# Best Education Colleges in Tennessee

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 27 | Category: By State
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-education-tennessee

## Methodology

Education 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 | [Vanderbilt University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/vanderbilt-university) | Nashville, TN | 93% | $91,565 | $15,846 | $14,000 | 0.15x |
| 2 | [Tennessee Technological University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tennessee-technological-university) | Cookeville, TN | 56% | $48,501 | $14,246 | $15,650 | 0.32x |
| 3 | [Tennessee Wesleyan University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tennessee-wesleyan-university) | Athens, TN | 46% | $45,989 | $14,836 | $20,000 | 0.43x |
| 4 | [Trevecca Nazarene University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/trevecca-nazarene-university) | Nashville, TN | 54% | $49,378 | $16,813 | $18,744 | 0.38x |
| 5 | [Austin Peay State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/austin-peay-state-university) | Clarksville, TN | 42% | $44,301 | $9,735 | $20,547 | 0.46x |
| 6 | [Johnson University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/johnson-university) | Knoxville, TN | 59% | $40,596 | $22,063 | $21,500 | 0.53x |
| 7 | [Maryville College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/maryville-college) | Maryville, TN | 49% | $49,279 | $19,360 | $25,375 | 0.51x |
| 8 | [Lee University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lee-university) | Cleveland, TN | 62% | $43,222 | $18,878 | $25,750 | 0.6x |
| 9 | [East Tennessee State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/east-tennessee-state-university) | Johnson City, TN | 52% | $44,859 | $15,983 | $19,442 | 0.43x |
| 10 | [Bethel University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bethel-university-tn) | McKenzie, TN | 35% | $47,482 | $12,595 | $27,249 | 0.57x |
| 11 | [Southern Adventist University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/southern-adventist-university) | Collegedale, TN | 50% | $53,723 | $24,345 | $24,500 | 0.46x |
| 12 | [University of Memphis](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-memphis) | Memphis, TN | 50% | $48,458 | $12,397 | $23,300 | 0.48x |
| 13 | [Milligan University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/milligan-university) | Milligan, TN | 62% | $46,641 | $21,365 | $25,219 | 0.54x |
| 14 | [Cumberland University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cumberland-university) | Lebanon, TN | 46% | $57,687 | $18,759 | $17,952 | 0.31x |
| 15 | [Tusculum University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tusculum-university) | Greeneville, TN | 28% | $44,367 | $21,131 | $23,250 | 0.52x |
| 16 | [King University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/king-university) | Bristol, TN | 47% | $59,831 | $22,347 | $22,750 | 0.38x |
| 17 | [Nashville State Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/nashville-state-community-college) | Nashville, TN | 18% | $38,519 | $6,777 | $9,595 | 0.25x |
| 18 | [Tennessee State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tennessee-state-university) | Nashville, TN | 33% | $42,730 | $15,796 | $27,000 | 0.63x |
| 19 | [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 |
| 20 | [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 |
| 21 | [Freed-Hardeman University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/freed-hardeman-university) | Henderson, TN | 70% | $47,485 | $21,574 | $21,500 | 0.45x |
| 22 | [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 |
| 23 | [Carson-Newman University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/carson-newman-university) | Jefferson City, TN | 50% | $48,382 | $20,251 | $21,500 | 0.44x |
| 24 | [Bryan College-Dayton](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bryan-college-dayton) | Dayton, TN | 53% | $54,434 | $20,614 | $23,000 | 0.42x |
| 25 | [Lane College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lane-college) | Jackson, TN | 18% | $31,670 | $10,904 | $30,500 | 0.96x |
| 26 | [Le Moyne-Owen College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/le-moyne-owen-college) | Memphis, TN | 26% | $35,594 | $7,099 | $28,070 | 0.79x |
| 27 | [Welch College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/welch-college) | Gallatin, TN | 57% | $42,198 | $25,263 | $19,500 | 0.46x |

## 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 Education Colleges in Tennessee." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-education-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/.