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Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

9 Colleges
$19,240 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$63,649 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Mechanical Engineering School for You

Mechanical Engineering is the #27 most popular major in Tennessee with 603 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in Tennessee to see which programs offered the best value experiences for ME students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee

Check out the ME programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Best Tennessee Schools for Affordable Quality in Mechanical Engineering

$9,802 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Tennessee Technological University the best value school in Tennessee for mechanical engineering students. Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Tennessee Tech University are $9,802 a year. The average amount in student loans that ME majors at Tennessee Tech University take out is $19,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $103.

Tennessee Tech University also claimed a spot on our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University Report

$9,848 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public college with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Chattanooga are $9,848 per year. ME majors at UT Chattanooga take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Mechanical Engineering at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Report

$13,244 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UT Knoxville are $13,244 a year. On average, ME graduates from UT Knoxville take out $23,125 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $327.

UT Knoxville also took the #4 spot in our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee rankings.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#4

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN
$8,336 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Tennessee State University is a great value for mechanical engineering students. Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tennessee State University are $8,336 per year. While working on their degree, ME majors at Tennessee State University accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Tennessee State University

#5

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
$10,056 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Memphis is a great value for mechanical engineering students. UofM is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Memphis.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UofM are $10,056 a year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from UofM carry an average student debtload of $27,250.

Read More…

$9,912 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for mechanical engineering students. It came in at #6 on the list. UT Martin is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Martin.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UT Martin are $9,912 a year.

Full Mechanical Engineering at The University of Tennessee - Martin Report

#7

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN
$56,966 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Vanderbilt University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for mechanical engineering students. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Vanderbilt are $56,966 a year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from Vanderbilt carry an average student debtload of $14,000.

Vanderbilt did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list.

Read full report on Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University

$34,820 Average Tuition & Fees

Christian Brothers University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the city of Memphis, Christian Brothers is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Christian Brothers are $34,820 a year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from Christian Brothers carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Read More…

#9

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN
$35,752 Average Tuition & Fees

Lipscomb University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the large city of Nashville, Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Lipscomb are $35,752 a year. On average, ME graduates from Lipscomb take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Lipscomb also took the #5 spot in our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee rankings.

Full Mechanical Engineering at Lipscomb University Report

Best Value Mechanical Engineering Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 1,418
Virginia 947
North Carolina 918
Florida 2,254
Kentucky 391
South Carolina 715
Louisiana 453
Arkansas 280
Alabama 1,019
Mississippi 309
West Virginia 217

One of 40 majors within the area of study, mechanical engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Electrical Engineering 28,844
Civil Engineering 21,388
Computer Engineering 17,987
Chemical Engineering 12,917
Biomedical Engineering 12,811

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Michel Villeneuve.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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