Carson-Newman College vs. Bluefield State College

Should I go to Carson Newman College or Bluefield State College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Carson-Newman College or Bluefield State College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Carson Newman College vs. Bluefield State College comparison
Carson Newman College Bluefield State College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Carson-Newman College Bluefield State College
Location Jefferson City, TN Bluefield, WV
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,586 1,306
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #744 #986
Religious Affiliation Baptist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cn.edu bluefieldstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Carson-Newman College Bluefield State College
Tuition (In State) $31,300 $8,840
Tuition (Out of State) $31,300 $16,030
Room & Board $10,097 $10,200
Avg Net Price $20,111 $11,759
Avg Grant Aid $24,697 $10,160
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 96%

Admission

 Carson-Newman College Bluefield State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,928 813
Admitted 2,336 790
Acceptance Rate 79.8% 97.2%
Enrolled % 12.9% 33.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.6 3.41
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26 17/22
SAT Range 980/1143 870/1080
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 Carson-Newman College Bluefield State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (25%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (5%)
  • Health Professions (29%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Engineering Technology (16%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)

Outcomes

 Carson-Newman College Bluefield State College
Graduation Rate 45% 22%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $41,700 $31,800
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 30%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,880 $19,000
Median Loan Payment $246 $196

Diversity

 Carson-Newman College Bluefield State College
% Men 36% 40%
% Women 64% 60%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No Yes
% White 83% 85%
% Black 8% 9%
% Hispanic 2% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 1%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Carson-Newman College Bluefield State College
% In-State 71% 54%
% Out-of-State 23% 46%

Campus

 Carson-Newman College Bluefield State College
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Carson Newman College is larger than than Bluefield State College based on total student enrollment (2,586 students vs. 1,306 students)

Carson-Newman College vs. Bluefield State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Carson-Newman College or Bluefield State College?

  • Carson Newman College is 254.1% more expensive to attend than Bluefield State College for in-state tuition ($31,300.00 vs. $8,840.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 95.3% higher at Carson-Newman College than Bluefield State College ($31,300.00 vs. $16,030.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bluefield State College than Carson-Newman College ($11,759 vs. $20,111)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Carson Newman College are 1% lower than costs at Bluefield State College ($10,097 vs. $10,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Carson Newman College than Bluefield State College (100% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Carson Newman College students is 143.1% larger than aid received Bluefield State College ($24,697 vs. $10,160)

Carson-Newman College vs. Bluefield State College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Carson-Newman College or Bluefield State College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Bluefield State College or Carson-Newman College .

  • The average SAT score at Carson Newman College (1039) is 105 points higher than at Bluefield State College (934)
  • Incoming Carson-Newman College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Bluefield State College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Carson-Newman College students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Bluefield State College (3.41)
  • Bluefield State College has a higher acceptance rate (97.2%) than Carson-Newman College (79.8%)

Carson-Newman College vs. Bluefield State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Carson-Newman College or Bluefield State College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Bluefield State College and Carson-Newman College.

  • The graduation rate at Carson-Newman College is higher than Bluefield State College (45% vs. 22%)
  • Graduates from Carson Newman College earn on average $9,900 more per year than Bluefield State College graduates after ten years. ($41,700 vs. $31,800)
  • Bluefield State College students graduate with a $4,880 lower median federal student loan debt than Carson-Newman College graduates. ($19,000 vs. $23,880)
  • Bluefield State College graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Carson-Newman College graduates. ($196 vs. $246)
  • More Carson-Newman College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Bluefield State College students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 30%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/