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Historical higher education information in Tennessee, 2008-2014

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This page contains archived information on Tennessee's higher education system for years prior to the 2013-2014 school year. For more recent information, click here.

Admissions

Enrollment

See also: Higher education enrollment statistics

Between fiscal years 2012 and 2013, full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment in Tennessee's public postsecondary institutions declined by 7,500, or 3.7 percent. Between fiscal years 2008 and 2013—expanding the timeline a bit—full-time enrollment in these schools increased by 22,391, or 12.9 percent. The table below lists full-time enrollment figures for public postsecondary schools in Tennessee and surrounding states.[1]

Full-time equivalent enrollment in public postsecondary institutions, FY 2008 to FY 2013
State FY 2008 FY 2012 FY 2013 Change from FY 2012 to FY 2013 Percent difference from FY 2012 to FY 2013 Change from FY 2008 to FY 2013 Percent difference from FY 2008 to FY 2013
Tennessee 173,706 203,597 196,097 -7,500 -3.70% 22,391 12.90%
Alabama 187,086 206,364 200,321 -6,043 -2.90% 13,235 7.10%
Kentucky 142,382 159,306 155,586 -3,720 -2.30% 13,204 9.30%
Mississippi 117,556 139,853 133,501 -6,352 -4.50% 15,945 13.60%
U.S. total 10,254,148 11,563,321 11,281,810 -281,511 -2.40% 1,027,662 10.00%
Note: The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association writes that full-time equivalent enrollment "equates student credit hours to full-time, academic year students, but excludes medical students."[1]
Source: State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, "State Higher Education Finance: FY 2013"

Demographics

In Tennessee, enrollment in all higher education institutions (public and private) totaled 343,641 in fall 2012. Approximately 69.6 percent of these students were white. Black students comprised 20.5 percent of the total postsecondary student population in Tennessee. During that time, 71.2 percent of the state's general population was white and 20.9 percent was black, with other ethnic groups making up the remainder. The table below lists demographic information for both postsecondary students and the general population in Tennessee and surrounding states.[2]

Higher education enrollment by race/ethnicity, 2012
State Population category White Black Hispanic Asian Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaska Native Two or more races Non-resident alien
Tennessee Postsecondary students 69.64% 20.47% 3.14% 1.96% 0.08% 0.32% 2.18% 2.21%
General population 71.2% 20.9% 3.2% 2% 0.1% 0.3% 2.2% N/A
Alabama Postsecondary students 61.76% 29.84% 2.65% 1.65% 0.09% 0.75% 1.16% 2.09%
General population 63.1% 30.5% 2.7% 1.7% 0.1% 0.8% 1.2% N/A
Kentucky Postsecondary students 81.97% 10.06% 2.35% 1.37% 0.11% 0.29% 1.79% 2.05%
General population 83.7% 10.3% 2.4% 1.4% 0.1% 0.3% 1.8% N/A
Mississippi Postsecondary students 55.22% 39.44% 1.61% 1.07% 0.08% 0.42% 0.82% 1.33%
General population 56% 40% 1.6% 1.1% 0.1% 0.4% 0.8% N/A
U.S. total Postsecondary students 58.04% 14.35% 14.43% 5.79% 0.31% 0.84% 2.45% 3.79%
General population 60.3% 14.9% 15% 6% 0.3% 0.9% 2.5% N/A
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 306.60. Fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity of student and state or jurisdiction: 2012"

In 2012, 58.1 percent of all postsecondary students in Tennessee were female, which was higher than the national rate of 56.8 percent. The table below lists postsecondary student enrollment by sex in Tennessee and surrounding states.[3]

Higher education enrollment by sex, 2012
State Total students Male students Percentage Female students Percentage
Tennessee 343,641 144,159 41.95% 199,482 58.05%
Alabama 310,311 131,513 42.38% 178,798 57.62%
Kentucky 282,125 119,737 42.44% 162,388 57.56%
Mississippi 176,665 69,014 39.06% 107,651 60.94%
U.S. total 20,642,819 8,919,087 43.21% 11,723,732 56.79%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 304.30. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex, and state or jurisdiction: 2011 and 2012"

Tuition

See also: Higher education tuition statistics

In the 2012-2013 academic year, the national average in-state cost for tuition and required fees at a public four-year school totaled $8,070. For a private four-year school, the average was $24,525. In Tennessee, these figures were lower: $7,472 and $22,046, respectively. The table below compares average annual tuition costs for Tennessee and surrounding states.[4]

Average annual undergraduate costs for tuition and required fees, 2012-2013
State Public in-state institution Private institution
2011-2012 2012-2013 Percent difference 2011-2012 2012-2013 Percent difference
Tennessee $7,005 $7,472 6.67% $21,215 $22,046 3.92%
Alabama $7,528 $8,073 7.24% $13,041 $13,983 7.22%
Kentucky $7,942 $8,416 5.97% $18,658 $20,639 10.62%
Mississippi $5,678 $6,147 8.26% $14,506 $14,592 0.59%
U.S. average $7,703 $8,070 4.76% $23,460 $24,525 4.54%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 330.20. Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution and state or jurisdiction: 2011-12 and 2012-13"

Out-of-state tuition

See also: Higher education tuition statistics

Public postsecondary schools receive some of their funding from their state's government. This money in turn comes from taxation of the state's residents. Since neither out-of-state students nor their parents paid that state's taxes, the schools charge these students additional tuition to account for the difference. This additional charge is a significant increase over in-state tuition in all 50 states. In the 2012-2013 school year, out-of-state students paid a nationwide average of $21,847 in tuition and required fees annually—a 270 percent increase over the in-state average of $8,070.

Students attending public postsecondary institutions in Tennessee from outside of the state were required to pay an average of $22,412, a 300 percent increase over the average in-state tuition of $7,472. The average out-of-state tuition cost for Tennessee was higher than the national average of $21,847.

Average annual in-state and out-of-state tuition and required fees, 2012-2013
State In-state tuition averages Out-of-state tuition averages Percent increase
Tennessee $7,472 $22,412 300%
Alabama $8,073 $20,380 252%
Kentucky $8,416 $19,040 226%
Mississippi $6,147 $15,055 245%
United States $8,070 $21,847 270%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 330.20. Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution and state or jurisdiction: 2011-12 and 2012-13"

Financial aid

See also: Higher education financial aid statistics

The federal government provides financial aid to undergraduate students in the form of grants and loans. Notable grants administered by the United States government include Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). Loan programs administered by the federal government include the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and Federal Perkins Loan Program. Individual states may also administer student financial aid programs. In addition, postsecondary institutions often offer institution-specific financial aid to their students.[5][6][7]

According to the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, the states disbursed approximately $11.3 billion in state-based financial aid to postsecondary students in the 2012-2013 academic year. Tennessee awarded $375.2 million in state-based financial aid during that time. The table below provides state-based aid figures for Tennessee and surrounding states in 2012-2013.[8]

Total state-based financial aid, 2012-2013 (dollars in millions)
State Need-based grant aid Non-need-based grant aid Non-grant aid Total
Tennessee $89.524 $284.092 $1.579 $375.195
Alabama $6.937 $2.599 - $9.536
Kentucky $87.192 $108.265 $2.617 $198.074
Mississippi $5.618 $19.226 $7.857 $32.701
U.S. totals $7,200.770 $2,390.600 $1,693.530 $11,284.910
Source: National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, "44th Annual Survey Report on State-Sponsored Student Financial Aid, 2012-2013 Academic Year"

Student debt

See also: Student debt in higher education in the United States

Student debt is a major concern for both parents and students. According to the Project on Student Debt by the Institute for College Access and Success, in school year 2012-2013, an average of 61 percent of all students nationwide graduated with debt, which averaged about $26,421 per borrower. The lowest debt owed by students could be found in New Mexico, where average student debt was about $18,656. Conversely, students who graduated in New Hampshire with debt owed an average of about $32,795, the highest in the country.[9]

During the 2012-2013 school year, about 57 percent of postsecondary students at both public and private schools in Tennessee graduated with debt. This debt averaged to about $24,585, ranking 35th highest in the country.

Average student debt in Tennessee and surrounding states, 2012-2013
State Average debt Rank Percentage with debt Rank
Tennessee $24,585 35 57% 34
Alabama $28,895 12 54% 40
Kentucky $24,693 34 59% 28
Mississippi $27,571 19 57% 34
United States $26,421 N/A 61% N/A
Source: Project on Student Debt, "State by State Data"

While tuition for private schools is almost always higher than that of public schools, debt does not always follow this same pattern. College InSight, another project of the Institute for College Access and Success, analyzed data on student debt held by graduates of public and private schools. They found that nationwide, about 60 percent of students who graduated from a public institution had debt, which averaged about $25,665 per borrower. For private schools, they found that approximately 65 percent of students graduated with an average of $28,498 in debt. However, in some states, such as Maine, students on average graduated from private schools with less debt than those who graduated from public schools. The chart below compares these statistics for Tennessee and its surrounding states.[10]

During the 2012-2013 school year, about 58 percent of graduates from Tennessee's public schools graduated with debt. This debt averaged to about $24,016 across the state. This was lower than the national average. In Tennessee's private schools, about 55 percent of students graduated with debt. This debt averaged to about $26,266, which was also lower than the national average. As this data shows, students who graduated from public schools during this year had less debt on average than those who graduated from private schools. The chart below compares these statistics for Tennessee and its surrounding states.

Student debt from public and private institutions, 2012-2013
State Public in-state institution Private institution
Average debt of graduates Percent of graduates with debt Average debt of graduates Percent of graduates with debt
Tennessee $24,016 58% $26,266 55%
Alabama $28,994 53% $28,267 63%
Kentucky $25,036 57% $23,267 69%
Mississippi $27,222 57% $29,691 61%
United States $25,665 60% $28,498 65%
Source: The Institute for College Access & Success - College InSight, "Student debt and undergraduate financial aid data"

Academic performance and outcomes

Retention rates

See also: Higher education retention rates

Retention rates indicate the percentage of freshman postsecondary students who enroll the following academic year as sophomores. According to the NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis:[11]

Students are more likely to drop out of postsecondary education during the first year than any other time. If a state can implement policies that help to increase retention rates either within institutions or through transfer, the likelihood of students persisting to graduation is far greater.[11][12]
—NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis

Compared to neighboring states, Tennessee had the second highest total retention rate in 2010 at 72.9 percent. The table below compares retention rates in Tennessee and surrounding states. These figures date to 2010.[11]

Retention rates by state, 2010
State Total retention rate Total full-time retention rate Total part-time retention rate
Tennessee 72.9% 74% 42.8%
Alabama 72.1% 74.9% 43.3%
Kentucky 71.8% 72.9% 38.9%
Mississippi 75.9% 76.3% 37.9%
U.S. average 77.1% 78.7% 44.6%
Source: NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis, "Retention Rates - First-Time College Freshmen Returning Their Second Year"

Graduation rates

See also: Higher education graduation rates

The table below, built from data compiled by The Chronicle of Higher Education, details graduation rates for Tennessee and surrounding states. Although postsecondary schools are classified as four-year and two-year institutions, relatively few students actually complete degrees within these time frames. At four-year schools, students commonly take between four and six years to complete their degrees. Likewise, students at two-year institutions commonly take three years to complete their degrees. To illustrate this point, both four-year and six-year graduation rates are provided in the table below (only three-year rates are provided for two-year institutions, owing to a lack of information regarding two-year completion rates).[13]

Compared to neighboring states, Tennessee had the lowest six-year graduation rate for public four-year institutions in 2010 at 45.5 percent.[13]

Graduation rates by state, 2010
State Four-year institutions Two-year institutions
Completion within four years Completion within six years Completion within three years
Public four-year colleges Private nonprofit four-year colleges Private for-profit four-year colleges Public four-year colleges Private nonprofit four-year colleges Private for-profit four-year colleges Public two-year colleges Private for-profit two-year colleges
Tennessee 19.7% 46.5% 4.9% 45.5% 58.3% 14.3% 11.3% 58.4%
Alabama 22.9% 20.9% 24.5% 47.5% 45% 36.6% 19.1% 59.1%
Kentucky 22.1% 39.4% 0% 46.6% 51.7% 10.3% 23.9% 54.4%
Mississippi 26% 34.9% N/A 49.9% 48.4% N/A 25.2% 45.2%
U.S. average 31.30% 52.50% 20.30% 56% 65.5% 28.2% 20.4% 60.1%
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, "College Completion: Who graduates from college, who doesn't, and why it matters"

Funding

See also: Higher education funding and Tennessee state budget and finances

Higher education funding mechanisms differ depending on the type of institution. Public colleges receive the lion's share of their funding from state and local governments. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, state and local appropriations accounted for 53 percent of higher education revenues nationwide in 2013. By contrast, private institutions do not receive direct government funding. Instead, these institutions rely primarily on tuition, gifts and endowments.[14][15]

According to Grapevine, which is published by Illinois State University’s Center for the Study of Education Policy and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), financial support for public higher education in Tennessee totaled an estimated $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2014, a 9.1 percent increase over fiscal year 2013. The table below lists higher education fiscal support figures for Tennessee and surrounding states.[1]

Financial support for higher education by state, 2013 and 2014
State Fiscal year 2013 Fiscal year 2014 Percent change
Tennessee $1,455,168,883 $1,587,786,604 9.11%
Alabama $1,406,898,493 $1,440,862,304 2.41%
Kentucky $1,187,656,103 $1,180,322,100 -0.62%
Mississippi $924,952,654 $973,846,876 5.29%
U.S. totals $72,156,979,373 $76,238,167,052 5.66%
Source: State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, "State Higher Education Finance: FY 2013"

According to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, average adjusted public postsecondary appropriations per full-time student declined 23 percent from fiscal year 2008 to 2013 on average in the United States. In Tennessee, appropriations per full-time student declined 31.9 percent during that same period. The table below lists adjusted public higher education appropriations per full-time student for Tennessee and surrounding states in fiscal years 2008, 2012, and 2013.[1]

Public higher education appropriations per FTE (in constant 2013 dollars)
State Fiscal year 2008 Fiscal year 2012 Fiscal year 2013 FY12 to FY13 change Percent change FY08 to FY13 change Percent change
Tennessee $8,850 $5,818 $6,022 $204.00 3.50% -$2,828.00 -31.90%
Alabama $9,094 $5,795 $5,507 -$288.00 -5.00% -$3,587.00 -39.40%
Kentucky $8,854 $6,883 $6,750 -$133.00 -1.90% -$2,104.00 -23.80%
Mississippi $8,365 $5,930 $6,162 $232.00 3.90% -$2,203.00 -26.30%
U.S. average $7,924 $6,020 $6,105 $85.00 1.40% -$1,819.00 -23.00%
Notes: "Educational appropriations are a measure of state and local support available for public higher education operating expenses including ARRA funds, and exclude appropriations for independent institutions, financial aid for students attending independent institutions, research, hospitals, and medical education."
"Adjustment factors, to arrive at constant dollar figures, include Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), Enrollment Mix Index (EMI), and Higher Education Cost Adjustment (HECA).The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is not a measure of inflation over time."
Source: State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, "State Higher Education Finance: FY 2013"

Faculty

See also: Higher education faculty statistics

Across the country, as student enrollment at postsecondary institutions has changed, so has the faculty. The number of faculty increased nationwide by nearly 73 percent from 450,368 to 780,127 between the 1991-1992 and 2011-2012 school years in order to keep up with rising student enrollment. In Tennessee, the total number of faculty rose from 9,199 to 15,773. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the college faculty profession has one of the fastest growth rates in the nation and will see a 19 percent increase in jobs between 2012 and 2022.[16][17]

Employment status

Employment of faculty at four-year public institutions in Tennessee

Although the total number of faculty at public colleges and universities continued to rise over the previous two decades, the portion of faculty who work part-time rose more quickly. By the end of 2012, the percentage of part-time faculty, including teaching and research assistants, had reached 55.8 percent at four-year institutions nationwide. The number of part-time faculty plus teaching and research assistants outnumbered full-time faculty in all but six states. The number of teaching and research assistants alone outnumbered full-time faculty in eight states. Tennessee was not one of these states. According to the Southern Regional Education Board,[16]

The fact that part-time faculty and teaching/research assistants are a majority of the instructional staff does not mean they do a majority of the instruction, because part-time faculty members and teaching/research assistants typically do not teach as many classes as full-time faculty members. Part-time faculty members generally do not have campus committee assignments or participate in student activities.[16][12]
—Southern Regional Education Board, "Fact Book on Higher Education"

In Tennessee, the percentage of all part-time faculty, including teaching and research assistants, increased from 42.8 percent to 56.8 percent between the 1991-1992 and 2011-2012 school years. Below is a table that provides figures on full-time and part-time faculty employment in Tennessee as compared to surrounding states.[16]

Employment status of instructional faculty at public four-year institutions
State 1991-92 2011-12
Full-time faculty Part-time faculty Teaching and research assistants Part-time total as a percent of all faculty* Full-time faculty Part-time faculty Teaching and research assistants Part-time total as a percent of all faculty*
Tennessee 5,260 886 3,053 42.8% 6,813 3,072 5,888 56.8%
Alabama 6,214 1,052 3,874 44.2% 7,685 2,975 5,206 51.6%
Kentucky 5,220 1,878 1,728 40.9% 6,821 2,652 4,577 51.5%
Mississippi 2,753 315 1,400 38.4% 3,553 827 3,084 52.4%
U.S. total 254,363 63,866 132,139 43.5% 344,940 157,123 278,064 55.8%
*"Part-time total" includes teaching and research assistants, who also work part-time.
Source: Southern Regional Education Board, "Higher Education Faculty & Administrators

Salaries

According to the Southern Regional Education Board, although the salaries of faculty at public institutions were higher than those of the average American worker in the 2012-2013 school year, public higher education salary growth did not keep pace with the average rate of salary increases across all professions. However, salary growth at private institutions outpaced the national average rate. From the 1999-2000 to the 2012-2013 school years, the average salary for professors across all higher education institutions nationwide rose from $74,410 to $108,310. Click on the table below to view salary information for the school years 1999-2000 and 2012-2013 according to institution type and academic rank. Individual state information was not available. Dollar amounts have not been adjusted for inflation.[16]

Demographics

Over the past two decades, the proportions of female, black, and Hispanic faculty members at public colleges and universities nationwide increased to reach their highest levels ever in the 2011-2012 school year. In Tennessee, 41.6 percent of full-time college faculty were female, 8 percent were black, and 2.3 percent were Hispanic. Black and Hispanic representation in college faculty at that time was higher than in the 1991-1992 school year. However, it still fell below the proportions of both the general and college student populations who were black and Hispanic. The table below provides demographic information for full-time faculty at public four-year colleges and universities in Tennessee from the 1993-1994 to the 2011-2012 school years. Figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[16]

Demographics of full-time faculty at public four-year colleges and universities
State Year Total full-time faculty Percent men Percent women Percent white Percent black Percent Hispanic Percent other*
Tennessee 1993-94 5,369 67.8% 32.2% 87.6% 7.0% 0.9% 4.4%
2011-12 6,812 58.4% 41.6% 80.5% 8.0% 2.3% 8.3%
Alabama 1993-94 6,446 68.7% 31.3% 86.2% 7.4% 1.0% 5.4%
2011-12 7,685 59.1% 40.9% 77.6% 10.3% 2.2% 9.7%
Kentucky 1993-94 5,210 69.2% 30.8% 90.2% 4.1% 0.8% 5.0%
2011-12 6,821 57.9% 42.1% 83.4% 5.1% 1.9% 8.8%
Mississippi 1993-94 2,780 68.5% 31.5% 77.8% 16.6% 0.7% 5.0%
2011-12 3,553 57.0% 43.0% 71.2% 17.1% 1.9% 8.6%
U.S. total 1993-94 265,685 70.2% 29.8% 87.1% 4.8% 2.2% 6.0%
2011-12 344,940 58.7% 41.3% 78.5% 5.3% 4.1% 11.5%
*Represents Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian/Alaskan Native
Source: Southern Regional Education Board, "Higher Education Faculty & Administrators

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, "State Higher Education Finance: FY 2013," accessed December 16, 2014
  2. National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 306.60. Fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity of student and state or jurisdiction: 2012," accessed December 16, 2014
  3. National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 304.30. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex, and state or jurisdiction: 2011 and 2012," accessed December 16, 2014
  4. National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 330.20. Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution and state or jurisdiction: 2011-12 and 2012-13," accessed December 15, 2014
  5. National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts - Financial aid," accessed December 18, 2014
  6. Federal Student Aid: An Office of the U.S. Department of Education, "Grants and Scholarships," accessed December 18, 2014
  7. Federal Student Aid: An Office of the U.S. Department of Education, "Loans," accessed December 18, 2014
  8. National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, "44th Annual Survey Report on State-Sponsored Student Financial Aid, 2012-2013 Academic Year," accessed December 18, 2014
  9. Project on student debt, "State-by-state data," accessed January 15, 2014
  10. College Insight, "State-by-state comparison," accessed January 15, 2015
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis, "Retention Rates - First-Time College Freshmen Returning Their Second Year," accessed December 15, 2014
  12. 12.0 12.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  13. 13.0 13.1 The Chronicle of Higher Education, "College Completion: Who graduates from college, who doesn't, and why it matters," accessed December 15, 2014
  14. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "States Are Still Funding Higher Education Below Pre-Recession Levels," May 1, 2014
  15. Business Insider, "Public Vs. Private College: Which Is Better For Your Wallet?" May 22, 2013
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 Southern Regional Education Board, "Fact Book on Higher Education, 2013," accessed January 14, 2015
  17. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, "Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Teachers," accessed January 15, 2015