East Tennessee State University
Academics

Back to Profile

How strong are the academics at East Tennessee State University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

18:1
Student to faculty ratio
39%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

ETSU has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 18:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Honors Programs

East Tennessee State University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on ETSU's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at East Tennessee State University:

74%
First-year retention rate
39%
4-year grad rate
55%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are East Tennessee State University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Psychology, General
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General
Business Administration and Management, General
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
5
92.6
180.2
267.8
355.4
443

The Full List

Major Graduates
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 64
  • Microbiology, General 16
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 2
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 94
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 78
  • Accounting 47
  • Finance, General 34
  • Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 11
  • Business/Managerial Economics 8
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 2
  • Business/Managerial Economics 2
  • Finance, General 2
  • Business Administration and Management, General 1
Communication
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 56
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 1
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
  • Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects 41
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 78
Education
  • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels 76
  • Special Education and Teaching, General 9
Engineering
  • Engineering, General 4
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS 30
  • Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General 30
  • Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General 30
  • Surveying Technology/Surveying 14
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 56
  • Rhetoric and Composition 17
  • English Language and Literature, General 4
  • Rhetoric and Composition 2
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Child Development 25
Foreign Languages
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 16
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 5
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 443
  • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 75
  • Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer 48
  • Rehabilitation Science 38
  • Dental Hygiene/Hygienist 27
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 22
  • Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 17
  • Pharmacy 12
  • Dietetics/Dietitian 12
  • Public Health, General 9
  • Environmental Health 8
  • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 1
History
  • History, General 39
  • History, General 4
Homeland Security
  • Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration 63
  • Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration 2
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 75
  • General Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 10
Parks
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 98
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 44
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 2
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 4
  • Philosophy 1
Physical Sciences
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 21
  • Chemistry, General 18
  • Physics, General 6
  • Chemistry, General 1
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 134
  • Psychology, General 7
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Social Work 32
  • Human Services, General 22
  • Human Services, General 22
  • PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS 22
Social Sciences
  • Political Science and Government, General 20
  • Sociology, General 19
  • International Relations and Affairs 7
  • Anthropology, General 5
  • Sociology, General 2
  • Political Science and Government, General 2
  • Economics, General 1
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art/Art Studies, General 22
  • Interior Design 21
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 16
  • Music, General 14
  • Musicology and Ethnomusicology 9
  • Graphic Design 8
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
  • Graphic Design 1
  • Art/Art Studies, General 1
Mistakes were made
(But not by you!)

These are the top 10 mistakes people make when searching for colleges

Top Ten Mistakes

CollegeIQ® relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.

© 2026 Whittier Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service