2027 Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools in Tennessee

[General Business/Commerce](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/general-business-commerce/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for general business/commerce students.
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2027 Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general business/commerce, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Business/Commerce Schools
For return on investment in general business/commerce, no school beat Strayer University Tennessee this year. Set in the city of Nashville, Strayer University Tennessee is a mid-sized private for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,920. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $44,664. General Business/commerce graduates of Strayer University Tennessee earn a median of $49,793 early in their careers. Set against $44,664 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Middle Tennessee State University one of the best values for general business/commerce. Set in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,266, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. Students borrow a median of $24,450 to complete the general business/commerce program here. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $40,100. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Middle Tennessee State University admits about 69% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general business/commerce will find it at Bethel University Tennessee, which ranked #3. Bethel University Tennessee is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of McKenzie. In-state tuition and fees average $18,712. Students borrow a median of $24,188 to complete the general business/commerce program here. General Business/commerce graduates of Bethel University Tennessee earn a median of $62,083 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Students looking for strong value in general business/commerce will find it at South College, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Knoxville, South College is a very large private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,535. Typical student debt for general business/commerce graduates is $24,533. Early-career general business/commerce graduates make about $51,389. That is a strong return on a $24,533 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Cumberland University one of the best values for general business/commerce. Cumberland University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Lebanon. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,840. Students borrow a median of $21,902 to complete the general business/commerce program here. General Business/commerce graduates of Cumberland University earn a median of $47,696 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
King College came in at #6 for value in general business/commerce this year. King College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bristol. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,397. General Business/commerce graduates carry a median of $25,579 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general business/commerce degree recipients from King College generally make around $49,297. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
Fisk University placed #7 among the best values for general business/commerce. Fisk University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $25,858. Students borrow a median of $26,310 to complete the general business/commerce program here. General Business/commerce graduates of Fisk University earn a median of $38,089 early in their careers. Set against $26,310 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 37% of applicants are accepted.
Belmont University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value general business/commerce schools. Set in the city of Nashville, Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $42,540. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the general business/commerce program here. General Business/commerce graduates of Belmont University earn a median of $58,377 early in their careers. Set against $24,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
More General Business/Commerce Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.