2027 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Tennessee
[General Educational Leadership & Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/educational-leadership-and-administration-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general educational leadership & administration students.
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2027 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general educational leadership & administration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools
For return on investment in general educational leadership & administration, no school beat Austin Peay State University this year. Set in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,006, compared with $14,766 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,530 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $55,045. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
A rank of #2 makes The University Of Tennessee Martin one of the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Located in the town of Martin, The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,560 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $16,600. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $23,770. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee Martin generally make around $40,400. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Tennessee Martin admits about 88% of applicants.
University Of Memphis is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general educational leadership & administration, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,728, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $26,315 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from University Of Memphis generally make around $74,676. Set against $26,315 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general educational leadership & administration will find it at Middle Tennessee State University, which ranked #4. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. In-state tuition and fees average $10,266, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $22,754. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $56,415. Set against $22,754 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 69%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tennessee Technological University earned it the #5 place for general educational leadership & administration. Set in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,376 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $15,576. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $17,580 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Tennessee Technological University earn a median of $64,036 early in their careers. Set against $17,580 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Tennessee Technological University admits about 76% of applicants.
The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public school located in the city of Chattanooga. Students from in state pay about $10,448 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,512. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $23,324 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga generally make around $50,000. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Vanderbilt University earned the #7 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,498 in tuition and fees. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $13,975 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $78,283. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee State University landed the #8 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,616, with out-of-state students paying around $22,416. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $29,489 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Tennessee State University generally make around $45,060. Set against $29,489 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
East Tennessee State University landed the #9 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Located in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,216, compared with $13,726 for out-of-state students. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $21,301 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of East Tennessee State University earn a median of $62,532 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,301 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Trevecca Nazarene University earned the #10 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Trevecca Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,300. Students borrow a median of $24,962 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Trevecca Nazarene University earn a median of $67,303 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
South College came in at #11 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. South College is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Knoxville. In-state tuition and fees average $18,535. Students borrow a median of $24,533 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $51,389. Set against $24,533 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The University Of Tennessee came in at #12 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,812, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. Students borrow a median of $22,859 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $49,826. Set against $22,859 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Carson Newman College ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Jefferson City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,700. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $22,843 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $63,728. Set against $22,843 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Lincoln Memorial University earned the #14 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the town of Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,938. Students borrow a median of $20,693 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Lincoln Memorial University earn a median of $57,547 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,693 median debt. The acceptance rate is 63%.
Milligan College earned the #15 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the suburb of Milligan, Milligan College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $40,450 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $26,150. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $64,327. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Freed Hardeman University came in at #16 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the town of Henderson, Freed Hardeman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $25,620 in tuition and fees. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,479 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Freed Hardeman University generally make around $54,530. That is a strong return on a $24,479 median debt. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Lipscomb University placed #17 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Students from in state pay about $40,572 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $23,529. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $60,024. Set against $23,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Union University landed the #18 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Union University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Jackson. Students from in state pay about $37,398 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $28,605 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Union University earn a median of $64,839 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Union University admits about 60% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 18 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.
