Rankings / By State
Best Engineering Colleges in Tennessee
- 11
- Schools
- $55,522
- Avg. Earnings
- 61%
- Avg. Graduation
- $17,752
- Avg. Net Price
- $21,398
- Avg. Debt
CollegeRanker Research
What Surprised Us Most
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Graduate earnings span a wide band on this list, from $42,730 at the low end to $91,565 at the top. That 2.1× spread shows how much outcomes vary within a single category.
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Christian Brothers University offers the strongest payback. Graduates earn a median of $57,478 against $9,854 in annual net price, the best earnings-to-cost ratio in this ranking.
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Cost and quality are not at odds here. The most affordable school, Christian Brothers University at $9,854 a year in net price, delivers earnings of $57,478, matching or exceeding the list average.
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Completion rates separate this field: Vanderbilt University graduates 93% of its students, well above the 61% list average. Finishing what you start matters as much as where you start.
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Debt-to-earnings ratios favor Vanderbilt University: graduates owe only 0.15× their yearly income, the most manageable debt burden on the list.
Surprising Comparisons
- Price and payoff diverge sharply here. Christian Brothers University ($9,854/yr) and Union University ($27,171/yr) produce graduates earning $57,478 and $53,990 respectively, a far narrower earnings gap than the $17,317 cost difference would suggest.
- On a cost-adjusted basis, Christian Brothers University outperforms Vanderbilt University: similar career earnings at a much lower net price.
- Completion is where this ranking's schools diverge most: Vanderbilt University graduates 93% of its students versus 33% at Tennessee State University. Access without completion is opportunity unclaimed.
The Takeaway
The schools that win this ranking are not the priciest or the most selective. They turn students into earners without burying them in debt, which is exactly what our outcomes-first methodology is built to surface.
What This Means for Students
If you are choosing from this list, start with Christian Brothers University and Vanderbilt University. Pull each school's net price for your income band, weigh projected earnings against the debt you would take on, and let payoff rather than prestige drive your shortlist.
Why this ranking matters
Engineering is one of the higher-return fields in the economy, but the payoff depends heavily on where you study it. Graduates of these programs earn a median of about $54K within a decade, and mechanical engineer roles are projected to grow 10%. We rank programs by the outcomes they produce for graduates, not by reputation.
How we measure this — full methodology →How we rank · 4 pillars
Federal-source data only. Build your own weighting →
Data Behind This Page Updated 2026-07-13
Source datasets
Methodology
Schools are scored on the CollegeRanker 4-Pillar Algorithm: Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25–35%), Academic Quality (15–20%), and Value (20–25%). Every weight is published and every figure traces to a public dataset.
See the full methodology and weights →Confidence notes
- Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
- Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
- Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.
Limitations
- Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
- Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
- An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
- Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.
At a Glance
How the Top Schools Compare
| School | Earnings | Net Price | Graduation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Vanderbilt University #1 overall | $91,565 ▲ +65% vs avg | $15,846 | 93% | 87 |
| 2 Tennessee Technological University #2 overall | $48,501 ▼ -13% vs avg | $14,246 | 56% | 79 |
| 3 Christian Brothers University #3 overall | $57,478 ▲ +4% vs avg | $9,854 | 55% | 76 |
| $55,541 ▲ +0% vs avg | $24,739 | 70% | 70 | |
| $48,458 ▼ -13% vs avg | $12,397 | 50% | 69 |
Score uses our 4-pillar methodology. Earnings % is vs. this list's average.
See full ranking →Executive Summary
Best Engineering Colleges in Tennessee
This analysis ranks 11 institutions on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost. Across the list, alumni earn a median of $55,522 ten years after enrolling, against an average graduation rate of 61% and an average net price of $17,752.
Key takeaways
- Strongest Earnings-to-Cost Ratio: Christian Brothers University — Net Price: $9,854 | Graduation Rate: 55%
- Strongest Completion Outcomes: Vanderbilt University — 93% completion rate
- Highest Earnings Generator: Vanderbilt University — Median alumni earnings: $91,565
Our Analysis Found
Private nonprofit colleges cost 110% more in net price than publics, while their graduates earn 21% more.
Engineering Talent Analysis
What does this ranking tell us about America’s engineering talent pipeline?
$53,990
Median earnings (10yr)
56%
Median graduation rate
$15,846
Median net price
1.8%
Avg. mobility rate
Engineering remains one of the most reliable investments in higher education. Earnings are high, unemployment is low, and the skills tie directly to the physical infrastructure of the economy. ABET accreditation and co-op placements are the structural markers that separate programs, and reshoring plus federal infrastructure investment keeps amplifying demand.
Across the 11 schools on this list, graduates earn a median of $53,990 ten years after they first enrolled, about $5,990 more than the roughly $48,000 a typical American worker takes home. The median graduation rate is 56%. Net price, what students pay after grants, runs a median of $15,846 a year, with about $20,714 in median federal debt at graduation. An average of 30% of students receive Pell grants, and the typical school moves low-income students into the top income quintile at a rate of 1.8%.
Engineering programs that combine ABET accreditation with co-op or internship requirements produce the strongest outcomes. Median earnings of $53,990 reflect the field’s consistent premium over other disciplines. With infrastructure spending accelerating, demand for these graduates is structural rather than cyclical.
The podium
Build your ranking
Drag a pillar — schools re-rank live.
Tip: Check the box on any 2–4 schools below to compare them side by side.
Full rankings
Why it ranks #1
Vanderbilt University lands at #1 with a 87/100 composite, led by academic quality (84/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (80/100). Graduates earn a median $91,565 a decade after enrolling, 65% above this list's average, and net price runs $15,846 a year, well under the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #2
Tennessee Technological University lands at #2 with a 79/100 composite, led by social mobility (80/100) and pulled down by academic quality (65/100). Graduates earn a median $48,501 a decade after enrolling, 13% below this list's average, and net price runs $14,246 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #3
Christian Brothers University lands at #3 with a 76/100 composite, led by social mobility (80/100) and pulled down by economic outcomes (64/100). Graduates earn a median $57,478 a decade after enrolling, 4% above this list's average, and net price runs $9,854 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #4
Lipscomb University lands at #4 with a 70/100 composite, led by social mobility (82/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (54/100). Graduates earn a median $55,541 a decade after enrolling, 0% above this list's average, and net price runs $24,739 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #5
University of Memphis lands at #5 with a 69/100 composite, led by social mobility (75/100) and pulled down by economic outcomes (62/100). Graduates earn a median $48,458 a decade after enrolling, 13% below this list's average, and net price runs $12,397 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #6
Milligan University lands at #6 with a 69/100 composite, led by social mobility (80/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (53/100). Graduates earn a median $46,641 a decade after enrolling, 16% below this list's average, and net price runs $21,365 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #7
Union University lands at #7 with a 69/100 composite, led by social mobility (82/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (44/100). Graduates earn a median $53,990 a decade after enrolling, 3% below this list's average, and net price runs $27,171 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #8
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville lands at #8 with a 66/100 composite, led by academic quality (77/100) and pulled down by social mobility (57/100). Graduates earn a median $60,249 a decade after enrolling, 9% above this list's average, and net price runs $18,976 a year. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #9
Tennessee State University lands at #9 with a 64/100 composite, led by social mobility (80/100) and pulled down by academic quality (43/100). Graduates earn a median $42,730 a decade after enrolling, 23% below this list's average, and net price runs $15,796 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Chattanooga, TN · 81% accepted · $14,265 net
Why it ranks #10
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga lands at #10 with a 62/100 composite, led by value per dollar (67/100) and pulled down by social mobility (59/100). Graduates earn a median $51,151 a decade after enrolling, 8% below this list's average, and net price runs $14,265 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #11
Bryan College-Dayton lands at #11 with a 54/100 composite, led by economic outcomes (65/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (54/100). Graduates earn a median $54,434 a decade after enrolling, 2% below this list's average, and net price runs $20,614 a year, above the field. Strong earnings drive the rank, but with mobility weighted 35% and value 20%, salary alone can only take a school so far.
Pillar breakdown
Cut it by what you care about
The same 11 schools, re-ranked by the outcome that matters to you.
Where the programs — and the jobs are
Where these graduates work
Graduates of these programs most often become Mechanical Engineers and related roles — a field with $99,510 median pay and 10% projected growth.
See the Mechanical Engineer career guide →When considering a degree in engineering, choosing the right college can significantly impact future earnings and career opportunities. In Tennessee, several institutions stand out for their engineering programs, combining strong graduation rates with competitive starting salaries. For instance, graduates from top engineering colleges in the state can expect average earnings of around $55,675.
The schools listed below are ranked based on critical outcomes like graduation rates, average earnings, debt levels, and program concentration. A higher graduation rate often indicates better support and resources for students, while earnings reflect the value of the education provided. By examining these factors, prospective students can better understand which institutions might align with their goals.
Take Vanderbilt University and Christian Brothers University as examples. Vanderbilt graduates earn an impressive $91,565 on average, with a graduation rate of 93%. In contrast, Christian Brothers University has a graduation rate of 55% and average earnings of $57,478. This stark difference highlights the potential tradeoffs between program quality and financial investment, making it crucial for students to assess their options carefully.
The story behind the ranking
A ranking gives you an order; these charts give you the shape. They show how this group of schools spreads across the four things that decide whether a degree pays off — what graduates earn, whether they finish, how far they move up, and what it costs. Look for the standouts, the outliers, and the trade-offs the list alone can't show.
Earnings Outcomes
What graduates earn 10 years after enrolling. Data from College Scorecard.
Distribution of Median Earnings
Earnings vs. Net Price
Top-left = best value. Top-ranked schools are highlighted.
Completion & Access
Graduation rates and who gets in. Data from College Scorecard & IPEDS.
Graduation Rates
Pell Grant Rate vs. Graduation Rate
Right = more low-income students. Higher = more graduate.
What the Mobility Data Says
The backbone of this ranking is social-mobility data from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, which draws on more than 30 million tax records. A school's mobility rate is the share of its students who move from the bottom income quintile to the top. Among the 8 schools on this list with available data, that rate averages 1.8%. Tennessee State University leads the group at 2.9%, with Christian Brothers University (2.6%) and Tennessee Technological University (2.3%) close behind.
Who gets in matters as much as what happens after. Across these schools, an average of 8% of students start in the bottom income quintile. Tennessee State University leads at 18.2%, which signals an admissions door that is actually open to low-income students. Schools that pair high access with high mobility are the ones driving generational change.
Once low-income students enroll, their odds of reaching the top income quintile average 26.3% across this list. Vanderbilt University posts the highest success rate at 59.3%. Access without completion and career momentum is an incomplete picture, and this is the number that completes it.
Social capital, measured by economic connectedness, captures the degree of cross-class friendship on campus, another dimension Opportunity Insights ties to long-run outcomes. Across these schools it averages 1.47 against a national benchmark of 1.0. Vanderbilt University reaches 1.82, the highest on the list.
Mobility, access, and social-capital figures from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card & the Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas.
Cost & Debt
What families actually pay and what students owe. Data from College Scorecard.
Median Debt at Graduation
Vanderbilt University clearly leads in earnings and graduation rates, boasting an average salary of $91,565 and a graduation rate of 93%. Comparatively, Tennessee Technological University graduates earn $48,501 and have a graduation rate of only 56%. This suggests that while both schools provide engineering degrees, the outcomes vary widely, underscoring the importance of choosing a program that aligns with one's career aspirations.
As you weigh these options, consider your personal priorities beyond the numbers. Location might influence your decision, or perhaps the specific engineering disciplines offered at each school will sway you. Think about campus culture, available resources, and financial aid opportunities. Your ideal college will align with both your academic and personal goals.
Ultimately, this data illustrates the real-world implications of your college choice. One family's decision to invest in an education at Vanderbilt could lead to a stable financial future, while another's choice might result in a heavier debt burden. It’s a reminder that the path from college to a rewarding career is paved by informed choices and realistic expectations.
Data Sources
U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard
Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card
Social Capital Atlas
Times Higher Education World Rankings
NCES IPEDS
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Engineering Colleges in Tennessee: Your Questions, Answered
What is the #1 school in the Best Engineering Colleges in Tennessee ranking? +
Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN ranks #1 in our 2026 Best Engineering Colleges in Tennessee ranking. It earns the top spot on the strength of a median $91,565 in graduate earnings ten years after enrollment and a 93% graduation rate. Our score is built entirely from federal data on graduation rates, graduate earnings, debt, and social mobility. Reputation surveys play no part.
Which school has the highest graduate earnings? +
Vanderbilt University posts the highest median earnings on this list: $91,565 ten years after enrollment, well above the $55,522 average across the 11 ranked schools with earnings data. Earnings that outpace cost are what separate a degree that pays off from one that does not.
Which school offers the best value? +
On a pure return-on-cost basis, Christian Brothers University leads: graduates earn a median $57,478 against net price of about $9,854 a year, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio in the ranking. Applicants should weigh that payback against sticker price rather than prestige.
Which school has the highest graduation rate? +
Vanderbilt University has the highest graduation rate in this ranking at 93%, compared with a 61% average across the list. Completion matters because the students who finish are the ones who actually capture the earnings and mobility gains a degree promises.
How much does it cost to attend these schools? +
The average net price, meaning what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, is about $17,752 a year across the 11 ranked schools with cost data. Christian Brothers University is among the most affordable at roughly $9,854. Net price is a far better guide to affordability than the published sticker price.
How is the Best Engineering Colleges in Tennessee ranking calculated? +
We score every school on a four-pillar algorithm: economic outcomes (graduate earnings and debt), social mobility (Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, built on more than 30 million anonymized tax records), academic quality (graduation and retention), and value (net price and loan burden). Social mobility carries the heaviest weight, so schools that lift low-income students into higher earnings rank above those that simply admit wealthy students. Every input comes from federal data, and schools that withhold their numbers are scored lower for it.
How many schools are ranked and where does the data come from? +
This ranking evaluates 11 institutions using the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, the Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card and Social Capital Atlas, Times Higher Education, and NCES IPEDS. There are no opinion surveys or paid placements. The order is determined by the data alone and refreshed as new federal figures are released.
Sources & Citations
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