Howard U vs Tennessee State

Howard University and Tennessee State University, both historically Black universities with rich legacies, offer distinct educational experiences. Howard, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., boasts a lower acceptance rate (36%) compared to Tennessee State's (50%). While Howard's student body is predominantly African American (80%), Tennessee State's is more diverse, with a significant African American population (78%) alongside a notable international student presence. In terms of popular majors, Howard excels in fields like political science, biology, and business, while Tennessee State is known for its strong programs in engineering, nursing, and agriculture. With graduation rates of 62% and 48% respectively, both universities are committed to student success, though Howard's higher rate reflects its focus on academic rigor. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your aspirations.

	Howard University	Tennessee State University
Overview
Location	Washington, District of Columbia	Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	53.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	35.2%	Open Admission
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	1080 - 1290	N/A
ACT range	21 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	10.0%
Total number of applicants	29,396
Total number of admissions given out	10,362
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,768
Yield rate	26.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$48,214	In state: $29,346 Out of state: $42,702
Average net price	$26,870	$11,880
Tuition	$28,450	In state: $7,128 Out of state: $20,484
Room & board	$14,678	Room/dormitory: $3,958 Meal plan: $4,208
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $22,380	70.0% Average amount $11,763
Students receiving federal student loan	47.0% Average amount $4,811	44.0% Average amount $5,525
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $16,655	2.0% Average amount $16,866

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,964 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%	6,375 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Graduate students	3,101 Men 32.8% Women 67.2%	1,702 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	98.6%	60.5%
International students	4.1%	6.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	5,719	2,960
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Maryland New York Georgia New Jersey Texas	Tennessee Georgia Illinois Alabama Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	63.6%	30.3%
Dropout rate	11.3%	34.7%
Transferred out	23.4%	32.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $139,816 Year 3: $169,939 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $76,631 Year 2: $121,694 Year 3: $126,945 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $121,256 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $74,115 Year 2: $100,571 Year 3: $111,407 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $106,768 Year 2: $100,038 Year 3: $108,698 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,747 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $98,585 Computer Systems Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $95,339 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,153 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $91,628 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $85,098 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,889 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $74,462	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,844 Year 2: $87,815 Year 3: $92,171 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,196 Year 2: $69,785 Year 3: $76,676 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,153 Year 2: $66,401 Year 3: $68,568 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,247 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $64,166 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,002 Year 2: $55,286 Year 3: $60,516 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $47,786 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $55,951 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,119 Year 2: $54,463 Year 3: $55,511 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,306 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $51,216 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,743 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $45,501 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,198 Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $45,402

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