2027 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Tennessee
[Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-nursing/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing students.
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2027 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Tennessee
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools
Vanderbilt University tops our 2027 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools in Tennessee. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,498 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $13,975 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $125,565. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 6%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tennessee Technological University earned it the #2 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Set in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,376, compared with $15,576 for out-of-state students. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $18,349 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $77,364. Set against $18,349 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Tennessee Technological University admits about 76% of applicants.
East Tennessee State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, landing the #3 spot this year. East Tennessee State University is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,216, compared with $13,726 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $25,091. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $89,640. That is a strong return on a $25,091 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The University Of Tennessee is a great value for students pursuing a degree in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,812, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $23,292 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of $97,755 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,292 median debt. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Lincoln Memorial University earned it the #5 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Located in the town of Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,938. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $24,375. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from Lincoln Memorial University generally make around $70,403. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 63%.
King College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. King College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bristol. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,397. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of King College earn a median of $77,837 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. King College admits about 100% of applicants.
Southern Adventist University landed the #7 spot for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing value this year. Set in the suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,300. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $26,596. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Southern Adventist University earn a median of $77,467 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,596 median debt. The acceptance rate is 66%.
Union University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing schools. Union University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Jackson. Students from in state pay about $37,398 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $29,127 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Union University earn a median of $118,489 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Union University admits about 60% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 8 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.
