SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville — ROI, Cost & Payback
SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville charges a net price of $24,700/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $98,800. Median earnings ten years after entry are $39,544, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville does not clear its cost — it ranks #60 of 91 Tennessee colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $24,700/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $98,800 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $39,544 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$8,816/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $9,500 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$275,120 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville's own numbers. Net price $24,700 × 4 years = $98,800 total. Median earnings $39,544 fall $8,816 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $98,800 bill in about 9.9 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville students graduate with?
A median $9,500 in federal loans among completers, or 24% of the $39,544 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville students graduate?
42% finish their degree — 58% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $98,800 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $235,238 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville expensive compared with other Tennessee colleges?
Its $24,700 net price runs $9,431 above the $15,269 median across the 91 Tennessee colleges we profile, or $37,724 more across the full degree.