College ROI in Tennessee

See the strongest eligible ROI and value signals, then browse every covered college located in the state.

Download TN data ↓Read the national value report →Federal data through June 10, 2026

38Colleges with a publishable ROI scenario

$51,701Median observed year-5 earnings

$18,759Median annual net price

−72%Median modeled 10-year ROI

STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024

Tennessee's everyday prices are 8.1% below the U.S. average

This statewide BEA benchmark helps put college budgets in context. It is not tuition, a campus-specific cost estimate or an input to our ROI rankings.

Overall prices: 91.9
Housing: 79.1
Utilities: 72.1

TOP 10 · ECONOMIC ROI

Best estimated 10-year return

38 colleges meet the consistent ROI screen.

1Vanderbilt UniversityNashville · Private nonprofit+88%2Baptist Health Sciences UniversityMemphis · Private nonprofit+20%3Strayer University-TennesseeNashville · Private for-profit−0%4Cumberland UniversityLebanon · Private nonprofit−4%5Galen Health Institutes-Nashville CampusNashville · Private for-profit−7%6Rhodes CollegeMemphis · Private nonprofit−27%7Christian Brothers UniversityMemphis · Private nonprofit−28%8The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville · Public−35%9King UniversityBristol · Private nonprofit−38%10Lipscomb UniversityNashville · Private nonprofit−43%

TOP 10 · VALUE

Most earnings per price dollar

Observed five-year earnings divided by annual average net price.

1Baptist Health Sciences UniversityMemphis · Private nonprofit6.4×2Christian Brothers UniversityMemphis · Private nonprofit6.2×3Strayer University-TennesseeNashville · Private for-profit5.8×4Vanderbilt UniversityNashville · Private nonprofit5.7×5Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville · Public4.9×6The University of Tennessee-MartinMartin · Public4.3×7University of MemphisMemphis · Public4.2×8Bethel UniversityMcKenzie · Private nonprofit4.1×9The University of Tennessee SouthernPulaski · Public3.8×10Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboro · Public3.8×

LOW DEBT · SOLID COMPLETION

Where completer borrowers leave with less federal debt

Limited to currently operating colleges with at least 500 students and a completion rate at or above the Tennessee median among debt-reporting colleges.

1Concorde Career College-MemphisMemphis · Private for-profit$9,500median federal debt55%college completion 2Nashville Auto-Diesel CollegeNashville · Private for-profit$11,730median federal debt68%college completion 3Vanderbilt UniversityNashville · Private nonprofit$14,000median federal debt94%college completion 4Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville · Public$15,650median federal debt58%college completion 5Miller-Motte College-ChattanoogaChattanooga · Private for-profit$15,917median federal debt60%college completion 6Trevecca Nazarene UniversityNashville · Private nonprofit$18,744median federal debt53%college completion 7East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City · Public$19,442median federal debt53%college completion 8Lipscomb UniversityNashville · Private nonprofit$19,500median federal debt72%college completion 9The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaChattanooga · Public$19,500median federal debt50%college completion 10Lincoln Memorial UniversityHarrogate · Private nonprofit$20,000median federal debt50%college completion

Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. This view does not rank ROI or guarantee affordability.

ALL COLLEGES IN TN

Browse the full Tennessee directory

145 matching colleges · page 2 of 6

CollegeEarningsNet priceFederal debt10-year ROI

Fisk UniversityNashville · Private nonprofit$50,878$32,020$27,000−81%South CollegeKnoxville · Private for-profit$49,367$17,858$18,668−83%The University of Tennessee SouthernPulaski · Public$48,965$12,798$21,500−83%John A Gupton CollegeNashville · Private nonprofit$49,319$19,334$12,610−83%Maryville CollegeMaryville · Private nonprofit$49,016$19,360$25,375−84%Milligan UniversityMilligan · Private nonprofit$48,861$21,365$25,219−85%East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City · Public$48,534$15,983$19,442−86%Herzing University-NashvilleNashville · Private nonprofit$48,660$20,537$21,500−86%Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville · Public$48,012$9,735$20,547−86%Nashville Auto-Diesel CollegeNashville · Private for-profit$48,821$32,544$11,730−88%Carson-Newman UniversityJefferson City · Private nonprofit$47,783$20,251$21,500−89%Tusculum UniversityGreeneville · Private nonprofit$47,539$21,131$23,250−90%Jackson State Community CollegeJackson · Public$46,853$6,236Not available−91%Motlow State Community CollegeTullahoma · Public$47,109$15,742Not available−91%The University of Tennessee-MartinMartin · Public$46,528$10,701$21,024−93%Columbia State Community CollegeColumbia · Public$46,026$4,734$8,500−95%Lee UniversityCleveland · Private nonprofit$46,004$18,878$25,750−96%Freed-Hardeman UniversityHenderson · Private nonprofit$45,541$21,574$21,500−98%Chattanooga State Community CollegeChattanooga · Public$45,322$5,283$10,419−98%Tennessee College of Applied Technology-HartsvilleHartsville · Public$45,227$7,194Not available−99%Volunteer State Community CollegeGallatin · Public$45,209$7,802$7,550−99%Nashville State Community CollegeNashville · Public$44,495$6,777$9,595−102%Tennessee College of Applied Technology-McMinnvilleMcMinnville · Public$43,736$11,413Not available−106%Roane State Community CollegeHarriman · Public$43,551$4,270$8,454−107%Tennessee College of Applied Technology-MurfreesboroMurfreesboro · Public$43,358$6,631Not available−108%

The directory includes every College Scorecard institution assigned to Tennessee, including online-only colleges at their federal administrative location and historical records marked as not currently operating. Online-only colleges are labeled and excluded from state top-10 lists because their students are not confined to that state. “Not available” means a required federal value was missing or suppressed. Top-10 ROI eligibility requires current operating status, a reported bachelor’s-level program, at least 500 students, observed earnings and average net price of at least $1,000.