Tennessee State vs Winston-Salem State University (WSSU)

Tennessee State University and Winston-Salem State University, both historically Black universities with rich legacies, offer distinct educational experiences. Tennessee State, located in Nashville, Tennessee, boasts a higher acceptance rate (58%) compared to Winston-Salem State's 48%. While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, Tennessee State excels in engineering, nursing, and business, while Winston-Salem State is known for its strong liberal arts and education programs. Tennessee State's student body is slightly larger and more diverse, with a higher percentage of male students. In terms of graduation rates, Winston-Salem State has a slight edge, with a 44% graduation rate compared to Tennessee State's 40%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic goals and preferences.

	Tennessee State University	Winston-Salem State University
Overview
Location	Nashville, Tennessee	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	53.0%	76.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	81.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	880 - 1040
ACT range	N/A	15 - 19
Students submitting SAT score		7.0%
Students submitting ACT score		35.0%
Total number of applicants		5,419
Total number of admissions given out		4,415
Admitted students who chose to enroll		912
Yield rate		20.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $29,346 Out of state: $42,702	In state: $23,252 Out of state: $33,908
Average net price	$11,880	$12,976
Tuition	In state: $7,128 Out of state: $20,484	In state: $3,401 Out of state: $14,057
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,958 Meal plan: $4,208	Room/dormitory: $7,568 Meal plan: $3,872
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	70.0% Average amount $11,763	87.0% Average amount $7,752
Students receiving federal student loan	44.0% Average amount $5,525	78.0% Average amount $6,071
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $16,866	3.0% Average amount $9,995

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,375 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%	4,726 Men 23.8% Women 76.2%
Graduate students	1,702 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	500 Men 19.0% Women 81.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	60.5%	16.1%
International students	6.2%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,960	2,423
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Tennessee Georgia Illinois Alabama Ohio	North Carolina South Carolina Maryland District of Columbia Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Psychology	Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts Education
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	30.3%	45.8%
Dropout rate	34.7%	26.8%
Transferred out	32.1%	25.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,095 Year 2: $88,195 Year 3: $101,566 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,950 Year 2: $73,446 Year 3: $77,785 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,779 Year 2: $62,067 Year 3: $64,434 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,681 Year 2: $59,837 Year 3: $62,855 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,993 Year 2: $47,930 Year 3: $54,205 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,515 Year 2: $31,708 Year 3: $36,585 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,333 Year 2: $32,094 Year 3: $35,280 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,123 Year 2: $30,554 Year 3: $34,927 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,639 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $34,903 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,801 Year 2: $21,850 Year 3: $32,247

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