2026 Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools in Tennessee
[Industrial & Management Engineering](/majors/engineering-technologies/engineering-related-fields/industrial-management-engineering/) 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 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for industrial & management engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in industrial & management engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Industrial & Management Engineering Schools
Christian Brothers University earned the #1 spot for value among industrial & management engineering schools in Tennessee. Located in the city of Memphis, Christian Brothers University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,420. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $32,416. Early-career industrial & management engineering graduates make about $51,040. That is a strong return on a $32,416 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Middle Tennessee State University earned it the #2 place for industrial & management engineering. Set in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,266, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. Industrial & Management Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,576 in student loans. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from Middle Tennessee State University generally make around $67,431. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a great value for students pursuing a degree in industrial & management engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,448, compared with $18,512 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for industrial & management engineering graduates is $25,500. Soon after graduation, industrial & management engineering degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga generally make around $60,284. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
