COLLEGES · 30-YEAR ROI · JOHNSON CITY, TN

Is East Tennessee State University worth the money?

Yes — at resident pricing. A East Tennessee State University degree clears +$708K in 30-year projected net value over skipping college and investing the difference.

A public four-year school in Johnson City, Tennessee, priced as a Tennessee resident — earnings rolled up from 39 FREOPP-reported programs.

IPEDS 2023 cost · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · same model as /worth-it · this school clears positive net value.

East Tennessee State University · Johnson City, TN

30-year net value · resident pricing
+$708K
30-year net value · non-resident
+$595K
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$46,003
Breaks even by age
—
Annual tuition · Tennessee resident
$9,706
Annual tuition · out-of-state
$13,034
Total cost of attendance (4 years, sticker)
$79,904
Total cost of attendance · out-of-state
$93,216
FREOPP program coverage
39 programs

The out-of-state tax in Tennessee, ranked

How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

East Tennessee State University runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the standard loan assumptions, a 30-year horizon, and Tennessee’s own cost-of-living on the skip-college path. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of going vs. skipping and investing the difference, in real dollars.

What it isn’t: a verdict on every major. The school-level number averages across 39 FREOPP-reported programs — the field you pick swings it by over a million dollars on its own. We only publish school pages that clear positive net value at resident pricing; earnings roll up from at least three FREOPP programs (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t fake the number.

Questions

Is East Tennessee State University worth the money?
At resident pricing, yes: East Tennessee State University clears +$708K in 30-year projected net value versus skipping college and investing the difference. That is computed from a total cost of attendance of $79,904 and median earnings of $46,003 ten years after entry (IPEDS 2023 cost, FREOPP 2021 earnings, BEA 2023 cost-of-living — the same model as the LE TEEN calculator).
How much is tuition at East Tennessee State University?
East Tennessee State University's annual sticker tuition is $9,706 for Tennessee residents and $13,034 for out-of-state students, before financial aid. Total cost of attendance over 4 years — tuition plus fees, housing, and living costs — is $79,904 (IPEDS 2023).
What is the total cost of East Tennessee State University?
Over 4 years, East Tennessee State University's sticker cost of attendance is $79,904 at resident pricing, or $93,216 out-of-state — tuition, fees, housing, and living costs at Tennessee prices, before financial aid. Median earnings ten years after entry are $46,003.
What is out-of-state tuition at East Tennessee State University?
Non-resident annual sticker tuition at East Tennessee State University is $13,034, versus $9,706 for Tennessee residents — a premium of $3,328 a year. Even at the non-resident rate, East Tennessee State University clears positive 30-year net value.
How long until a East Tennessee State University degree pays for itself?
Under our defaults the degree path finishes +$708K ahead at the 30-year horizon; the year-by-year crossover depends on your loan share and time horizon — run your own assumptions on the calculator.
What could change the number for East Tennessee State University?
Two levers dominate. Residency: this page prices East Tennessee State University as a Tennessee resident; at non-resident tuition it still clears +$595K, but the gap is real money (see the out-of-state tax in Tennessee). And the major: the field you pick swings lifetime ROI by over a million dollars on its own (see the majors pages).

Keep going

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Is East Tennessee State University worth the money? 30-year ROI.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/colleges/east-tennessee-state-university