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2026 Best Value Value Schools in Tennessee

[Value](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/marketing/digital-marketing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value value schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in Tennessee

2026 Best Value Value Schools in Tennessee

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Value Schools

1

Tennessee Wesleyan College
Athens, TN

$30,814 In-State Tuition & Fees

$29,750 Avg Student Debt

$45,989 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in value, no school beat Tennessee Wesleyan College this year. Tennessee Wesleyan College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Athens. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,814. Typical student debt for value graduates is $29,750. Early-career value graduates make about $58,859. Set against $29,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 69%.

2

East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN

$10,216 In-State Tuition & Fees

$21,819 Avg Student Debt

$44,859 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at East Tennessee State University earned it the #2 place for value. East Tennessee State University is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City. Students from in state pay about $10,216 in tuition and fees, compared with $13,726 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,819 to complete the value program here. Value graduates of East Tennessee State University earn a median of $35,632 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.