2026 Best General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Tennessee
General Educational Leadership & Administration degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general educational leadership & administration students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for General Educational Leadership & Administration in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall general educational leadership & administration education in Tennessee.
Top Schools in General Educational Leadership & Administration
Vanderbilt University tops our 2026 ranking of the best general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. Vanderbilt University graduates 94% of students within six years. There were roughly 31 general educational leadership & administration students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general educational leadership & administration degree from Vanderbilt University earn around $78,283 in the first couple years of their career. Vanderbilt University graduates carry a median of $13,975 in student loans.
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Freed Hardeman University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the town of Henderson, Freed Hardeman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Freed Hardeman University graduates 69% of students within six years. There were roughly 27 general educational leadership & administration students who graduated with this degree at Freed Hardeman University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general educational leadership & administration program make about $54,530 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,479.
More information about a degree in general educational leadership & administration from Freed Hardeman University
Students looking for a strong general educational leadership & administration program will find one at The University Of Tennessee, which ranked #3. This very large public university is located in the city of Knoxville. The University Of Tennessee graduates 74% of students within six years. About 33 general educational leadership & administration degrees were awarded at The University Of Tennessee in the most recent year. Graduates of the general educational leadership & administration program make about $49,826 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $22,859.
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Tennessee Technological University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in general educational leadership & administration, ranking #4. This large public university is located in the town of Cookeville. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 16 general educational leadership & administration students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Technological University in the most recent data year. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Tennessee Technological University earn a median of $64,036 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $17,580.
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A rank of #5 makes Lincoln Memorial University one of the top schools for general educational leadership & administration. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the town of Harrogate. About 47% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 92 general educational leadership & administration students who graduated with this degree at Lincoln Memorial University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general educational leadership & administration program make about $57,547 in their early career. Lincoln Memorial University graduates carry a median of $20,693 in student loans.
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Union University earned the #6 position for general educational leadership & administration this year. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Jackson. Roughly 66% of students complete a degree within six years here. Union University awarded about 40 general educational leadership & administration degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Union University generally make around $64,839. Students borrow a median of $28,605 to complete this degree.
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Tennessee State University landed the #7 spot for general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public university. Roughly 35% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 120 general educational leadership & administration degrees were awarded at Tennessee State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the general educational leadership & administration program make about $45,060 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $29,489.
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Lipscomb University came in at #8 for general educational leadership & administration this year. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Nashville. The six-year graduation rate is 72%. Lipscomb University awarded about 68 general educational leadership & administration degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general educational leadership & administration degree from Lipscomb University earn around $60,024 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,529.
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Carson Newman College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best general educational leadership & administration schools. Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Jefferson City. Carson Newman College graduates 52% of students within six years. There were roughly 19 general educational leadership & administration students who graduated with this degree at Carson Newman College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Carson Newman College generally make around $63,728. Students borrow a median of $22,843 to complete this degree.
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Trevecca Nazarene University earned the #10 position for general educational leadership & administration this year. Trevecca Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Roughly 53% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 31 general educational leadership & administration degrees were awarded at Trevecca Nazarene University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Trevecca Nazarene University generally make around $67,303. Trevecca Nazarene University graduates carry a median of $24,962 in student loans.
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The University Of Tennessee Martin landed the #11 spot for general educational leadership & administration this year. The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Martin. The University Of Tennessee Martin graduates 52% of students within six years. There were roughly 37 general educational leadership & administration students who graduated with this degree at The University Of Tennessee Martin in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general educational leadership & administration degree from The University Of Tennessee Martin earn around $40,400 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,770.
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East Tennessee State University placed #12 among the best general educational leadership & administration schools. This large public university is located in the city of Johnson City. The six-year graduation rate is 53%. About 62 general educational leadership & administration degrees were awarded at East Tennessee State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their general educational leadership & administration degree from East Tennessee State University earn around $62,532 in the first couple years of their career. East Tennessee State University graduates carry a median of $21,301 in student loans.
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Austin Peay State University came in at #13 for general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 39%. There were roughly 97 general educational leadership & administration students who graduated with this degree at Austin Peay State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Austin Peay State University generally make around $55,045. Typical student debt for the program is $24,530.
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University Of Memphis earned the #14 position for general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public institution. About 51% of students finish within six years. University Of Memphis awarded about 41 general educational leadership & administration degrees in the most recent data year. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of University Of Memphis earn a median of $74,676 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,315 to complete this degree.
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Middle Tennessee State University landed the #15 spot for general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. Middle Tennessee State University awarded about 14 general educational leadership & administration degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Middle Tennessee State University generally make around $56,415. Students borrow a median of $22,754 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in general educational leadership & administration from Middle Tennessee State University
More General Educational Leadership & Administration Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 23 schools evaluated.
- 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.