2026 Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools in Tennessee
[Mental & Social Health Services](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/) 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.
College Factual analyzed 16 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value mental & social health services schools.
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2026 Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in mental & social health services, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools
For return on investment in mental & social health services, no school beat University Of Memphis this year. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,728, while out-of-state students pay about $15,384. Students borrow a median of $26,315 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Soon after graduation, mental & social health services degree recipients from University Of Memphis generally make around $48,890. That is a strong return on a $26,315 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Trevecca Nazarene University earned it the #2 place for mental & social health services. Trevecca Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,300. Typical student debt for mental & social health services graduates is $24,962. Soon after graduation, mental & social health services degree recipients from Trevecca Nazarene University generally make around $35,274. That is a strong return on a $24,962 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Austin Peay State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental & social health services, landing the #3 spot this year. Austin Peay State University is a large public school located in the city of Clarksville. Students from in state pay about $9,006 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,766. Students borrow a median of $24,530 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Early-career mental & social health services graduates make about $44,360. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Austin Peay State University admits about 96% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in mental & social health services will find it at Lincoln Memorial University, which ranked #4. Located in the town of Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $26,938 in tuition and fees. Mental & Social Health Services graduates carry a median of $20,693 in student loans. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of Lincoln Memorial University earn a median of $64,307 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Lincoln Memorial University admits about 63% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Carson Newman College one of the best values for mental & social health services. Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Jefferson City. Students from in state pay about $34,700 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $22,843 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Soon after graduation, mental & social health services degree recipients from Carson Newman College generally make around $42,054. Set against $22,843 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Carson Newman College admits about 90% of applicants.
Johnson University earned the #6 position for value in mental & social health services this year. Set in the rural area of Knoxville, Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,122. Typical student debt for mental & social health services graduates is $22,913. Soon after graduation, mental & social health services degree recipients from Johnson University generally make around $34,290. That is a strong return on a $22,913 median debt. Johnson University admits about 65% of applicants.
Lee University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value mental & social health services schools. Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,790. Mental & Social Health Services graduates carry a median of $26,422 in student loans. Early-career mental & social health services graduates make about $38,249. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
Milligan College earned the #8 position for value in mental & social health services this year. Milligan College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Milligan. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,450. Mental & Social Health Services graduates carry a median of $26,150 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental & social health services degree recipients from Milligan College generally make around $64,327. That is a strong return on a $26,150 median debt. Milligan College admits about 72% of applicants.
Lipscomb University earned the #9 position for value in mental & social health services this year. Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,572. Typical student debt for mental & social health services graduates is $23,529. Early-career mental & social health services graduates make about $34,077. Set against $23,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Belmont University earned the #10 position for value in mental & social health services this year. Set in the city of Nashville, Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,540. Students borrow a median of $23,447 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of Belmont University earn a median of $49,699 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,447 median debt. Belmont University admits about 95% of applicants.
More Mental & Social Health Services Rankings
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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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
