Degree Dividend
Sourced from federal dataEvery figure datedNo rankings for sale

Tennessee Wesleyan University — ROI, Cost & Payback

Private nonprofit · Athens, TN · 846 students

The verdict

Tennessee Wesleyan University charges a net price of $14,836/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $59,344. Median earnings ten years after entry are $45,989, 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.)

Share
$14,836
Net price / yr
Scorecard, 2026
$45,989
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Scorecard, 2026
Payback
Our math, 2026
69%
Admission rate
Scorecard, 2026
Tennessee Wesleyan University: cost, earnings and payback
MeasureValueSource
Net price (after aid)$14,836/yrScorecard, 2026
Total net cost (4 yrs)$59,344our math
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry$45,989Scorecard, 2026
Earnings premium over HS baseline$-2,371/yrour math
Median debt (completers)$20,000Scorecard, 2026
Paybackdoes not clearour math
20-year net return$-106,764our math

College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.

How we compute this. Payback = total net cost ÷ annual earnings premium, where the premium is median earnings 10 years after entry minus the $48,360 baseline (BLS 2024 median for a high-school-diploma worker 25+). Total net cost = net price × 4 years. We do not discount future dollars. The institution-wide earnings figure blends every major — a specific program's payback can be far better or worse. Full method on the methodology page.