2023 Best Value 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 40 schools in Tennessee to see which programs offered the best value experiences for students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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.
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Top Value Schools in Tennessee
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Volunteer State Community College to be the best value school for students in Tennessee. Gallatin, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 1,652 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at VSCC are $17,200 per year. On average, students take out $15,295 in loans while pursuing their degree. During the early years of their career, VSCC graduates make an average of $35,641 annually.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, VSCC also is in the top 20% of our Best Schools in Tennessee ranking.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Jackson State Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Tennessee list. Jackson, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 709 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JSCC are $18,076 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $10,729 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.After graduating from JSCC, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $40,689 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Southwest Tennessee Community College is a great place for students who want to get the most value for their educational dollar. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,181 degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Southwest are $17,246 a year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $16,818 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Southwest graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $34,164 during the early year of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Walters State Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Tennessee list. This medium-sized public school is located in Morristown, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,319 degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WSCC are $17,215 a year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $11,896 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.After graduating from WSCC, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $34,080 during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pellissippi State Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,194 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Pellissippi State Community College are $17,272 a year. On average, students take out $14,016 in loans while pursuing their degree.After graduating from Pellissippi State Community College, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $31,307 during the early years of their career.
Chattanooga State Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. This medium-sized public school is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,484 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Chattanooga State Community College are $16,934 per year. On average, students take out $16,563 in loans while pursuing their degree. Once they receive their degree, Chattanooga State Community College graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $32,219 during the early year of their career.
Nashville State Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Schools in Tennessee ranking. Nashville State Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 1,291 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Nashville State Community College are $17,188 per year. On average, students take out $19,851 in loans while pursuing their degree. During the early years of their career, Nashville State Community College graduates make an average of $34,207 annually.
Columbia State Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. Columbia, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 1,045 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Columbia State Community College are $18,124 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $16,909 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Columbia State Community College graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $35,550 during the early year of their career.
Roane State Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Tennessee list. This small public school is located in Harriman, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,101 degrees in 2020-2021.
Roane State Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $17,540 in tuition and fees each year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $14,041 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Roane State Community College graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $35,143 during the early year of their career.
Cleveland State Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. Located in Cleveland, Tennessee, the small public school handed out 1,127 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cleveland State Community College are $17,216 per year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,700 in student loans. During the early years of their career, Cleveland State Community College graduates make an average of $32,755 annually.
Northeast State Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Schools in Tennessee ranking. Northeast State Technical Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Blountville, Tennessee. It awarded 1,193 degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Northeast State Technical Community College are $17,238 a year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,950 in student loans.After graduating from Northeast State Technical Community College, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $38,005 during the early years of their career.
Middle Tennessee State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #12 on the list. Middle Tennessee State University is a large public school located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that handed out 4,731 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Middle Tennessee State University are $28,264 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $24,342 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $144, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. Once they receive their degree, Middle Tennessee State University graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $38,675 during the early year of their career.
Tennessee Technological University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Tennessee list. Tennessee Tech University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2,421 degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Tennessee Tech University are $19,834 a year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $19,943 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $103, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from Tennessee Tech University, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $40,563 during the early years of their career.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Tennessee Tech University also is in the top 20% of our Best Schools in Tennessee ranking.
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the fairly large public school awarded 2,624 diplomas to qualifed students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Chattanooga are $25,966 per year. On average, students take out $25,246 in loans while pursuing their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $162, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. During the early years of their career, UT Chattanooga graduates make an average of $46,162 annually.
Read full report on The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
Tennessee State University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. This medium-sized public school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,470 degrees in 2020-2021.
Tennessee State University undergraduate students pay an average of $21,692 in tuition and fees each year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $30,529 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Those who take out this much in loans have to make a monthly payment of about $203 if they are on a 10-year repayment plan. Once they receive their degree, Tennessee State University graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $41,944 during the early year of their career.
The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #16 on the list. UT Martin is a medium-sized public school situated in Martin, Tennessee. It awarded 1,297 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 degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $24,559 in student loans. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $149, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. During the early years of their career, UT Martin graduates make an average of $35,647 annually.
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Tennessee list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 7,694 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UT Knoxville are $31,664 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $22,232 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $325, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from UT Knoxville, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $44,189 during the early years of their career.
UT Knoxville did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Schools in Tennessee list.
University of Memphis ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Tennessee list. UofM is a public institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,820 degrees in 2020-2021.
UofM undergraduate students pay an average of $14,088 in tuition and fees each year. On average, students take out $28,159 in loans while pursuing their degree. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $147, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from UofM, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $41,884 during the early years of their career.
Austin Peay State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #19 on the list. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Clarksville, Tennessee. It awarded 3,445 degrees in 2020-2021.
Austin Peay State University undergraduate students pay an average of $13,975 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,168 in student loans. If you borrow this amount, expect your monthly student loan payment to be around $159, assuming you are on a 10-year repayment plan. Once they receive their degree, Austin Peay State University graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $36,908 during the early year of their career.
Bethel University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #20 on the list. Bethel University is a small private not-for-profit school located in McKenzie, Tennessee that handed out 792 degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Bethel are $13,981 a year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $33,108 in student loans. Once they receive their degree, Bethel graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $57,444 during the early year of their career.
In addition to its great value ranking, Bethel is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in Tennessee list.
Milligan University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value programs. Milligan is located in Milligan College, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 358 degrees to qualified students.
Milligan undergraduate students pay an average of $36,140 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,548 in student loans.After graduating from Milligan, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $44,692 during the early years of their career.
East Tennessee State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Schools in Tennessee list. ETSU is a fairly large public school situated in Johnson City, Tennessee. It awarded 3,735 degrees in 2020-2021.
ETSU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,740 in tuition and fees each year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $23,047 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Those who take out this much in loans have to make a monthly payment of about $212 if they are on a 10-year repayment plan.After graduating from ETSU, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $38,858 during the early years of their career.
Union University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students. It came in at #23 on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,008 degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Union are $16,520 per year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $32,879 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. For those students on a 10-year repayment plan, the average payment due each month is around $477. Once they receive their degree, Union graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $57,821 during the early year of their career.
Carson - Newman University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Schools in Tennessee ranking. Jefferson City, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out degrees to 750 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Carson - Newman are $31,320 a year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $23,992 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.After graduating from Carson - Newman, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $41,134 during the early years of their career.
Trevecca Nazarene University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Schools in Tennessee ranking. TNU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1,323 degrees in 2020-2021.
TNU undergraduate students pay an average of $26,898 in tuition and fees each year. Degree recipients from the school accumulate an average of $26,746 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, TNU graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $46,373 during the early year of their career.
Best Value Schools in the Southeast Region
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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.
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