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Best Value Social Work Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Tennessee

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

11 Colleges
$11,823 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$34,784 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Social Work School for You

In 2020-2021, social work students earned 1,237 degrees and certificates from a Tennessee school, making the subject the 8th in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Social Work Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 11 schools in Tennessee to see which programs offered the best value experiences for social work 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 Social Work Schools in Tennessee

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Social Work Colleges.

Top 10 Best Social Work Schools

$9,232 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Middle Tennessee State University the best value school in Tennessee for social work students. Located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Middle Tennessee State University are $9,232 a year. Social Work majors at Middle Tennessee State University take out an average of $24,249 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Social Work at Middle Tennessee State 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 Social Work Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public school with a large student population.

UT Chattanooga undergraduate students pay an average of $9,848 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from UT Chattanooga carry an average student debtload of $22,375.

Full Social Work at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Report

$9,912 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 11 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Martin landed the # 3 spot on the list. UT Martin is a moderately-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. On average, social work graduates from UT Martin take out $24,410 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Social Work at The University of Tennessee - Martin

#4

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN
$8,336 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Tennessee State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Tennessee. Located in the large 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. Social Work majors at Tennessee State University take out an average of $31,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Social Work at Tennessee State University Report

#5

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
$10,056 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 11 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the # 5 spot on the list. UofM is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Memphis.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UofM are $10,056 per year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at UofM take out is $34,500. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $110.

Read More…

$9,438 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, East Tennessee State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. ETSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Johnson City.

ETSU undergraduate students pay an average of $9,438 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Social Work majors at ETSU take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

$13,244 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the midsize city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public college with a very large student population.

UT Knoxville undergraduate students pay an average of $13,244 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Social Work majors at UT Knoxville take out an average of $22,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Social Work Schools in Tennessee list.

Read full report on Social Work at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#8

Union University

Jackson, TN
$16,520 Average Tuition & Fees

Union University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Jackson, Union is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Union undergraduate students pay an average of $16,520 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Union accumulate an average of around $29,166 in student debt.

Full Social Work at Union University Report

#9

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN
$8,431 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Austin Peay State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Austin Peay State University are $8,431 per year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Austin Peay State University accumulate an average of around $28,521 in student debt.

Full Social Work at Austin Peay State University Report

#10

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN
$23,210 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Adventist University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Southern Adventist are $23,210 a year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Southern Adventist take out is $27,000.

Read full report on Social Work at Southern Adventist University

Best Value Social Work Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Social Work Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 753
Virginia 1,010
North Carolina 1,757
Florida 1,569
Kentucky 1,510
South Carolina 383
Louisiana 859
Arkansas 405
Alabama 1,173
Mississippi 595
West Virginia 316

One of 5 majors within the area of study, social work has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 16,905
Human Services 13,238
Public Policy 6,430
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 11 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 Army Medicine.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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