Tennessee State University (commonly referred to as Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Established in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee and is a proud member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The university provides a wide range of academic programs, offering 41 bachelor’s degrees, 23 master’s degrees, and eight doctoral degrees. Recognized for its research contributions, TSU is classified as an "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity."
Founded in 1912 as the Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School for Negroes, the university officially opened with a dedication ceremony on January 16, 1913. In 1925, the institution was renamed Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal College, and two years later, in 1927, it became Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College.
Campus
The main campus of Tennessee State University spans 500 acres (2.0 km²) and is situated at 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd in a residential area of Nashville, Tennessee. This campus, featuring over 65 buildings, is the largest college campus by acreage in Nashville. In addition to the main campus, the university has the Avon Williams campus, located downtown in Nashville's business and government district. Tennessee State provides a variety of on-campus housing options, including dormitories and apartment complexes for upperclassmen.
Student housing includes dorms such as Wilson Hall, Watson Hall, Epps Hall, Boyd Hall, Rudolph Hall, and Hale Hall. Upperclassmen have access to two apartment complexes: the Ford Complex and the New Residence Complex. Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Tennessee State University offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. It is recognized as an "R2: Doctoral University – High research activity."
What is the Tennessee State University US News National Rankings 2025?
Tennessee State University ranks 392-434 according to the US News National Rankings 2025.
Tennessee State University Global Ranking
The University is still awaiting its official rankings from prominent organisations such as QS, Times Higher Education, and US News and World Report. Despite its growing reputation and contributions to academia, the university has not yet been featured in the rankings published by these influential bodies. But it has been ranked at #392-434 in national universities of the U.S. News in 2025.
Although the University continues to develop its academic programs and research initiatives, it remains unranked by these major international ranking institutions. The absence of a ranking from QS, Times Higher Education, and US News does not reflect the quality of education or research output but simply indicates that the university has not been formally assessed by these specific agencies.
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Frequently asked questions on Tennessee State University Ranking 2025
1: How does one register for classes?
A: Students register for classes in their MyTSU account. After logging into MyTSU, click on the Banner Services tab. Then click on the student link. Under the student link, click on Registration then click on Add or Drop Classes.
2: How does one get his/her student ID card?
A: You must set up an MFA to access your accounts. Instructions to set up MFA can be found on the TSU website under the CIT department.