Tennessee State University Raising Admissions Standards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ― Tennessee State University is planning to raise admissions standards for the next incoming class in an effort to draw higher-performing students who will have a greater likelihood to graduate.

WPLN-FM reports the historically Black university in Nashville has the lowest average freshman ACT scores and graduation rates among the state’s public universities.

TSU President Glenda Glover says one barrier to student success has been that the school hasn’t been selective enough, and that higher-achieving students may be applying elsewhere because requirements seemed too low.

Glover said data has shown that high school grade point average is the best way to predict which students will graduate. The school is raising its minimum GPA from 2.25 to 2.5, and increasing the ACT requirement by one point to 19.