2023 Best Value Bachelor's Degree Schools in Tennessee
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools and bootcamps that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Bachelor's Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. This report analyzed 29 schools in Tennessee to see which ones offered the best value bachelor's degree programs for students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Value Bachelor's Degree Schools in Tennessee
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Tennessee Technological University the best value school in Tennessee for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Cookeville, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,905 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tennessee Tech University are $19,834 per year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,943 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Tennessee Tech University. In fact, around 79% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3,926 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Middle Tennessee State University undergraduate students pay an average of $28,264 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,342 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Middle Tennessee State University. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 55% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in Tennessee. This fairly large public school is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it awarded 2,139 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Chattanooga are $25,966 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $25,246 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at UT Chattanooga, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 32% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Memphis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. UofM is located in Memphis, Tennessee and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,273 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UofM are $14,088 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $28,159 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that UofM does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 53% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Tennessee State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Tennessee State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 985 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tennessee State University are $21,692 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $31,462 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Tennessee State University does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 55% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
The University of Tennessee - Martin ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. This medium-sized public school is located in Martin, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,066 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Martin are $15,952 per year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,559 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at UT Martin. In 2019-2020 about 87% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the large public school awarded 5,356 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Knoxville are $31,664 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,232 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UT Knoxville. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 42% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
UT Knoxville also took the #5 spot in our Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee rankings.
Bethel University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in McKenzie, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 478 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Bethel are $13,981 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $33,108 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Bethel does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 38% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Bethel also made our Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list, coming in at #4.
With a ranking of #9, Austin Peay State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Clarksville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,588 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Austin Peay State University are $13,975 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $27,484 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Austin Peay State University does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 78% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
East Tennessee State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in Johnson City, Tennessee, the fairly large public school handed out 2,676 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ETSU are $12,740 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $23,047 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at ETSU. In 2019-2020 about 63% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Union University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree programs. Union is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jackson, Tennessee. It awarded 523 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Union are $16,520 per year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $32,879 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Union. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 34% took at least some of their classes online.
Lee University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree programs. Lee University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Tennessee. It awarded 859 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lee University are $20,500 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $26,373 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Lee University does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 17% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Freed-Hardeman University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Henderson, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 363 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at FHU are $23,300 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,617 in loans while pursuing their degree.
FHU does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 16% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Southern Adventist University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Collegedale, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 432 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southern Adventist are $23,210 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Southern Adventist. During the 2019-2020 year, about 39% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree programs. TNU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 572 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at TNU are $26,898 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $26,746 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at TNU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 54% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Belmont University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Belmont University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 1,711 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Belmont are $38,430 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,196 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Belmont, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 68% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Belmont is ranked #3 for overall quality in Tennessee.
Tennessee Wesleyan University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. TWU is located in Athens, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 315 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at TWU are $26,590 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $28,365 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
TWU does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 5% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Vanderbilt University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,365 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt undergraduate students pay an average of $56,966 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,392 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Vanderbilt does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 98% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Vanderbilt is ranked #1 for overall quality in Tennessee.
Lipscomb University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree programs. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 725 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lipscomb are $35,752 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $27,667 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Lipscomb. In fact, around 52% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, Lipscomb is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list.
With a ranking of #20, King University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Bristol, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 540 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
King undergraduate students pay an average of $32,838 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $29,347 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at King, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 83% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Cumberland University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree programs. Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 275 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CU are $25,412 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $23,030 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at CU. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 0% took at least some of their classes online.
Sewanee - The University of the South ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Sewanee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sewanee, Tennessee. It awarded 429 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sewanee are $49,418 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Sewanee. During the 2019-2020 year, about 86% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Sewanee also made our Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list, coming in at #2.
With a ranking of #23, Lincoln Memorial University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Harrogate, Tennessee, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 412 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
LMU undergraduate students pay an average of $24,210 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,788 in student loans.
LMU does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 6% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Carson - Newman University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree programs. Located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 341 bachelor’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Carson - Newman are $31,320 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $23,992 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Carson - Newman, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 41% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Tusculum University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Tusculum is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greeneville, Tennessee. It awarded 243 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Tusculum undergraduate students pay an average of $26,510 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $28,705 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Tusculum. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 80% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
View Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Schools Nationwide >
More Tennessee Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.