Ranking
Best Colleges in Tennessee by ROI 2026
The top-value Tennessee colleges — graduate earnings against net price, from federal data.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $4,270
- Top earnings 10y
- $91,565
- Public / Private
- 18 / 6
Roane State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 23.07
- Net price
- $4,270
- Earnings 10y
- $39,407
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Columbia State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 21.26
- Net price
- $4,734
- Earnings 10y
- $40,256
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Dyersburg State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 19.59
- Net price
- $4,612
- Earnings 10y
- $36,132
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Pellissippi State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 19.29
- Net price
- $4,983
- Earnings 10y
- $38,440
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Southwest Tennessee Community College
A+- ROI score
- 17.92
- Net price
- $4,754
- Earnings 10y
- $34,071
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Chattanooga State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 17.79
- Net price
- $5,283
- Earnings 10y
- $37,598
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Walters State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 17.21
- Net price
- $5,387
- Earnings 10y
- $37,085
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Baptist Health Sciences University
A- ROI score
- 16.17
- Net price
- $11,212
- Earnings 10y
- $72,529
- Acceptance
- 82%
Christian Brothers University
A- ROI score
- 14.58
- Net price
- $9,854
- Earnings 10y
- $57,478
- Acceptance
- 86.7%
Vanderbilt University
A- ROI score
- 14.45
- Net price
- $15,846
- Earnings 10y
- $91,565
- Acceptance
- 5.9%
Cleveland State Community College
A- ROI score
- 14.36
- Net price
- $6,384
- Earnings 10y
- $36,671
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Nashville State Community College
A- ROI score
- 14.21
- Net price
- $6,777
- Earnings 10y
- $38,519
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Jackson State Community College
A- ROI score
- 14.12
- Net price
- $6,236
- Earnings 10y
- $35,224
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Volunteer State Community College
A- ROI score
- 13.19
- Net price
- $7,802
- Earnings 10y
- $41,150
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Northeast State Community College
A- ROI score
- 12.58
- Net price
- $6,864
- Earnings 10y
- $34,553
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Le Moyne-Owen College
A- ROI score
- 12.53
- Net price
- $7,099
- Earnings 10y
- $35,594
- Acceptance
- 99.2%
Austin Peay State University
A- ROI score
- 11.38
- Net price
- $9,735
- Earnings 10y
- $44,301
- Acceptance
- 96.4%
American Baptist College
A- ROI score
- 11.18
- Net price
- $9,216
- Earnings 10y
- $41,216
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
The University of Tennessee-Martin
B- ROI score
- 10.33
- Net price
- $10,701
- Earnings 10y
- $44,213
- Acceptance
- 88.2%
University of Memphis
B- ROI score
- 9.77
- Net price
- $12,397
- Earnings 10y
- $48,458
- Acceptance
- 72%
Bethel University
B- ROI score
- 9.42
- Net price
- $12,595
- Earnings 10y
- $47,482
- Acceptance
- 60.2%
Middle Tennessee State University
B- ROI score
- 9.08
- Net price
- $13,359
- Earnings 10y
- $48,541
- Acceptance
- 69.1%
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
B- ROI score
- 8.96
- Net price
- $14,265
- Earnings 10y
- $51,151
- Acceptance
- 81.1%
Strayer University-Tennessee
B- ROI score
- 8.61
- Net price
- $11,645
- Earnings 10y
- $40,092
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Tennessee Technological University
B- ROI score
- 8.51
- Net price
- $14,246
- Earnings 10y
- $48,501
- Acceptance
- 76.1%
How we picked this list
This list starts with Tennessee colleges, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 13.98 (18 public, 6 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Roane State Community College in Harriman, TN tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many Tennessee colleges are in this list?
59 Tennessee colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.