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Southern Adventist University

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN · Suburb · 2,773 students
WebsiteScorecard
Application deadlines: Check the admissions site
$24,345
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
50%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
52% typical
$53,723
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$51,562 typical
66%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
81% typical · not scored
Accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
About

Nestled in the scenic Tennessee valley near Chattanooga, Southern Adventist University is a premier Seventh-day Adventist institution renowned for its deeply integrated Christian worldview and highly respected programs in nursing, business, and biology. The campus culture is defined by a warm, Christ-centered, and service-oriented community where students regularly participate in campus-wide worship, global mission trips, and outdoor recreation. What truly sets Southern apart is its sprawling 1,300-acre campus featuring over 30 miles of forested hiking and mountain biking trails, offering a unique environment where academic rigor, spiritual growth, and outdoor adventure seamlessly intersect.


Wikipedia:Southern Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Collegedale, Tennessee. It is owned and operated by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. It was founded in 1892 in Graysville, Tennessee, as Graysville Academy and was the first Adventist school in the southern U.S. Due to the need for additional space for expansion the school relocated in 1916 and was renamed Southern Junior College. In 1944, Southern began awarding baccalaureate degrees and was renamed Southern Missionary College. In 1996 the institution started conferring master's degrees and adopted its current name.

Location
Collegedale, TN, 37315-0370 · Suburb campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
ATL · Atlanta
104 mi away
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$27,300
Housing & food (on campus)$8,900
Books & supplies$1,100
Cost of attendance$40,300
Average net price$24,345
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$27,300
Housing & food (on campus)$8,900
Books & supplies$1,100
Cost of attendance$40,300
Average net price$24,345
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.southern.edu
How it’s made up · 2026-27
Southern Adventist University’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$28,900
Fees$1,500
Housing$6,000
Food$3,900
Books & supplies$1,100
Total published by the school$40,300
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$19,123
$30–48k
$20,421
$48–75k
$22,849
$75–110k
$26,679
$110k+
$30,751
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
50%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
35%
Back for yr 2
83%
Transferred
5%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
62% graduated · 26% transferred · 12% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$44,818
10 yrs after entry$53,723
Debt
Median at graduation$24,500
Monthly payment$260
Middle 50% owe$8.2k–$30k
90th percentile$41,376
Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (medium programs): $51,562 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
66%
Test policy
Test optional
Per College Scorecard
SAT average
1129
R 530–660 · M 490–640
SAT middle 50%: 1020–1300
40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Southern Adventist University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body
Gender
Men 46%Women 54%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
19 : 1
Pell grant
31%
First-gen
18%
Family income
$50,894
Independent
12%
Age at entry
21.0
Part-time
11%
Race & ethnicity
White
37%
Hispanic
26%
Black
6%
Asian
14%
Two or more
7%
Non-resident
8%
Unknown
3%
Varsity sports

No data. This school isn't in the U.S. Department of Education's athletics (EADA) file, so we can't list its teams. That doesn't mean it has none.

Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$44,818
After 10 yrs
$53,723
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing63
Biology, General38
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness21
Business Administration, Management and Operations20
Accounting and Related Services17
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods15
Social Work15
Theological and Ministerial Studies14
Computer Science12
Film/Video and Photographic Arts12
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods8
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology7
Chemistry7
Psychology, General7
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology7
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions7
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$65M
Full-time faculty
100%
Faculty salary
$6,732/mo
Teaching spend
$11,547
per student
Federal loans
42%
Classification
Carnegie type
Master's (medium programs)
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, inclusive admissions

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