Admit rate has ranged 81%–91% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Freed-Hardeman University is a small, fiercely Christian liberal arts school in rural Tennessee where Bible study is as central to campus life as classwork. With an acceptance rate hovering around 90%, FHU attracts students who want rigorous academics (especially in nursing, business, and education) wrapped in an intimate, faith-driven community where professors know your name and spiritual growth is part of the curriculum.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Letters of recommendation
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,212
In-state tuition
$25,620
Out-of-state tuition
$25,620
Location
Henderson, TN
Campus Vibe
Faith-focused, tight-knit
Acceptance Rate
88-91%
Most Popular Major
Nursing
Student-Faculty Ratio
12:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
71%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$47,485
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.2×
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Graduation rate
71%
First-year retention
86%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
67%
Pell (lower-income) share
49%
First-generation share
19%
Endowment / student
$70,337
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$55,061
Bible/Biblical Studies$52,107
Accounting and Related Services$47,260
Business Administration, Management and Operations$38,289
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$36,668
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
2
Per 1,000 students
1.65
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
86
Summer high
89°F
Winter low
36°F
Annual rain
54.5"
Annual snow
3.4"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Low
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
27
Scholarly works
2,616
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.4%
Bottom → top quintile
22%
From bottom quintile
7%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Freed-Hardeman University?
Freed-Hardeman University's acceptance rate is approximately 60% (Henderson, TN), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Freed-Hardeman University?
Admitted students at Freed-Hardeman University typically score 952–1087 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Freed-Hardeman University cost?
At Freed-Hardeman University, the average net price (after aid) is about $21,574 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Freed-Hardeman University?
Freed-Hardeman University enrolls approximately 1,212 undergraduate students.
Where is Freed-Hardeman University located?
Freed-Hardeman University is located in Henderson, TN.
Admissions
Freed-Hardeman's admissions process leans heavily toward accessibility, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. ranging from 60% to 96% across different sources—though most cluster around 88-91%. The school is Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. but reports middle-50% ranges of 1030-1230 for SAT scores and 21-28 for ACT scores among enrollees. Nearly 60% of admitted students have GPAs of 3.75 or higher, suggesting that while the door is open, the strongest applicants tend to walk through it. Notably, FHU charges no application fee and offers rolling admissions.
FHU offers 58 undergraduate programs with a distinctly Christian lens, where nursing dominates as the most popular major (31 degrees awarded annually). Business (15% of degrees) and education (13%) follow close behind. The university emphasizes 'personal and relational learning' with a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, positioning itself as an antidote to impersonal lecture halls. Every major incorporates spiritual development—expect theology courses alongside clinical rotations or marketing case studies.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$36,107
Biology, General$33,993
Criminal Justice and Corrections$33,993
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Campus life orbits around faith: daily chapel services, mission trips, and Bible studies structure the week. The Instagram feed bursts with images of 'Welcome Home' events and intramural sports teams praying post-game. Students describe an environment where 'everyone knows your name'—partly because Henderson, TN (population 6,000) offers limited off-campus distractions. Over 30 student organizations exist, but the real social glue is the spiritual community; even the cafeteria posts weekly devotionals.
FHU punches above its weight in retention and graduation rates for a small religious college: 71% of students graduate within six years (well above the 61% national average for private schools). The university highlights job placement stats in its materials, though specific figures aren't publicly broken down by major. Notably, outcomes data suggests students who thrive in FHU's tight-knit environment tend to persist—the school's focus on mentoring relationships likely contributes to these stronger-than-expected results.
At $18,267 average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. after aid (2023 data), FHU undercuts many private competitors. The 'FHU Promise' program covers up to 90% of tuition for eligible freshmen and transfers, though details on income thresholds are vague. About 95% of students receive some form of aid, with average packages totaling $12,840—often blending institutional grants with federal loans. For context, that net price is roughly equivalent to in-state tuition at Tennessee's public universities.
FHU delivers something increasingly rare: a no-apologies Christian education where spiritual formation and academic rigor share equal billing. Its nursing program produces capable grads who can also lead hospital chapel services; its business majors learn spreadsheets and servant leadership. The 71% graduation rate—unusually high for a school with such accessible admissions—suggests this model works. Ideal for students who want professors to pray with them before exams and a community where faith isn't just allowed but expected.
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