Austin Peay State University (APSU; ) is a public university in Clarksville, Tennessee, United States. Standing on a site occupied by a succession of educational institutions since 1845, the precursor of the university was established in 1927 and named for then-sitting Governor Austin Peay, who is further honored with "Governors", the name of the university's athletic teams. Affiliated with the Tennessee Board of Regents, it is now governed by the Austin Peay State University Board of Trustees . The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and, in 2012, was the fastest-growing university in Tennessee. In 2025, Austin Peay State University hit 11,185 registered students for the fall semester.

thumb|The Browning Building at Austin Peay State University

History

Austin Peay Normal School, the precursor of the university, was established in 1927 and named for then-sitting Tennessee Governor Austin Peay. In 1943, its name was changed to Austin Peay State College. It became Austin Peay State University in 1967.

In 2025, APSU fired a professor of theatre for a social media post following the death of Charlie Kirk which consisted of a screenshot of a 2023 Newsweek headline quoting Kirk's prior views on deaths due to gun violence. The professor sued the university and was reinstated the next year with APSU also forced to pay him $500,000.

Presidents

  • Philander Claxton, 1930–1946
  • Halbert Harvill, 1946–1962
  • Joe Morgan, 1963–1976
  • Sherry Hoppe, 2001–2007
  • Tim Hall, 2008–2013
  • Alisa White, 2014–2020
  • Michael Licari, 2021–Present

Academics

Austin Peay is organized into six colleges, two schools, and 28 departments.

  • College of Arts and Letters
  • College of Business
  • College of Behavioral and Health Sciences
  • College of Eriksson College of Education
  • College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
  • College of College of Graduate Studies

Demographics

{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"

|+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023

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! Race and ethnicity

! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total

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| White

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| Black

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| Hispanic

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| Two or more races

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| Unknown

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| Asian

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| International student

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! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |Economic diversity

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| Low-income

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| Affluent

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Campus

The university's campus in Clarksville, Tennessee, is a site occupied by a succession of educational institutions since 1845. The urban setting includes . Built before Austin Peay Normal School, the Castle Building was an impressive three-story brick structure that featured fretted battlements, towers, casement windows set in paneled wood.

Athletics

The university's colors are red and white. Its athletics teams are called the Governors, in honor of Governor Austin Peay. The university is a member of the ASUN Conference and competes at the NCAA Division 1.

Notable alumni

Notes

References

https://www.apsu.edu/news/november-2023-govs-ice-hockey-1101.php

  • Austin Peay State University athletics