ETSU Loans, Tuition, Costs & More

This is the complete guide to ETSU tuition, costs and student loans. If you’re considering East Tennessee State University, you’re likely focussed on that huge, glaring sticker price: $N/A.

If you’re still trying to figure out if you can get into the school, try our college chances calculator for ETSU

That expensive sticker price can be extremely misleading and does not usually represent the true cost of ETSU. The reality is that a huge percentage of students who attend ETSU do not pay that number.

What you are most likely concerned with is what you and your family will pay for East Tennessee State University, which is dependent on a range of factors from family income to state residency.

Before we get started, if you have any doubts about your ability to afford ETSU and are interested in student loans to support your education, the below vendors specifically lend to ETSU students - click any of them to learn more about their rates and requirements.

Now, let’s break down that scary sticker price first.

How much is ETSU tuition?

The stated tuition for out-of-state students at East Tennessee State University is $27199 while in-state students pay $8935. The dictionary definition of tuition is the “price of payment for instruction.” That’s an important distinction from the total cost of attending ETSU.

Essentially, tuition is only what you pay to attend classes at ETSU. The annual charge of $27199 or $8935 often excludes dozens of other miscellaneous expenses, such as housing, textbooks, meals, fees and more. Therefore, the true cost of ETSU is much higher than either of these prices (more on this later).

At the same time, however, tuition does not take into account factors that can help a student or family afford college, such as scholarships, student loans and grants.

Therefore, although an important benchmark, the $8935 for East Tennessee State University is likely not a good indicator of what you can expect to pay if you attend the school.

What is the total cost of ETSU?

If you’re already thinking of this question, you’re one step ahead of us! And you’re on the right track… .The total cost of attending ETSU is $N/A and is much more indicative of how much you will pay over the course of one year to attend the school - with one BIG caveat: total cost excludes financial supports that help reduce the cost of attending school, like scholarships at ETSU.

Still, if you do not plan on receiving financial aid, student loans and the like then the East Tennessee State University cost of attendance is the best indicator to consider.

What does the total cost of ETSU include?

The total cost of ETSU includes tuition and other common, material expenses, like textbooks and supplies, room and board, and meal costs, minus the average amount of financial aid and scholarships.

Importantly, this does not reflect the price you will likely pay based on your income bracket.

What is the price of room and board at ETSU?

The cost of rooming and dorms at ETSU is $4602

The cost of meals at ETSU is $3350.

ETSU does not fully report room and boarding charges.

How much is ETSU out of state tuition?

Out of state tuition for ETSU is $27199.

How much is East Tennessee State University in state tuition?

In state state tuition for ETSU is $8935.

How can I afford ETSU?

You should use a variety of financial tools to offset the cost of ETSU.

It’s easy to lose track of all the assets at your disposal, but the most common can be categorized into grants, loans, and scholarships.

At East Tennessee State University, 0.4081% of students receive a pell grant. Furthermore, 0.4592% of students borrow federal student loans to help pay for the school.

If you will use student loans to help pay for ETSU, these providers below all work with ETSU students.

How much will I pay for ETSU?

This is the million dollar question - literally! ETSU students pay a variety of prices to attend the institution, as you already know. A very easy way to determine an average price you can expect to pay is by using your average family income and comparing it to the table below.

For additional insight, try using the East Tennessee State University net price calculator.

How much debt will I graduate with from ETSU?

Beyond the years you plan on spending at East Tennessee State University, the financial repercussions of ETSU tuition will stay with you for awhile, especially if you take out loans to finance the education.

The median debt for students who have completed a degree at ETSU is $20785.0. We can break down this number further by household income and student type (see where you might fit in):

Is ETSU worth the cost?

Going to college is an investment, and like all investments, you should look at the ROI of attending East Tennessee State University.

Luckily, we can provide some insightful data to help determine whether or not ETSU is worth the cost by examining what past graduates are earning now.

The average salary of students who were working six years after graduating from ETSU is $32700 (the median is $29500).

After 8 years, the average salary for ETSU graduates is $N/A.

10 years out, the average salary for ETSU graduates is $40600.

I think it’s particularly interesting to look at the salary 10 years after graduation, and it’s probably more indicative of whether ETSU is worth the cost. The real upside of a college degree is that it puts you on a path where your future salary can increase substantially, and it may be hard to achieve that upside without a college degree.

For example, after graduating from ETSU you may get a job where the salary is not too much more than you’d make without a college degree, and you may have taken out a lot of loans to get there!

However, if you stay in that position for 5 or 10 years, you will likely begin doubling and tripling what you’re making.

The future earnings potential is going to be much higher if you go to ETSU compared to not attending college at all. Therefore, it’s about maximizing that opportunity and reducing the debt needed to get there.

How do ETSU graduates fare compared to similar schools?

This is an important question because if you’re considering ETSU, you likely have other options on the table.

Often times, students enroll in the cheapest university available to them. But, as we know from above, this isn’t the whole story.

For example, you would pay 5% more for a college if you knew the average salary would also be 10% higher, wouldn’t you?

There’s a lot of reasons why the average salary for ETSU students would differ from its peer schools. Perhaps the most popular areas of study align with higher or lower paying careers, or the school has a massive and supportive alumni network.

Here are just a few related schools to ETSU that may be of interest. Click on any one to break down their costs and performance outcomes further.

How much does ETSU cost per semester?

Assuming there are two semesters at ETSU and you are an in-state student, you will pay $4467 per semester. If you are out-of-state, you will pay $13599 per semester.

How much does ETSU cost per year?

This is effectively the total annual cost of ETSU, which is $N/A. However, you can also add room and board, textbooks, and other fees listed above onto that number to better determine how you will really spend in one year of attendance.

Is it possible to attend ETSU for free?

In theory, yes it is possible to attend ETSU for free. If you are a stellar student, you may get a scholarship to cover the entire cost of the education.

Similarly, if you are a student athlete, you may receive a full scholarship to be on a sports team.

Unless you are receiving a “full ride” (e.g. full scholarship) to attend ETSU, though, it won’t be free. If you take out loans to finance the school, you may pay very little in the near term but all of that money must still be paid off in the long term.

If you're trying to get in to ETSU read about the requirements here