949 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | B |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $18,397 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 164.9 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $14,702 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 161.8 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 5.1 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 8.2 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | C |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 2 |
Two-Year Institutions
TN Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 61.0 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 60.0 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 31.6 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 17.4 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $50,239 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $30,708 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $44,013 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $10,265 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 136.2 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $6,600 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 127.7 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.1 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 4.1 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.49 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | C |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 2 |
State
TN Nat'l| Policy Environment | A |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 50% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 50% | |
| Financial Burden | 60% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 40% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | B |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 71.4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 5 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 9
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 39
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 102184
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 76631