Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State University has become somewhat more selective in recent years while gaining ground in national standings. In the U.S. News rankings, the university improved from rank 304 in 2024 to rank 257 in 2026. Gaining admission is relatively accessible overall, but the school admits fewer applicants than most comparable institutions. In 2025, its acceptance rate was 69.1%, which is higher than 29% of peer schools in the all public national universities group. This means more than two-thirds of applicants are admitted, yet admission standards remain slightly tighter than at typical peer campuses. Once admitted, students demonstrate a comparatively solid commitment to attending. The university recorded an enrollment yield rate of 30.4% in 2025, which is higher than 85% of peer schools in its public comparison cohort. For prospective applicants, these figures mean that while securing an offer is achievable for a majority of candidates, the institution commands a notably stronger pull among those it admits than most peer public universities.

Prospective applicants to Middle Tennessee State University generally present moderate standardized test scores and solid secondary school marks. Testing submissions at the university are overwhelmingly dominated by the ACT, with 93% of entering students submitting ACT results in 2025 compared to only a small fraction submitting the SAT. For enrolled freshmen that year, the middle 50% ACT composite score spanned from 20 to 26, establishing an accessible testing target for most applicants. Among those submitting SAT scores, the university recorded a median SAT score of 1130 in 2025. In high school coursework, successful applicants usually demonstrate steady academic performance, with the single largest share of students in the 2023–2024 admissions cycle entering with grade point averages firmly in the mid-three range. Applicants aiming for a secure admission profile should target an ACT composite score at or above the mid-twenties while maintaining above-average high school course grades.

Undergraduate studies at Middle Tennessee State University are widely distributed across diverse academic fields rather than concentrated in a handful of programs. In 2025, the top three undergraduate programs represented just 19.8% of all bachelor's degrees awarded. The largest undergraduate fields include multi-disciplinary studies, psychology, and aeronautics and aerospace science. However, these large undergraduate majors do not align with the institution's highest-ranked academic programs. The university's strongest placement in the U.S. News rankings belongs to its graduate biostatistics program, which attained rank 87 in 2026. Career returns show strong economic outcomes for graduates entering health care and technical disciplines. According to 2023 earnings data, graduates in registered nursing led undergraduate earners with a median first-year salary of $78,836, followed closely by construction management. International students make up a minor portion of the undergraduate completion pool, accounting for 1.9% of bachelor's degree recipients in 2025. For prospective students, the university offers practical pathways in healthcare and aviation, though premier program rankings remain concentrated at the graduate level.

Middle Tennessee State University enrolls a primarily undergraduate student body across its campus. In 2025, White students formed the majority across both undergraduate and graduate divisions, while African American and Hispanic students constituted the next largest domestic racial groups. Asian and international students represent smaller portions of the campus population, particularly at the undergraduate entry level. Among the incoming freshman class in 2025, there were 126 Asian students, accounting for 4% of first-year enrollment. Incoming international students numbered 40, making up 1.3% of the new freshman cohort. As students advance into graduate education, the demographic profile shifts toward greater international participation, where overseas students compose close to one-tenth of all advanced degree seekers while Asian enrollment remains steady. Overall, female students outnumber male students across campus, particularly within graduate programs. For prospective applicants, the university offers a student environment grounded predominantly in regional domestic enrollment with modest Asian and international presence.

The undergraduate population at Middle Tennessee State University is primarily composed of traditional college-aged students. Out of 18,042 undergraduates in 2025, 32.2% were ages 18 to 19, and 30.6% were ages 20 to 21. Another 15.3% fell into the 22 to 24 age bracket, pointing to an undergraduate campus environment centered around young adults completing their degrees directly out of secondary school. By contrast, the 2,446 graduate students reflect a broader age range. Students aged 22 to 24 made up the largest graduate segment at 26.7%, followed by those aged 25 to 29 at 23.7%. This distribution indicates that graduate classrooms bring together recent bachelor degree recipients alongside working adults returning for advanced study.

International student enrollment at Middle Tennessee State University has trended downward over the past decade across both undergraduate and graduate divisions. In 2025, the undergraduate international share settled at 2.4%, representing a multi-year decline, though it matches the median for peer schools in the all public national universities group. Graduate international representation similarly contracted over the same period, declining to 9.4% in 2025. Despite these smaller campus proportions, international students account for substantial shares in specialized degree programs upon graduation. At the baccalaureate level, international graduates are most concentrated in aeronautics and aviation science and technology, accounting for 10% of graduating majors in 2025. At the master's level, international scholars show heavy concentration in specialized STEM fields, earning 39.6% of degrees in biological and biomedical sciences, while also representing a substantial share in information technology. For international applicants, these patterns highlight established academic communities in aerospace, biological sciences, and computing.

Families exploring higher education options around Murfreesboro, Tennessee, will find several distinct colleges within close proximity. Located about 31 kilometers away in Nashville, Belmont University is a National University ranked 208. Nearby in the same metropolitan area, Lipscomb University is another National University, situated 30.4 kilometers away and ranked 250. Also in Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a major research institution ranked 16 among National Universities, located 32.2 kilometers from campus. For students interested in a liberal arts environment, The University of the South is located 50.9 kilometers away in Sewanee and is ranked 49 among Liberal Arts Colleges. These neighboring institutions provide alternatives ranging from highly selective private universities to regional liberal arts colleges within a short drive.

Campus safety at Middle Tennessee State University has improved over the past decade, as reflected in declining incident indicators. In 2025, the school recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 5.5, down from earlier years. Looking at law enforcement and disciplinary statistics across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the majority of campus infractions involved substance policies rather than violent offenses. Drug policy enforcement formed the primary category of activity, totaling 175 arrests and 155 disciplinary referrals between 2023 and 2025. Alcohol-related infractions represented the second most frequent issue on campus, generating 56 disciplinary referrals alongside a smaller number of arrests over that same three-year window. Violent offenses such as domestic violence and stalking occurred in much smaller numbers during this period. For prospective students and their families, campus security data suggest that university safety concerns are largely centered on drug and alcohol enforcement rather than widespread property or interpersonal crime.