Tennessee · Private nonprofit · Predominantly bachelor's

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee. 2,673 undergraduate students. 134 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.

ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS

What the data flags at Southern Adventist University

Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE+18%

In-state tuition

In-state tuition at Southern Adventist University rose 18% between 2021 and 2024 ($23.2k → $27.3k).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING BETTER-100%

3-year cohort default rate

3-year cohort default rate at Southern Adventist University fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (1.2% → 0.0%).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING WORSE+18%

Out-of-state tuition

Out-of-state tuition at Southern Adventist University rose 18% between 2021 and 2024 ($23.2k → $27.3k).

LONG-ARC SHIFT · TRENDING BETTER+20%

Undergraduate enrollment

Undergraduate enrollment at Southern Adventist University rose 20% between 2021 and 2024 (2.3k → 2.8k).

SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT

The numbers, vs. Tennessee

Each tile compares this institution to the Tennessee median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.

MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10Y
$53,723+20% · 6→10y
Tennessee median $38,880
MEDIAN EARNINGS · 6Y
$44,818
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry
COMPLETION · 150%
51.4%+12% · '98→'24
Tennessee median 57.6%
MEDIAN FEDERAL DEBT
$18,000+350% · '97→'20
At program completion
UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT
2,673+71% · '96→'24
latest IPEDS
RETENTION
82.0%+27% · '04→'24
first-time, full-time
ADMISSION RATE
66.6%-15% · '01→'24
latest cohort
IN-STATE TUITION
$25,590+147% · '00→'24
out-of-state $25,590
SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS

How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry

Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).

ALL FEDERALLY AIDED STUDENTS · TAX-RECORD EARNINGSVINTAGE 2025-05
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS

What loans cost relative to earnings

Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.

Institution-wide

4.5%
0%8% · GE20%+

Median federal debt $18,000 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $53,723 (10y after entry).

SECTION 04 · LONG ARC

Ten-plus year arc

Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.

UNDERGRAD · 199620242,773
2,7731,54019962024
Undergraduate enrollment.IPEDS EF
COMPLETION 150% · 1998202449.4%
95%44%19982024
150%-time completion rate.IPEDS GR
MEDIAN DEBT · 19972020$24,500
$26,875$3,50019972020
Median federal student debt at exit.SCORECARD
COMPLETION · 100% · 19982024+25%

Southern Adventist University · completion · 100% rose

27.7% → 34.6%

RETENTION · 20042024+27%

Southern Adventist University · retention rose

65.0% → 82.8%

UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT · 19962024+71%

Southern Adventist University · undergrad enrollment rose

1,625 → 2,773

IN-STATE TUITION · 20002024+147%

Southern Adventist University · in-state tuition rose

$11,040 → $27,300

OUT-OF-STATE TUITION · 20002024+147%

Southern Adventist University · out-of-state tuition rose

$11,040 → $27,300

MEDIAN DEBT · 19972020+350%

Southern Adventist University · median debt rose

$5,439 → $24,500

COHORT DEFAULT RATE · 20112024-100%

Southern Adventist University · cohort default rate fell

5.8% → 0.0%

EARNINGS_MEDIAN_10YR · 20072020+37%

Southern Adventist University · earnings_median_10yr rose

$39,300 → $53,723

EARNINGS_MEDIAN_8YR · 20052020+36%

Southern Adventist University · earnings_median_8yr rose

$36,200 → $49,257

EARNINGS_MEDIAN_6YR · 20032020+40%

Southern Adventist University · earnings_median_6yr rose

$31,900 → $44,818

FINANCIAL OUTCOME · ILLUSTRATION

Estimate the financial outcome at Southern Adventist University

Pick a program. Cost from Scorecard net price by family income; earnings from Treasury 5-year-post-completion median, projected forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve. The selection-bias toggle applies the Dale-Krueger shrinkage. Outcomes illustration, not a forecast — see methodology.

Shrinks the earnings premium toward the matched-applicant mean. STEM <15%, business ~40%, arts & education ~60%.

NET PRESENT VALUE
$798,703
Over 40 years, discounted 5.0%
BREAKEVEN
Year 7
First year cumulative discounted earnings cross zero
graduationbreakeven · year 7year 0year 39
Cost per year
$23,907
HS-only baseline · TN
$34,600
Years to complete
4
CIP family
51

Outcomes illustration · not a forecast. Projects observed Scorecard earnings forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve under your assumptions. See methodology for the math.

CAUSAL DISCIPLINE

Southern Adventist University graduates earn $X” — not “Southern Adventist University makes you earn $X”

Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Southern Adventist University caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.

Methodology →