2026 Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools in Tennessee
[Electrical Engineering](/majors/engineering/ee-electrical-engineering/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for electrical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in electrical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Electrical Engineering Schools
Leading the list is The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, our #1 best value for electrical engineering in Tennessee. 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, with out-of-state students paying around $18,512. Typical student debt for electrical engineering graduates is $28,375. Early-career electrical engineering graduates make about $75,273. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga admits about 81% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in electrical engineering will find it at Tennessee State University, which ranked #2. 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, while out-of-state students pay about $22,416. Electrical Engineering graduates carry a median of $29,489 in student loans. Soon after graduation, electrical engineering degree recipients from Tennessee State University generally make around $45,060. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee Technological University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value electrical engineering schools. Tennessee Technological University is a large public school located in the town of Cookeville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,376, while out-of-state students pay about $15,576. Students borrow a median of $20,034 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, electrical engineering degree recipients from Tennessee Technological University generally make around $73,453. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Tennessee Technological University admits about 76% of applicants.
University Of Memphis came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value electrical engineering schools. Located in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,728 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. Electrical Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, electrical engineering degree recipients from University Of Memphis generally make around $71,137. Set against $23,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
The University Of Tennessee came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value electrical engineering schools. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,812 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,256. Students borrow a median of $21,630 to complete the electrical engineering program here. Electrical Engineering graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of $75,316 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,630 median debt. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
