2026 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Tennessee
[Nursing Practice](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/nursing-practice/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong nursing practice education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 14 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for nursing practice students.
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2026 Best Value Nursing Practice Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in nursing practice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Nursing Practice Schools
For return on investment in nursing practice, no school beat The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga this year. Set in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,448, compared with $18,512 for out-of-state students. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $23,558 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $108,081. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee Technological University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. Tennessee Technological University is a large public school located in the town of Cookeville. In-state tuition and fees average $11,376, compared with $15,576 for out-of-state students. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $18,349 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $77,364. That is a strong return on a $18,349 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Baptist Memorial College Of Health Sciences earned it the #3 place for nursing practice. Baptist Memorial College Of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis. Students from in state pay about $13,796 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $47,500 to complete the nursing practice program here. Nursing Practice graduates of Baptist Memorial College Of Health Sciences earn a median of $74,962 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
A rank of #4 makes East Tennessee State University one of the best values for nursing practice. East Tennessee State University is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City. Students from in state pay about $10,216 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $13,726. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $25,091 in student loans. Soon after graduation, nursing practice degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $89,640. Set against $25,091 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
South College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. Set in the city of Knoxville, South College is a large private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,535. Students borrow a median of $42,916 to complete the nursing practice program here. Nursing Practice graduates of South College earn a median of $76,870 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The University Of Tennessee landed the #6 spot for nursing practice value this year. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,812, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $23,292 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $97,755. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Lincoln Memorial University came in at #7 for value in nursing practice this year. Set in the town of Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $26,938. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $24,375 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of Lincoln Memorial University earn a median of $70,403 early in their careers. Set against $24,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 63%.
Vanderbilt University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value nursing practice schools. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,498. Students borrow a median of $13,975 to complete the nursing practice program here. Soon after graduation, nursing practice degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $125,565. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Carson Newman College placed #9 among the best values for nursing practice. 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. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, nursing practice degree recipients from Carson Newman College generally make around $48,797. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Carson Newman College admits about 90% of applicants.
Lee University landed the #10 spot for nursing practice value this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $23,790 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,300 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $38,249. Set against $25,300 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
King College came in at #11 for value in nursing practice this year. Located in the city of Bristol, King College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $20,397 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the nursing practice program here. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $77,837. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 100% of applicants are accepted.
Union University placed #12 among the best values for nursing practice. Set in the city of Jackson, Union University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,398. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $29,127 in student loans. Early-career nursing practice graduates make about $118,489. Set against $29,127 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Belmont University placed #13 among the best values for nursing practice. Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Students from in state pay about $42,540 in tuition and fees. Nursing Practice graduates carry a median of $25,625 in student loans. Nursing Practice graduates of Belmont University earn a median of $80,864 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
More Nursing Practice 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 · 14 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.
