2027 Best Value Physical Therapy/Therapist Schools in Tennessee
[Physical Therapy/Therapist](/majors/health-care-professions/rehab-and-therapeutic-professions/physical-therapy-therapist/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong physical therapy/therapist education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for physical therapy/therapist students.
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2027 Best Value Physical Therapy/Therapist Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in physical therapy/therapist, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Physical Therapy/Therapist Schools
Leading the list is The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, our #1 best value for physical therapy/therapist in Tennessee. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public school located in the city of Chattanooga. Students from in state pay about $10,448 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,512. Students borrow a median of $23,324 to complete the physical therapy/therapist program here. Soon after graduation, physical therapy/therapist degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga generally make around $72,301. That is a strong return on a $23,324 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in physical therapy/therapist 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. In-state tuition and fees average $8,616, compared with $22,416 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $29,489 to complete the physical therapy/therapist program here. Soon after graduation, physical therapy/therapist degree recipients from Tennessee State University generally make around $67,436. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Tennessee State University admits about 70% of applicants.
East Tennessee State University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value physical therapy/therapist schools. Located in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,216, compared with $13,726 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,301 to complete the physical therapy/therapist program here. Soon after graduation, physical therapy/therapist degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $73,616. Set against $21,301 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Students looking for strong value in physical therapy/therapist will find it at South College, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Knoxville, South College is a very large private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,535. Physical Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $24,533 in student loans. Early-career physical therapy/therapist graduates make about $51,389. That is a strong return on a $24,533 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Lincoln Memorial University earned it the #5 place for physical therapy/therapist. Located in the town of Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $26,938. Typical student debt for physical therapy/therapist graduates is $20,693. Early-career physical therapy/therapist graduates make about $64,307. That is a strong return on a $20,693 median debt. Roughly 63% of applicants are accepted.
Belmont University came in at #6 for value in physical therapy/therapist this year. Belmont 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 $42,540. Physical Therapy/therapist graduates carry a median of $23,447 in student loans. Soon after graduation, physical therapy/therapist degree recipients from Belmont University generally make around $73,552. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
More Physical Therapy/Therapist Rankings
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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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
