# Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Tennessee

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 17 | Category: By State
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-criminal-justice-tennessee

## Methodology

Criminal Justice programs in Tennessee ranked by outcomes and program concentration

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Bethel University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bethel-university-tn) | McKenzie, TN | 35% | $47,482 | $12,595 | $27,249 | 0.57x |
| 2 | [Austin Peay State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/austin-peay-state-university) | Clarksville, TN | 42% | $44,301 | $9,735 | $20,547 | 0.46x |
| 3 | [Middle Tennessee State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/middle-tennessee-state-university) | Murfreesboro, TN | 54% | $48,541 | $13,359 | $20,000 | 0.41x |
| 4 | [Tennessee Wesleyan University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tennessee-wesleyan-university) | Athens, TN | 46% | $45,989 | $14,836 | $20,000 | 0.43x |
| 5 | [Volunteer State Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/volunteer-state-community-college) | Gallatin, TN | 26% | $41,150 | $7,802 | $7,550 | 0.18x |
| 6 | [Cumberland University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cumberland-university) | Lebanon, TN | 46% | $57,687 | $18,759 | $17,952 | 0.31x |
| 7 | [University of Memphis](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-memphis) | Memphis, TN | 50% | $48,458 | $12,397 | $23,300 | 0.48x |
| 8 | [Walters State Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/walters-state-community-college) | Morristown, TN | 35% | $37,085 | $5,387 | N/A | N/A |
| 9 | [Tusculum University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tusculum-university) | Greeneville, TN | 28% | $44,367 | $21,131 | $23,250 | 0.52x |
| 10 | [Tennessee State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tennessee-state-university) | Nashville, TN | 33% | $42,730 | $15,796 | $27,000 | 0.63x |
| 11 | [The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga) | Chattanooga, TN | 52% | $51,151 | $14,265 | $19,500 | 0.38x |
| 12 | [The University of Tennessee Southern](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-university-of-tennessee-southern) | Pulaski, TN | 36% | $38,924 | $12,798 | $21,500 | 0.55x |
| 13 | [Freed-Hardeman University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/freed-hardeman-university) | Henderson, TN | 70% | $47,485 | $21,574 | $21,500 | 0.45x |
| 14 | [The University of Tennessee-Martin](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-university-of-tennessee-martin) | Martin, TN | 54% | $44,213 | $10,701 | $21,024 | 0.48x |
| 15 | [Bryan College-Dayton](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bryan-college-dayton) | Dayton, TN | 53% | $54,434 | $20,614 | $23,000 | 0.42x |
| 16 | [Le Moyne-Owen College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/le-moyne-owen-college) | Memphis, TN | 26% | $35,594 | $7,099 | $28,070 | 0.79x |
| 17 | [Lane College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lane-college) | Jackson, TN | 18% | $31,670 | $10,904 | $30,500 | 0.96x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Tennessee." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-criminal-justice-tennessee

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.