2026 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Tennessee
[Animal Science](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/animal-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong animal science education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for animal science students.
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2026 Best Value Animal Science Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in animal science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Animal Science Schools
For return on investment in animal science, no school beat Middle Tennessee State University this year. Set in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,266, with out-of-state students paying around $31,574. Students borrow a median of $18,415 to complete the animal science program here. Soon after graduation, animal science degree recipients from Middle Tennessee State University generally make around $33,788. That is a strong return on a $18,415 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee Technological University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value animal science schools. Tennessee Technological University is a large public school located in the town of Cookeville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,376, compared with $15,576 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for animal science graduates is $17,580. Early-career animal science graduates make about $46,981. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes The University Of Tennessee one of the best values for animal science. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,812, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,693 to complete the animal science program here. Soon after graduation, animal science degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $26,515. That is a strong return on a $21,693 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
More Animal Science Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
