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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee

28 Ranked Colleges
3,101 Degrees Awarded
$12,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 313,362 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across Tennessee, there were 5,948 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $65,772 and $31,354 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,101 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 28 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great nursing programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences landed the #1 spot on the list. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 136 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Baptist College of Health Sciences has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $5,611 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Chattanooga is a fairly large school located in Chattanooga, Tennessee that handed out 123 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Chattanooga also took the #8 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Chattanooga is $8,108 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UT Chattanooga Nursing Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 252 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,224 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#4

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, Tennessee

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee Wesleyan University landed the #4 spot on the list. Athens, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.

TWU also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend TWU is $10,002 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Tennessee Wesleyan University

#5

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Middle Tennessee State University is a large public school situated in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It awarded 85 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Middle Tennessee State University also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Middle Tennessee State University

#6

Christian Brothers University

Memphis, Tennessee

Christian Brothers University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Christian Brothers did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $9,496 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Christian Brothers.

Full Christian Brothers University Nursing Report

#7

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. ETSU is a fairly large public school situated in Johnson City, Tennessee. It awarded 464 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, ETSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $10,632 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ETSU.

Read more about Nursing at ETSU

The University of Tennessee - Martin ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Martin is a public institution located in Martin, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Martin, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $7,524 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Martin.

Read full report on Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Martin

#9

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, Tennessee

With a ranking of #9, Lincoln Memorial University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Harrogate, Tennessee, and it awarded 158 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at LMU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lincoln Memorial University is $9,736 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full LMU Nursing Report

#10

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee

Tennessee Technological University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tennessee Technological University is located in Cookeville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Tennessee Tech University also took the #9 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tennessee Technological University is $11,641 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Tennessee Tech University Nursing Report

#11

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UofM is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 269 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

UofM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend UofM is $10,256 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Memphis Nursing Report

#12

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, Tennessee

Freed-Hardeman University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FHU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Henderson, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FHU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $13,512 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Freed-Hardeman University.

Read more about Nursing at Freed-Hardeman University

#13

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee

Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

TNU also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $15,228 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trevecca Nazarene University.

Read full report on Nursing at TNU

#14

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin Peay State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $10,909 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Austin Peay State University.

Read full report on Nursing at Austin Peay State University

#15

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Tennessee State University is $11,015 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Tennessee State University

#16

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee

Lee University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lee University is a medium-sized school located in Cleveland, Tennessee that handed out 56 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Lee University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $13,841 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lee University.

Read more about Nursing at Lee University

#17

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee

Carson - Newman University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Jefferson City, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carson - Newman, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carson - Newman University is $14,686 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Carson - Newman University Nursing Report

#18

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #18, Belmont University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Belmont is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 204 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Belmont not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $25,980 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Belmont.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Belmont

#19

Milligan University

Milligan College, Tennessee

Milligan University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Milligan University is a small school located in Milligan College, Tennessee that handed out 21 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Milligan has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Milligan University is $14,089 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Milligan University Nursing Report

#20

Tusculum University

Greeneville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #20, Tusculum University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tusculum is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greeneville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Tusculum is $13,752 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Tusculum

#21

Bethel University

McKenzie, Tennessee

Bethel University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bethel is located in McKenzie, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

Bethel also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Bethel is $14,339 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Bethel University Nursing Report

#22

South College

Knoxville, Tennessee

South College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 214 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend South College is $16,958 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full South College Nursing Report

#23

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee

Southern Adventist University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegedale, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Southern Adventist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $19,346 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Adventist.

Read full report on Nursing at Southern Adventist

#24

Martin Methodist College

Pulaski, Tennessee

Martin Methodist College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pulaski, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Martin Methodist is $16,367 for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Martin Methodist

#25

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee

Lipscomb University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lipscomb, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lipscomb is $20,036 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Lipscomb Nursing Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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