Carson-Newman University

What Carson-Newman University does

Carson-Newman University is a private Christian liberal arts university founded in 1851 in Jefferson City, Tennessee, affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention and operating as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a Board of Trustees representing Baptist churches. It enrolls approximately 2,585-2,900 students — roughly 1,528 undergraduates and 1,058 graduate students — supported by 215 faculty at a 12:1 to 14:1 student-faculty ratio across 50+ undergraduate majors and 11-25+ graduate degrees delivered through on-campus residential programs, the College of Professional Studies for adult learners, the Office of Online Learning, and a satellite location at Pellissippi State Community College's Strawberry Plains campus.

The university's product portfolio spans undergraduate and graduate degree programs, pre-professional tracks (with a stated 90% professional school acceptance rate), Honors, Army ROTC, NCAA Division II athletics (21 teams, 20 national championships), the Appalachian Cultural Center, Campus Ministries, and the AMOS community-service ministry. Course delivery is built on Canvas LMS, Microsoft Office 365, Acadeum course-sharing, Transferology credit evaluation, and Zoom, with study-abroad exchange partnerships spanning Japan, South Korea, China, the UK, Austria, Spain, and beyond.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees (priced approximately $3,000 below the median of nearby private schools), residential room and board, auxiliary services, and philanthropy. With 96% of students receiving financial aid, net tuition realization is the key financial lever. The institution is currently executing a major capital and fundraising cycle, including the August 2024 launch of the Legacy campaign — its largest fundraising initiative in nearly 175 years — alongside the 2023 opening of the Drama and Ted Russell Center and the January 2025 opening of West Campus Commons (110,000 sq ft, 520+ beds), the largest construction project in school history.

Name

Carson-Newman University

Legal name

Carson-Newman University

Website

https://cn.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1851

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Carson-Newman University is a private, Baptist-affiliated Christian liberal arts university in Jefferson City, Tennessee serving roughly 2,900 students (undergraduate and graduate) through on-campus, online, and satellite programs with strong athletic and pre-professional offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA), Residential Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAH), Honors Liberal Arts Colleges (Honors College/Program-Led) (EDAHACAL), Private/Independent Community & Junior Colleges (EDAHADAB)

Keywords

• Christian higher education
• Liberal arts university
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate professional studies
• Ncaa division ii athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Jefferson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, fees for academic programs, and associated charges. Competitively priced approximately $3,000 below median of nearby private schools.
2. Room and Board: Housing and dining services revenue from residence halls and meal plans.
3. Auxiliary Services: Revenue from bookstore, dining operations, and other student services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carson-Newman University is a private Christian liberal arts institution that delivers higher education through traditional four-year undergraduate programs (50+ majors), graduate and doctoral programs (14+ graduate degrees), online learning through the College of Professional Studies, and an NCAA Division II athletics program. Academic offerings span pre-professional tracks, an Honors Program, study abroad, ROTC, and student support services including career development and campus ministries, all delivered within a Christ-centered faith-based framework on a 150-acre Jefferson City, Tennessee campus.

Product overview

Carson-Newman University is a Christian liberal arts university offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The core offering comprises undergraduate programs (50+ majors including associate, bachelor's, pre-professional, and ROTC), graduate programs (11+ degrees including master's, education specialist, and doctoral), and the College of Professional Studies for adult/online learners. Supporting services include Honors Program (for academically gifted students), Study Abroad (faculty-led, exchange, and partner programs worldwide), Student Success Center (tutoring, advising, career services), Career Development Office, Campus Ministries with AMOS community outreach, Athletics (21 NCAA Division II teams), and Appalachian Cultural Center. The university utilizes Canvas LMS, Microsoft Office 365, Acadeum course sharing consortium, Transferology, Focus 2 career assessment, and Zoom for service delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs Traditional four-year baccalaureate degree programs across 50 undergraduate majors, including associate degrees, pre-professional tracks (medicine, law, engineering, etc.), and ROTC. Delivered on campus, online, and at Pellissippi State Community College (Strawberry Plains location). Designed for high school graduates and transfer students seeking a Christ-centered liberal arts education.

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tennessee Baptist ConventioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal affiliation with Tennessee Baptist Convention; Board of Trustees representing Baptist churches; partnership for Christ-centered education delivery; shared mission of developing servant-leaders
• Al Akhawayn UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange program partner for international study opportunities
• Kansai Gaidai University (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange agreement for study abroad in Japan; students may study abroad as exchange students
• Nagoya University of Foreign Studies (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange agreement for Japanese language and cultural studies
• Namseoul University (South Korea)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange program for South Korea study abroad opportunities
• Seinan Gakuin University (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange agreement for Japanese study abroad
• Yantai University (China)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange program for China study abroad opportunities
• Aberystwyth University (Wales)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for study abroad in the United Kingdom
• Edge Hill University (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for international exchange
• Hong Kong Baptist UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for Asian study abroad
• Kingston University (London)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for London-based study abroad programs
• Salzburg College (Austria)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for European study abroad in Austria
• Tokyo Christian University (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Japanese study abroad with Christian focus
• University of Glasgow (Scotland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Honors student exchange in Scotland
• Pellissippi State Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement and physical location for C-N classes; students can take courses at Strawberry Plains campus; transfer pathway for associate degree holders
• New Mexico Military InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for military institute transfer students
• Georgia Military CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for Georgia military institute transfer
• Valley Forge Military CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for military college transfer
• Marion Military InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for Alabama military institute transfer
• Tennessee Board of Regents Community CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTennessee Reverse Transfer program; transfer pathway agreements with 13 Tennessee community colleges including Chattanooga State, Cleveland State, Columbia State, Dyersburg State, Jackson State, Motlow State, Nashville State, Northeast State, Pellissippi State, Roane State, Southwest Tennessee, Volunteer State, and Walters State
• Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies (AMOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint ministry serving local families through food pantry, home repairs, shelter for women and children, educational programs; reflects commitment to Appalachian community service
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Howard H. Baker Jr. School)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransfer agreement announced in 2026 for seamless student transfer to UT Knoxville's Baker School

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Bryan College: Private Christian liberal arts college in Dayton, TN with a similar Christ-centered mission and small residential profile. Comparable in faith-based positioning and regional student base.
• Union University: Private Baptist-affiliated university in Jackson, TN. Closely comparable given shared Tennessee Baptist Convention heritage and overlap in academic programs; notably, Carson-Newman's president previously held senior roles at Union.
• Maryville College: Small private liberal arts college in East Tennessee, also affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Directly comparable in size, mission, geography, and religious-affiliated liberal arts model.
• Tusculum University: Private, church-affiliated (Presbyterian) liberal arts university in Greeneville, TN. Direct comparable on size, denominational heritage, and Appalachian regional profile.
• Milligan University: Private Christian liberal arts university in Johnson City, TN affiliated with the Stone-Campbell tradition. Highly comparable in religious affiliation, undergraduate focus, and East Tennessee footprint.
• King University: Private Presbyterian-affiliated (now independent) university in Bristol, TN. Comparable private Christian liberal arts institution in East Tennessee with similar enrollment scale.
• Tennessee Wesleyan University: Small private (United Methodist-affiliated) liberal arts university in Athens, TN. Comparable in scale, denomination-affiliated identity, and Appalachian Tennessee service area.

Broad incumbents

• Samford University: Larger private Baptist-affiliated university in Birmingham, AL. Comparable in denominational heritage and Christ-centered mission but operates at a larger scale with broader graduate offerings.
• Belmont University: Large private Christian university in Nashville, TN. Comparable faith-based identity and Nashville/Tennessee market but at significantly larger scale and broader program portfolio.

Regional players

• Lincoln Memorial University: Private university in Harrogate, TN. Comparable as a private regional institution but with a larger, more career-oriented (notably medical/health sciences) portfolio and less liberal arts focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carson_newman_u
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CNCampusMinistries
• Facebookfacebook.com/cnappculturalcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carson-newman-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/cnstudentsuccess

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carson-Newman University