Graduation debt vs. earnings for Tennessee's public universities
The ratio of college debt to earnings 10 years later can vary widely for recent graduates of Tennessee's public four-year universities, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Most students entering college today will incur some amount of debt to be paid back after graduation. If they choose to go to a four-year public university in Tennessee, their potential debt compared to potential earnings 10 years later could help them choose which school attend.
Students who attend Tennessee Technological University will graduate with approximately $17,566 in student debt. 10 years later, they can expect to earn $2.31 for every dollar of that debt. In comparison, the student debt load for graduates of Tennessee State University will be around $28,017, but they should expect to earn, on average, only $1.26 for every dollar of that debt.
The bottom line? A higher earnings-to-school-debt-ratio might help graduates pay off those loans quite a bit faster. See the graphic below for a debt/earnings comparison for all nine of Tennessee's four-year institutions.