Admit rate has ranged 30%–61% 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.
Tuskegee University, Alabama’s top-ranked HBCU, blends rigorous STEM programs with deep historical roots—think Booker T. Washington’s legacy meets cutting-edge aerospace engineering. With a 52% acceptance rate and a tight-knit campus where 86% of students live on-site, it’s a hub for future veterinarians, engineers, and social mobility leaders.
Admission requirements
Test scores required
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
Demonstrated competencies
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
2,630
In-state tuition
$25,386
Out-of-state tuition
$25,386
Top Major
Animal Sciences
Total Cost
$46,134
Acceptance Rate
49-52%
On-Campus Housing
86%
Six-Year Grad Rate
57%
Social Mobility Rank
#1 in the South
Student-Faculty Ratio
12:1
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$49,641
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
1.4×
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
55%
First-year retention
81%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
50%
Pell (lower-income) share
70%
First-generation share
23%
Endowment / student
$62,452
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.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$68,499
Mechanical Engineering$67,101
Chemical Engineering$66,821
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$59,124
Finance and Financial Management Services$57,318
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
2
Per 1,000 students
0.76
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
103
Summer high
91°F
Winter low
43°F
Annual rain
52.2"
Natural-hazard risk
Very 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
158
Scholarly works
5,305
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
5.2%
Bottom → top quintile
28%
From bottom quintile
19%
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 Tuskegee University?
Tuskegee University's acceptance rate is approximately 49% (Tuskegee, AL), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does Tuskegee University cost?
At Tuskegee University, the average net price (after aid) is about $35,013 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Tuskegee University?
Tuskegee University enrolls approximately 2,630 undergraduate students.
Where is Tuskegee University located?
Tuskegee University is located in Tuskegee, AL.
Admissions
Tuskegee’s admissions are moderately selective, 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. fluctuating between 48-52% in recent years ([10], [11]). The middle 50% of admitted students score 18-25 on the ACT or 1050-1230 on the SAT ([12], [9]). Notably, the university is test-optional and prioritizes applicants with a minimum 3.1 GPA and demonstrated leadership ([4], [12]). Over 11,600 applications poured in for the 2022-23 cycle, with 49% admitted ([2], [7]).
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.
$55,338
Business Administration, Management and Operations$52,107
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations$46,790
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.
Academics
Tuskegee’s academic identity is STEM-heavy, with standouts like Aerospace Science Engineering and Animal Sciences (its most popular major) ([13], [15]). The 12:1 student-faculty ratio supports close mentorship, particularly in flagship programs like Chemical Engineering and Biology ([16], [14]). The university organizes its offerings into five colleges, including a College of Veterinary Medicine—one of only a few at HBCUs ([13], [24]). U.S. News ranks it #1 in Alabama for social mobility, underscoring its mission to uplift First-generation (first-gen)A student who would be the first in their immediate family to earn a four-year college degree. Many colleges consider this in context. and low-income students ([28], [18]).
Campus life here is unapologetically communal: 86% of students live on-site, and traditions like homecoming and Greek life (with a strong Divine Nine presence) dominate the social scene ([23], [20]). The Office of Student Life orchestrates everything from NSO Leaders to TUSAB (the campus activities board), while Instagram showcases spirited royal court coronations and step shows ([22], [19]). Safety and tight bonds are recurring themes in student reviews, with many calling it a "family" environment ([20], [21]).
Tuskegee’s six-year graduation rate hovers at 57%—above the national average for HBCUs—with STEM graduates seeing stronger employment outcomes ([26], [25]). Early-career earnings average $35,000, though this dips below peers due to the high proportion of lower-paying public-service roles (e.g., veterinary techs, social workers) ([29], [27]). The university punches above its weight in social mobility, ranking #1 in the South for elevating low-income students into middle-class careers ([28]).
Sticker shock is real: total annual cost hits $46,134, but 90% of students receive aid, slashing the average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. to $35,126 ([33], [32]). Institutional aid averages $8,441 per year, with need-based loans capped at $5,000 for upperclassmen ([35], [30]). The financial aid office aggressively promotes summer loan programs and Pell Grant optimization, critical for a student body where 62% qualify for federal Need-based aidFinancial aid awarded based on your family's ability to pay, as measured by forms like the FAFSA, rather than on achievements. ([4], [31]).
Tuskegee isn’t just Alabama’s top-ranked HBCU—it’s a living monument to Black excellence, from George Washington Carver’s labs to the Tuskegee Airmen’s LegacyAn applicant whose parent (or sometimes other close relative) attended the college. Some schools give a small edge to legacy applicants. ([28], [24]). Its niche in veterinary medicine and aerospace (with its own airport) is unmatched among HBCUs, while a 67% six-year graduation rate for recent cohorts shows improving student success ([27], [13]). For students seeking a close-knit, STEM-focused community with historical heft, it’s a singular choice.
Tuskegee University logo · sourceTuskegee University - UNCF · sourceTuskegee University - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges · sourceTuskegee Institute National Historic Site | TOURING THE HISTORIC CAMPUS | · source
