2023 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
Best Tennessee Schools for Affordable Quality in Mechanical Engineering
Our analysis found Tennessee Technological University to be the best value school for mechanical engineering students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. Located in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Tennessee Tech University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,802 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Tennessee Tech University is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list.
Full Mechanical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University Report
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a great value for mechanical engineering students. Located in the midsize city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public college with a fairly 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.
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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 fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Knoxville are $13,244 per 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 made our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list, coming in at #4.
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Out of the 9 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. 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.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Memphis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list. UofM is a very large public school located in the 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.
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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 moderately-sized public school located in the town of Martin.
UT Martin undergraduate students pay an average of $9,912 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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Vanderbilt University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Vanderbilt are $56,966 per year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from Vanderbilt carry an average student debtload of $14,000.
Vanderbilt also took the #1 spot in our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee rankings.
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Christian Brothers University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value mechanical engineering programs. Located in the city of Memphis, Christian Brothers is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Christian Brothers undergraduate students pay an average of $34,820 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, ME graduates from Christian Brothers carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Mechanical Engineering at Christian Brothers University Report
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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 college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lipscomb are $35,752 per year. On average, ME graduates from Lipscomb take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Lipscomb also made our Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Tennessee list, coming in at #5.
Full Mechanical Engineering at Lipscomb University Report
Request InformationBest Value Mechanical Engineering Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Mechanical Engineering Colleges 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 |
More Mechanical Engineering Rankings in Tennessee
Mechanical Engineering Related Majors for ME
One of 40 majors within the area of study, mechanical engineering has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to ME
| 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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