2027 Best Value Teacher Education Schools in Tennessee
[Teacher Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong teacher education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for teacher education students.
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2027 Best Value Teacher Education Schools in Tennessee
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the teacher education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Teacher Education Schools
Austin Peay State University tops our 2027 list of the best value teacher education schools in Tennessee. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,006, with out-of-state students paying around $14,766. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Teacher Education graduates of Austin Peay State University earn a median of $41,743 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Christian Brothers University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value teacher education schools. Christian Brothers University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis. In-state tuition and fees average $38,420. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $32,416 in student loans. Teacher Education graduates of Christian Brothers University earn a median of $51,040 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $32,416 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Tennessee Martin earned it the #3 place for teacher education. Located in the town of Martin, The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,560, while out-of-state students pay about $16,600. Students borrow a median of $21,000 to complete the teacher education program here. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee Martin generally make around $43,634. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Tennessee Martin admits about 88% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in teacher education 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. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,266, compared with $31,574 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,500 to complete the teacher education program here. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from Middle Tennessee State University generally make around $42,657. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Students looking for strong value in teacher education will find it at University Of Memphis, which ranked #5. University Of Memphis is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis. Students from in state pay about $10,728 in tuition and fees, compared with $15,384 for out-of-state students. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $28,439 in student loans. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from University Of Memphis generally make around $33,502. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Memphis admits about 72% of applicants.
The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value teacher education 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, compared with $18,512 for out-of-state students. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $22,517 in student loans. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga generally make around $44,879. That is a strong return on a $22,517 median debt. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Vanderbilt University landed the #7 spot for teacher education value this year. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $67,498. Students borrow a median of $13,975 to complete the teacher education program here. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $50,383. 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 teacher education value this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,616, compared with $22,416 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for teacher education graduates is $29,000. Teacher Education graduates of Tennessee State University earn a median of $34,756 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 70%.
East Tennessee State University earned the #9 position for value in teacher education this year. Located in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,216, with out-of-state students paying around $13,726. Typical student debt for teacher education graduates is $15,000. Teacher Education graduates of East Tennessee State University earn a median of $42,981 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Carson Newman College earned the #10 position for value in teacher education this year. Located in the suburb of Jefferson City, Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $34,700. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the teacher education program here. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $48,797. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Johnson University came in at #11 for value in teacher education this year. Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Knoxville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,122. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $23,819 in student loans. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from Johnson University generally make around $43,102. Set against $23,819 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Adventist University earned the #12 position for value in teacher education this year. Located in the suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,300. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $24,250 in student loans. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $43,283. That is a strong return on a $24,250 median debt. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
